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I think that most people realize there are ways to improve their lives. Most of us want that, even, but it can seem like a daunting prospect. If we want meaningful change, we have to put in meaningful work, which usually means a bit of a time commitment, at least.
Well, these 16 people have some news for you – they made some changes that improved their lives, and it hardly took any time at all.
So take note!
16. Such a time saver.
Everybody here writes something amazing, but the first thing I thought of was my dishwasher…
15. Good sleep is worth its weight in gold.
A good mattress, followed by a good pillow.
We went down the rabbit hole of mattress reviews on YouTube (seriously, you can get lost out there for more hours than you think), but settling on our new one we made the right choice.
A good pillow was soon to follow, as once the rest of your body is comfortable you know fast if your pillow is right. The combo of the two if great tho.
14. It makes me so happy.
Reading. Luckily I did start reading early on – mostly in my early 20s – I’m 27 now. I’ve read so many books which have given me much more insight to the world and my own views, especially my place in the universe.
I mostly read biology books, but enjoy any realm of evidence-based science and some fiction here and there. Even the entire Bible 2 years ago. If anyone reads this, read! It’s wonderful to know our minds can see lines and dots on paper and be able decipher it!
Just that concept alone makes me want to read.
13. Set hours.
Switched to a job where I have a consistent, balanced schedule.
Has let me exercise again, socialize more and spend time on other hobbies.
Suddenly I have time to exercise most days, cook better meals, relax at home, participate in my hobbies, and have my little side gig that doesn’t drain me like it used to because I had to spend my super limited free time doing it. I can maintain a reasonable budget that allows me to pay my bills, save, and have a little extra.
Going from 30k a year with a varied schedule to 40k a year with a consistent schedule has been life changing, and I know that income still isn’t anything amazing but it’s at least a step.
12. I hate headaches.
Finally getting a migraine preventative. I still get migraines but not over half a month of being in pain. 3 times a month is better than 20 days.
I am on preventive but still getting them 10 days or more a month. I got medical cannabis last week and hoping that helps with the pain-induced anxiety. Sometimes the pain is so intense that I panic because I’m so desperate to escape it.
Hoping to at least be able to melt into the couch. Rather my kids see me that way, than having the intense pain shakes and the vomiting and the tears.
I broke my neck 5 years ago which did not help the migraines 🙁
11. Being a little selfish.
I stopped putting other people and their needs before my own well-being and sanity. Pouring from an empty pitcher is exhausting and when I finally put myself first I felt free.
When I read the quote “you don’t have to light yourself on fire to keep other people warm” it changed my life. This may sound dramatic but that was the beginning of me finally making myself a priority.
10. Finally standing up for yourself.
This will sound a bit dark, but it’s ultimately not: confronting my abusive parent. I’m 50 and I finally did it a few months ago. I no longer have a relationship with that parent, and doing it was very hard, very scary, and very rough. But as soon as I did it, I felt like an immense weight had been lifted from me.
I had spent most of my adult life pretending to have a normal relationship with someone who physically and emotionally abused me throughout my childhood. It took years of therapy for me to even grasp how deeply that affected me or how much it cost me to keep it up.
I just feel so free. I wish I had done this the second I was out the door of their house, but this will do.
9. Don’t obsess over your job.
I stopped caring about my job. I still go every day and I’m good at it… but I don’t care anymore. Other things interest me now. 13 years of obsessing over work… what a waste.
8. A shift in perspective.
I started thinking of cleaning as “resetting” an area. After I cook I have to “reset” the kitchen.
The little shift in perspective made me a much more neat person.
7. It sounds freeing.
At 33, I realized this. I just DO NOT CARE.
I go in, and try my best. Do my job well. Some days that is a 10/10. If I’m not feeling it its a 7/10. However if its not enough I simply don’t care. It sounds like thats a problem of someone who makes more money than me.
I even have told friends that, however I dont tell coworkers for fear of them thinking that I am not applying myself to my job.
No I still do my job well. But if I dont have enough staff, or can’t do the job as good as I want to because of situations im put in, oh well. Its not MY profits its effecting, I’m hourly. And many service jobs schedule the bare minimum people so if someone has covid symptoms, we are immediately screwed. Oh well im not in charge of scheduling. Im just gonna focus on my tasks and punch out at my time off.
I especially don’t care when companies don’t even keep wages up with inflation. I got a 6% increase last year. Inflation was 7%. They just basically cut my pay by 1%. And on average they raised their prices by 7% meaning they are probably pocketing that 1% (or giving more to non Frontline admin workers). Why SHOULD I care about their profits? They clearly don’t care about mine.
6. If only they would let us do it sooner.
Hysterectomy.
I spent most of two decades extremely sick and miserable.
Best thing I ever did solely for my own self.
5. Just listening.
Actually listening instead of waiting for your turn to speak.
You understand so much more, and people have so many nice things to say about you when you just listen.
4. Feeling normal is good.
Hydrocortisone.
I had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease where my adrenal glands don’t make cortisol, and basically I was unable to catch my breath for months and my blood pressure was zero and I’d get lightheaded from just standing.
Took myself to the hospital where they shit me up with hydrocortisone and I immediately felt normal.
3. The world is clear again.
Getting glasses. I put it off for way too long and only got around to seeing an optometrist when I failed the vision test at the DMV as I was trying to get my driver’s license renewed a while back.
I really didn’t appreciate how much my vision had deteriorated or how much I was straining to focus on things until I got them. It was like going from an old CRT TV from the 90’s directly to a top of the line UHD display.
I must have spent about an hour just walking around outside and staring at shit on that first day.
2. Saving money.
Saving up money. Once I had 6 months expenses saved, the pressure goes down so much. I can make good decisions instead of desperate ones.
I don’t get stressed about losing my job. I can schedule my bills every month without worrying about balances. A car repair bill doesn’t faze me anymore like a wrench in the monthly cash flow.
Life’s just easier with money behind.
1. You just have to get started.
Cooking for myself, rather than relying on microwave meals. Eating better, healthier and cheaper at the same time.
If anyone is struggling to get started, I recommend a few things:
Get a decently sharp chef’s knife. A simple Victorinox Fibrox and a knife destroyer is plenty. You don’t need a 300 dollar Nasenbohrer knife and a set of sharpening stones, though those are nice too.
Write down the foods you like to eat, and slowly match every dish with a recipe. This makes your grocery shopping trips much easier, because you always find something to prepare.
Find a few good sources of recipes. I swear by SeriousEats, but BBC Good Foods has a lot of excellent everyday recipes.
Do your mise en place before you start cooking (take food out, measure things). It makes cooking a lot less stressful.
Over time, you build a collection of simple recipes and non-perishable ingredients (spices, sugar, flour…) that make cooking a breeze. You just need to grab 2-3 things from the supermarket to cook some really good food.
Cooking techniques come with practice. It mostly boils down to temperature control and knowing the impact of each ingredient. For now just follow the damn recipe and you’ll be okay.
These make me hopeful for the future, how about you?
Have you made a simple change in your life that made a huge difference? Tell us about it in the comments!
