Sometimes it can seem like all of the ways we could possible change our lives would also be a ton or work or take a lot of time to come to fruition. When we plant, obviously, it can take some serious time before a harvest is due.
These 14 people say that’s not always so, though, and below they’re sharing some choices they made that not only changed their lives, but changed them quickly as well.
14. It’s an uphill battle.
First by far: getting sober
Second: Losing 100 pounds
13. It’s so good for you!
Trying to get 8 hours of good sleep every night.
9 if your body doesn’t feel rested with 8. Not everyone had the same sleep needs.
Sucked at first to have to get 9 hours myself, but after some time feeling actually rested my brain thanks me for it.
12. I need to work on this.
Drinking way more water
I have wayyy more energy and stopped drinking caffeine, my skin and hair have improved significantly, and I swear it improved my anxiety and OCD (although that one might be placebo…but, hey, I’ll take it!).
11. They’re not really thinking about you at all.
Realizing that not everyone is judging me.
No one else puts you at the center of their story.
You are not responsible for the opinions and actions of other people. They make a choice, based on the information they get. I will say it again you are not responsible for the actions of other people.
Remembering those two things is a big step in maturing and growing healthy relationships.
Say something silly during the day to a cashier? Ruminating on it a) will not change it and b) the cashier is not likely to remember it anyway. You are not the focus of their life.
Worried that you “made someone make a bad decision” because of what you said? Ruminating on it a) will not change it and b) you did not make the decision, that person did.
Yes, of course life is shades of gray not black and white. But, this is part of developing an balance between internal and external locus of control philosophy. Do you control your life, or do you merely let things happen to you without any ability to affect the course? One puts you in control, one makes you the victim and helpless.
10. I wish I had done this a long time ago.
Lasik. My life is 10 times better without glasses.
The surgery itself scared the shit out of me, but I am so glad I did it.
9. Not easy, but worth it.
Buying a lot of underwear and socks.
Also, quitting drugs.
Edit : To the people in the comments who are using drugs or wanna quit but can’t. As someone who struggled with Heroin addiction for a long time and finally quit and got my shit together, I highly recommend doing whatever it takes to get off whatever shit you’re using man. I know it’s very hard during the first few months but if you get yourself through that phase, you can see your life drastically improve in front of your eyes, and I assure you that’s the best feeling ever.Highly recommend quitting 10/10.
And yeah, buy a shit ton of socks and underwears, really comes in handy.
8. So many people are figuring this out.
Getting diagnosed with ADHD and getting treatment. I legit spent over 25 years of my life thinking a 24/7/365 rave going on in my head with over 2000 people screaming and yelling different things at me and that one song i can never find the source of to turn it off was normal and not understanding why I found things like saying “I’m going to go do :insert chore here:” and then DOING THEM IMMEDIATELY so hard.
Turns out I don’t have to sit on the couch for 6 hours trying to convince myself that this is the minute in which I’ll go put my cup in the dishwasher and no, emptying the trashcan doesn’t take half an hour it takes two minutes…
7. It affects so much.
Finally getting help and treatment for ADHD. It feels amazing to be able to get through the day without constantly struggling to keep my shit together!
First off, I am in the US where healthcare is pretty awful in general, especially mental healthcare and I did not get diagnosed until I was in my early 20’s although I struggled my whole life. ADHD also presents differently depending on gender, age and severity if symptoms etc., so please don’t take my experience as a universal one and consult with a healthcare provider to find the right course of treatment for you.
I first got diagnosed by a general practitioner and took a non stimulant medication that did not work for me at all. I then was prescribed adderall and took that with no issues (minus some annoying but manageable side effects such as low appetite and sleep trouble, all of which diminished over time) for two years before I lost insurance and could not afford to go to the doctor.
I tried natural remedies and lifestyle changes for a couple years and some worked pretty well, then I finally went back to a psychiatrist and got on adderall again. I use that in combination with therapy and lifestyle changes such as utilizing a manageable daily routine, planners, alarms, and other organizational tools.
I also try (try being the key word here) to eat healthy and get plenty of sleep which helps a lot as well. Also stay hydrated! With stimulants it can be very easy to become dehydrated. I take a low dose of the medication and try to skip taking it on days when I don’t have a lot of work to get done so that my body has a break from it from time to time.
I try not to increase the dose unless absolutely necessary and I have all my vitals monitored regularly to ensure my blood pressure and heart are healthy. It can be hard to find a good doctor and to get the right meds, so if something doesn’t feel like it’s working for you, try other options until you find something that does.
Everyone will react differently to different treatments. You can also have co-occurring disorders so it is important to get the right diagnoses. Best of luck everyone!
6. No one likes to feel like garbage.
Getting sober from alcohol. I was drinking so much my body hurt 24/7. I never get tired of not feeling like garbage.
r/StopDrinking is a fantastic resource and community for anyone interested is stopping or cutting back on alcohol.
There’s lots of programs as well. I have had success with Sober Faction which is searchable on Facebook but it’s likely not for everyone. SMART is another non theistic program. No matter what your goal, there is support out there for you. IWNDWYT, Heal Thyself, Hail Thyself
5. It really is amazing.
Buying an electric toothbrush! Haven’t gotten a new cavity since, and my dentist said I shrunk the start of one.
I bought one of these almost 10 years ago per the recommendation of another Reddit thread about the best way to spend $30 to improve ones life
And you know….that dentist was right.
4. It takes practice.
Consciously practicing empathy. It’s crazy how much lighter you can feel when you’re not center stage.
I learned that most things have very little to do with me and that’s a huge burden off of my shoulders.
I use to have that “main character syndrome” where I would try and figure out what everyone else was thinking about me and it would bother me, till one day I REALLY thought about it, and thought “how often do I think about what others are doing?”.
Turns out, not all that often, and so I realized that I am probably not on the minds of most people, as they all probably have their own problems to worry about. After that I stopped worrying what other people might think which has helped me figure out who I want to be rather than who I think other people want me to be.
3. Take care of your body.
Weightlifting. I wish I had started weightlifting so much earlier. I look better, feel better and it’s done wonders for my mental health.
Check out a website called MuscleAndStrength.com. They have hundreds, if not thousands of different workout programs listed from beginner to expert, as well as videos showing you how to properly perform each exercise.
2. If it makes you feel good!
Losing weight. Went from about 225 down to 165 over the course of 2020 (took the opportunity to work on myself) and I feel better than I have in years.
It was hard work, but I’ve managed to keep off for the past year, so I’m hoping I can keep this going!
1. Free yourself.
Cutting off a toxic friend. After having cut off said friend I felt that I could finally breathe without the stress of setting them off or getting into fights with them.
I don’t regret my decision at all.
I’m definitely going to consider some of these myself – we could all use a little change in our lives, right?
What changes have you made that dramatically impacted your life? Share them with us in the comments, please!
