Hey Pandas, what improved your quality of life so much you wish you did it sooner? Share the habit, purchase, mindset change, or tiny upgrade that made everything better!
Letting go of the thought that ‘what others will think’. This was constantly bogging me down. Also, life got easier when I started reminding myself ’everything is not my problem’.
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Losing weight and getting into shape. I got depressed and eating was my coping mechanism. I ate my way to obesity with a BMI of 36. I looked terrible and felt terrible. Now I’m 77 pounds lighter, exercise at least 5 days a week, and feel 20 years younger.
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Adopting a cat, I didn’t know that a cat can return love like that and be so gentle and attached to a human being.
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Letting go of toxic friendships.
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Quitting social media. It became so toxic, particularly after the 2024 US election. I never realized how much it was contributing to my anxiety and frustration, nor how much time I was wasting on it. Since quitting, I’ve completed several household projects I “didn’t have time for” before! Second would be limiting my news to non-hysterical, unbiased sources, and only checking it once a day.
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Drinking more water. It reduced my headaches, improved my sleep, decreased my pain levels.
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Quitting drinking alcohol. Five years now. I’m seventy and drank heavily for the previous twenty years before quitting. Feels like a new life. BTW, no 12-steps, no religion, no rehab, just decided to quit and did.
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Decluttering my closet so I actually wear what I own.
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Moved to live beside the sea. Very peaceful a d love to hear the waves. Lived in cities before thus and can’t believe the difference in lifestyles less than 50 miles
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Weed. It’s been legal where I live for years. When I was in the military I had a security clearance and would never do anything to jeopardize it or my career. Now being a civilian and pretty much in pain every day I have some in the evening, only at home while relaxing and not planning on going anywhere. It has greatly improved the quality of my life.
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Breast reduction surgery. Having big breasts is a genetic feature for women in my family; they remain voluminous no matter how much weight you lose. I used to have permanent cervical and back pain, postural issues, and skin allergies during summer. I was unable to move or run properly (as a gym enthusiast, this was a setback). Finding suitable clothes was a challenge (even though I have normal weight): I usually bought dresses in extra large sizes, then narrowed them in the lower part. Additionally, I was subject to bullying, catcalling and even sexual harassment for decades (since I was 12). Before the intervention (which was much easier than I had thought), my doctor told me: “You’ll wish you did it sooner”. My, was she right.
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Quitting smoking. I smoked for twenty years, but in 2023 I suffered a stroke. I lucked out — it was the smallest type of stroke I could have, with very little damage. It scared me though, I had just published my first novel earlier that year, and my second was due out in 2024, and it’s a five book series on top of all that. I want to see it completed. Of course last month I was diagnosed with stage three cancer; tumor on my bile duct. Maybe caused by the smoking, maybe not. But I finished drafting all five books, even started a new trilogy, and I have more energy. I’m in the best shape of my life, and I don’t smell like the floor of a NY dive bar anymore. I’m gonna keep kicking, until I can’t.
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I know it’s corny, but - meeting my wife. She has made my life for the past 25 years. It’s not been perfect by any means, but my life was going nowhere well into my 30s, and it has been worthwhile ever since. We met when we were 37 - it would have been great to have met 10 years earlier.
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Installing air conditioning in my bedroom.
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Cataract surgery. I wore glasses for 60 + years. Now I only need them for reading and driving. The world is clear.
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Therapy. Understanding your own mental health is a path to coping, or moving past the past. Knowing you are feeling terrible today, but that doesn’t make your whole life worthless, nor does it make the entire world terrible. You just feel terrible about it today.
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Getting diagnosed. When I started meds for my depression my mood improvement was noticed by those around me. When it was confirmed I had ADHD I saw the difference in what I could do with the right assistance.
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I realize this is not popular, but chiropractic care for me is and will continue to be a game changer. I can’t say that my pain is completely gone, but the pain has lessen a great deal in my neck and almost non existent in my hip. As with anything else, research to get a good doctor. Getting a dog. Love my Zoe so much.
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Reading. I read a ton when I was younger but then life got busy and screens got everywhere and I was only reading a couple books per year in spurts. In an attempt to reduce my screen time I committed to reading a half hour a day. Its been a couple years now and although I don’t read every single day I do most days generally finishing a book every other week. I’ve read so many fantastic books and it really does improve the brain’s functions like memory, vocabulary and focus.
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Probably pretty common but, reducing alcohol consumption to only a couple low-point beverages per week has helped greatly. Also, getting over any body or social insecurities and wearing weather appropriate clothing in the summer. I feel kinda silly now thinking about how many years prior I would be uncomfortable every summer just because I thought I didn’t have any options other than thick knee-length cargo “shorts” and dark colored everything. Yeah, that stuff sucks in a 40C heat index. Sky’s out, thighs out! 😁
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I know it’s underwhelming, but…switching to an electric toothbrush. Now brushing is much less of a chore. It never lasts longer than two minutes. I used to get cavities no matter how much I brushed and flossed; I also got receding gums from over-brushing. Now there are no more cavities and no more receding gums! Dental health is very important, this was a game changer.
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Going low contact with an a*****e parent. Now I don’t have to stress about awkward visits or go-nowhere phone calls. Boundaries are amazing.
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Finding the gentility and clever wit of Australian humor. Thank you.
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I lost my job. Couldn’t get another one, ex met someone else and divorced me, I ended up with no home, no money, no car, nothing. But around that time I made new friends who introduced me to a divorcee who had had a similar experience. 12 years later and we are married, massively in love, and spend our days refurbing an old mill in France. Still poor, but we couldn’t care less. I used to sleep around 3 - 4 hours every night, had depression, serious blood pressure issues, migraines, etc. So I guess I wish I’d stopped working sooner, (although I effectively retired at the age of 46) or met my new wife sooner. But I guess all the bad stuff led to where I am, so all things in their own time.
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Starting Padel tennis. Was overweight and depressed. Opened up a whole new community and new friends. Been at it for six months now and I am starting to feel good about myself again.
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Learning gratitude. Just be grateful for every little thing I could be. You learn to have a constant ‘feeling’ of gratitude and it makes it easier to deal with lifes obstacles.
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Leaving Bored Panda.
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Adding Christ and daily prayer to my life. Changed everything.
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Getting into IT as a career.
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Left a relationship that was wrong for me.
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I quit expecting people to be smart. George Carlin once said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” And once I took that to heart, my life became wine and roses.
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Going once per month to the local med spa for an IV Infusion. They pump vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants directly into the blood stream. I started to notice dramatic improvements in my health.
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Switching to voting for Republicans.
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