Start working out. Seriously. A little cardio and a little strength training will go a long long way to improving your quality of life, even if you're not getting jacked.
Agree, and I'm someone who hates working out. Someone recently commented on exercising like "why would I choose to be miserable to 30 minutes a day", and I can honestly say it's because it makes you feel so much better the other 23 1/2 hours day. The smallest bit of cardio will make you more energetic, you don't get winded going up stairs, you can move easier, it's such a win. Yes it's miserable, but it is worth it.
I'm long legged and can second cycling. It can be hard if your area isn't flat, but it's low impact and can serve as a healthier way to go grab groceries
I'm so jealous. I have pots and now that I'm old, high intensity exercise is impossible. I bought a bike, if that doesn't work out, I'm out of ideas. I have pretty severe depression and I long to feel that feeling every day.
Good news! Exercise helps against depression! Biking is a very good way to get moving if you have other health issues. I’d also look into swimming if you have access to a pool (or a lake or ocean where it’s safe to swim).
Oh, there are sooooo many types of exercises! Search and try things YouTube can offer. I sometimes do the smaaall morning routine- stretching neck, moving shoulders, waist, hips, knees and ankles. It takes like 5 mins, but feeling rest of the day like -15 years. It's impossible to call them exercises, just a minimal movement. Like they did at school years ago before starting classes.
I have severe pots too. Might sound obvious, but try aiming for medium intensity like fast walking and compound exercises like beginner-intermediate calisthenics such as inverted rows.
If even that is too difficult there's stuff like recumbent bicycles but those are expensive.
This is the way. I’m fitter, stronger, and look better in my mid 40s than I did for most of my 30s. I hurt less, I’m more capable, and I look at the future with a lot more interest and less trepidation.
Make stuff. With your hands,stuff that will last when you walk away from it. I spent a lot of time doing admin/office work, and you can be productive as hell but have nothing to physically look at for your time.
I took up woodwork, started doing more building work on my property, and every time I look at what I’ve made, it makes me feel more connected to my home, and more capable of dealing with these weird times we find ourselves in. Learn skills, try different things, round out your experience in life. Make stuff you think is beautiful, or that makes your life better in some way, it’s a great feeling
Unfortunately a lot of local communities and businesses around me only update Facebook. Last time the transfer station closed last minute I went there with a load of trash and had to bring it back home, only place that it was posted was the Facebook page. Not to mention u need it if ur ever going to buy a used vehicle private party among other things. I REALLY wish there was an alternative, I miss craigslist for buy/ sell but fb still needed for local information unfortunately :/
A lot of businesses do, but the town transfer station? What am I supposed to do start dumping in the river instead? Lol not to mention if I wanna know why there was a fire stack coming from the railroad the only place that had information was the county fire response Facebook page. I promise you the more rural of an area your in, the less escapable Facebook is. Can't just pick another business when the next nearest is going to be 50+ miles away :/
Among a million other things, all rented spaces should be inspected and required to be acoustically insulated. City living is great for the environment and your quality of life and there's even nothing necessarily wrong with renting a home if you want to, but we need to regulate rental spaces where people are expected to live.
Rewired, replumbed, insulated, and reroofed the house. Installed an Enphase System Controller 3 along with an IQ Combiner 5, and a pair of IQ5P batteries, have three IQ8A microinverters hooked to 400w bifacial panels so far. Have a total of 18 panels to install as I'm working on the racking. Also need replace the windows and a few other things but there is a lot of stuff in progress. Been a huge benefit and QOL boost overall.
Learning to Scuba dive helped my mental health a ton after becoming a widower. Diving in general had been great for me, I just wish I could go more often.
Gotten top surgery. I knew my quality of life was going to improve by virtue of not having boobs that gave me dysphoria, but I thought I would have to wait until I was fully healed to feel it. My mood and outlook changed pretty much day after my surgery. It feels great :)
Made water my primary beverage. Turned out that chronic dehydration was causing several physical maladies that went away almost overnight once I started drinking more water.
Stop caring so much about what others think about me. Especially strangers. Once I realized that the stranger in the grocery store does not continue to think about me once I am out of sight and if they do, I'll never know it so it doesn't matter. Living life based on what I think of me has been so much better for my mental health than living based on what I think others might think about me.
Spend time alone with my thoughts. This allowed me to deal with issues and behaviors that I didn't like about myself and / or identify stressors that may have been manifesting in misdirected ways. I did this way more when I was younger and angrier and it took a couple of years, but I slowly worked through so many aspects of myself that I didn't like. Some I was able to change and others I learned to come to terms with and work around.
When people ask "How's it going" or similar such greetings, I tell them the truth. This is a bit of an extension of the last 2 points, but I found that sharing and verbalizing the good and the bad worked better for me than internalizing everything.
Started exercising every day. All I do is 10 pushups, 60 seconds of planking, and 30 sit-ups. It takes less than 10 minutes and I've done it for about a year and a half and I've got a nicely toned stomach and better core strength from it. I'm pretty happy about it and it definitely makes me more confident. I also watch what I eat. I've lost about 40lbs in that time
One option: Kryptonite sells an insurance plan. As long as you can show some evidence that the bike was stolen - picture of a broken lock and a police report for instance - they’ll pay for a replacement.
I need to check if I need to renew mine, but it was something like $20 for several years.
It's about 5km, and a fairly nice ride despite my city doing very little for cyclists. No theft so far! I see there's been lots of discussion on theft prevention but I'll add my opinion: you need to make your bike less of a target by having a big scary looking lock on a bike that doesn't look great. Just oversize the lock to such a degree that it's not worth messing with. Also locking up in a higher traffic, more visible area is helpful.
hex keys, scissors, utility knives, and screwdrivers can be found on every level of my house and in the garage, as well as in dedicated tool sets (i.e. bicycle toolbox)
no more "oh I need to go get this tool to fix this one minor thing. that's annoying me every time I use it", it's at most ten steps away and I can do it now
Made an effort to say "yes" when people invite me or are making plans. It's meant I get more invites, and have done and seen many things that I would've have otherwise. Picked up some new fun hobbies along the way too!
I stopped drinking a year and a half ago, quit vaping 3 years ago (quit smoking butts a few years before that) and in the last 5 years or so have significantly inproved my diet. Holy crap do I feel better. Less fatigued, more focused, sleep better I can go on. I still smoke more weed than I should, need to try cutting that out at least for a little bit too but its my last vice...
Flooring? Unless it's wood or tiles the rest of the options available are just floof.
Source: I have a good friend working at a construction materials depot. They stock a wide variety of flooring, from different manufacturer, and the materials only differ in finish not build. The materials are even supplied in bulk, not by category, and the end seller prices it has they see fit. An "oak finish" floor may be double or triple of what a standard "pine" or "spruce" costs.
I drive daily for professional reasons and the company I work for uses a fleet management service to maintain the vehicles. I've seen tyre brands being fitted that I was advised against for my personal vehicle at the store I usually bought tyres. The cheaper tyres last as long and in a few occasions longer than so called first line brands. This isn't to say there are no poor quality tyres but the main manufacturers are not that much better from the rest of the pack as they used too.
Just a heads up that tire longevity is not a good indicator for a good tire, the primary factor is grip. In both both dry, wet and soaking wet conditions, warm and cold.
That's why stopping distance and slalom speeds are tested during the annual tire comparison review. A good tire can also pump more water to prevent aqua planing than a bad tire. A good tire will remain more soft and grippy in colder temperatures than a bad tire.
Tire noise and ride comfort can also differ between good and bad tired.
I've compared tyre tracks between brands and some are near clones. We had a car fitted with english-made tyres with a thread nearly identical to a Firestone. Even the fitter noted that.
What I can confirm is the noise level usually differs, with cheaper brands usually in the C category but higher grades are starting to be seen.
• switched to minimalist footwear (so many physical ailments eased/disappeared)
• downloaded an app that reminds me to stand up & walk for 5 minutes every half hour
• got rid of all social media except the Fediverse
• got FL-41 glasses to help me function with migraines
• got an RSS feed app to let me keep up with all media & creators I want to keep up with, without the mental health strain of endless scrolling, algorithms, & toxic comments
I'm ignorant about the footwear, what is minimalist footwear?? I typically wear the thinnest sneaks I can find (vans typically) so I can feel my feet, and for work i do need to run steel toes but i am currently in the market for more footwear lol
If you need any specific recommendations, I’m happy to help! Unfortunately a lot of minimalist shoes are expensive, but they’ve been such a game changer that they feel like a necessity at this point.
Huh no kidding, so my most comfortable pair of shoes is always my oldest bagged out set of vans because of how flexible they are. Also zero arch support and zero drop soles, it's almost like my worn in vans are bordering on barefoot shoes! I'm definatley going to have to try a set, what brand do u wear? And how is the longevity of the soles? The rutsu high tops looks appealing.
Mental healthcare provider hopping. You don't really know what a good one is like until you've had one. A lot of people try one, work really hard and get nowhere, either because their therapist is a crank, or maybe they're a competent professional that just doesn't work for them for whatever reason, so they conclude that therapy is a sham and they stop pursuing it.
I think it's good practice to evaluate whether what you're doing in therapy is helping at regular intervals. If it ain't, talk about it with your provider and if y'all can't fix it, hit the bricks and find someone who can. If your therapist is worth their salt they'll be happy to provide you with a reference if you ask. If they aren't, all the more reason to find someone better.
I looked into this a few times, but my particular toilet seems to have a ceramic curve to it that would block the positioning of most bidet attachments. I should try again, it’s surely not impossible, but discouraging when most reachable hardware stores only have one or two.
I have total license over my space, time, and money. I don't have a wife or kids nagging me every day. I wake up to a quiet, clean house.
The whole culture is trying to tell me I'm a loser, but I found the cheat code to a better life and I'm not jealous of anyone stuck supporting another person.
Yea! I absolutely agree. None of my friends want to marry so there is no one messing up their space. Even the ones with boyfriends like to keep it that way because who wants to give up their personal freedom in exchange for a nagging husband and a kid asking whats for dinner.
They have good jobs, take great vacations and their salary and time is their own. It really is a cheat code to a better life.
Recently went on a date, and after a couple hours in the coffee shop we went for a walk where she started looking for something to eat. She said she doesn't eat beef or chicken. She's not vegetarian but she is gluten free and wants thai food but the thai place is closed so let's walk and visibly confirm there's no more thai places open and in my head I'm just like "OMFG I forgot how much I hate having to deal with another person while eating/trying to find food."
The whole time I'm just like, I hope I can leave soon so I can go eat whatever the fuck I want.
I still use sunglasses and condoms for protection, but can gladly go without on overcast days and in steady relationships, and I panic way less if they break when I need them the most.
I bought a sit stand desk. After my back was broken, games and work became difficult. Now I can do both while standing. One of the best purchases of my adult life.
I'm 35 years after a minor back injury that I ignored into a major maintenance issue. Sit-stand means I sit until my upper back hurts, and then I stand until my lower back hurts. Aaaaand repeat.
It's good, though . I get to wobble and move as I work, and sometimes the work needs movement.
I want pancakes now. Anyway, I bought man leggings. It's so fucking comfortable. It's like my ass and legs are being hugged. I love it so much. That's about all I got. I'm really craving pancakes now because of OP.
Getting a Dumbphone. I've never regretted it, though there are some changes I wish mine did & didn't have, I've never thought about switching back, let alone happily, It has what I want & need it to do without me having distractions I have to look at to use my phone, Calls, Texts, Photos, Music, Alarms & the snake is decent,
Getting up really really early. weirdly, as a night owl I love getting up super early, it's hard to get into, & you can mess it up quite easily, but wonderful when you do get into the groove of it, there's a lot of guilt when staying up late but when up early you get all the benefits of being up late without the guilt, you can often catch the night before the sun is up, let alone the rest of the world, great stuff.
These aren't for everyone ofc, this is just my experience.
I love this for you, and I have a similar experience. Please people do not get married and have kids because you think it will make you happier. A lot of childhoods have been ruined this way.
Blocking name callers on Lemmy. It's a very small community and it makes a huge difference. Anyone that is hateful enough to type out useless mean things instead of just a simple downvote is someone to avoid. Charged criticism that clearly denotes an opinion, contrasting view, attempts to provide education, or offers an opportunity to educate is all good. I'm not trying to live in an echo chamber. But, if it's a simple mean spirited slur or jab even at someone else's comment - block! It really cleans up the feed fast. Most people here are pretty on edge, but there's only a handful of total assholes and they can be avoided.
Retrospectively i was real scum and an asshole befor. Ye ye i was a teenager with lots of issues that made me fall this was, and growing up in a toxic, unhealthy (food and behaviour wise) parents home, did anything but help. But the confidence of lots of cycling, being out so much, having now a body you actually like, is not overrated.
Reflecting, turning to better philosophie, questioning my own behaviour and beliefs. Amazing. While i still am working on unlearning trauma-endused behaviour, i wouldnt be here if i didnt start this journy in the first place. Covid isolation truely was the best thing to happen in my life.
Label everything. Even stuff that's obvious. Idk why but it's easier for me to process that the thing of leftovers has Mac and cheese if I write it instead of just rely on seeing it. I leave myself post it notes for chores I intend to do later.
The hard part is getting hang of the controls, I think. First set the mirrors and seat etc. to a position you feel you can see outside well enough. There is a setting, you can use to put the side mirrors to always be visible as panels, I recommend that when starting.
I also straight up recommend getting a steering wheel to play it. I have a cheap one, and even that vastly improved the experience. I played with a keyboard and mouse before, and it was extremely difficult, since just the slightest hand movement would send the truck rolling on the highway, even when tweaking the sensitivity settings. It did take a lot of tweaking too, to get the steering wheel to work the way I wanted to, but it is worth it.
The game also has the truck driver's lessons, which I played some, before starting the actual game. That helped a lot, with getting better with the controls.
Now, I think the game itself just is not for everyone, since it is "boring", and really does require patience to learn, and to play. If anyone wants something action packed and quick, it is definitely not like that, so do not feel bad, if you just cannot find enjoyment in it. A very calming, zen vibed experience, in my opinion.
It is very different from driving a car IRL, that stresses me out too. There just is something extremely calming, and satisfying, about driving on the digital roads, especially at night, and getting the cargo where it needs to go.
Switched to a degoogled privacy ROM on my phone.
Quit FB, X and any other bog tech social media
Quit my previous career and took a year off. Went to a IT Boot Camp and pivoted careers.
Did all of these after I got over a full blown pandemic and work induced burn out.
Gave up pretty much most of my free time to work at a series of meaningless jobs that eventually made it a bit easier to hunt for bargains on potatoes in my old age.
So besides the obvious of transitioning and meeting my wife, the big one is getting comfortable socializing and becoming part of communities.
I used to have crippling social anxiety, like, I felt like an intruder with no right to be there going to the grocery store (and I still struggle with that instinct). But I made a point early into my transition to start going to events I was interested in. It was college so it was easier to find them, but events still happen outside college you just have to look harder for them.
I made friends, and those friends dragged me to stuff. I even worked up the courage to go to a social meetup for the local bdsm community, which I'd been interested in. And slowly but surely I learned that there's a lot to gain and little downside to going to an advertised event that seems fun, and that if I'm interested in doing something I should look for it. This is everything from meetups to classes to whatever. If I won't know anyone that's ok, I can just say I'm new and interested in it.
I've moved time zones away and within a year built community and made friends in my new home. I've run groups solely because I was tired of waiting for someone else to run them. I met my wife while attending an event alone (she was too) and just flirting with her.
I'm still fucking awkward irl, I'm still nervous going to something new or where I'm not well known, I still get a rush of fear going into some public spaces. But I know I can handle it, and I know how to make friends, and I know it's not going to be a catastrophe if things go wrong or I screw up. I also know I'm much happier when I leave my apartment and meet up with people.
I think this is a skill a lot of people really need to learn.
Other big ones are getting into cycling and going pescatarian.
I was out of shape, focusing on strength training for attractiveness over the pandemic when I had an incident of getting embarrassingly winded in front of friends, one of whom was a nurse that was concerned for my health. So I started running, but running fucking sucks even if you get a runners high, I'm sorry to those that like it, they're wrong. My wife then told me about a bicycle co-op she knew about and we got me a bike. It's fun to ride, it's fun to work on, and it keeps me in shape. But even more importantly it does wonders for my energy and mental health when I bike regularly, as well as giving me a fun exertion activity when I need to process stuff. And there's the added bonus of it making my butt and thighs look fucking amazing.
Pescatarianism (with a plant and dairy focus) helped with my anxiety, improved my mood, and improved my bowel movements. And on that note fiber supplements have been a wonderful addition to my life, has been my bidet. I really can't recommend psylium husk highly enough.
I lived in the deep south my whole life. Almost everyone I knew was conservative. Parents, siblings, a grandparent, friends, neighbors, colleagues and almost everyone else in my life was conservative.
After I retired and Trump won again, I decided to disown them all. I politely said goodbye to everyone, explaining I will be difficult to contact for a while, but not to worry. I then moved 1800 miles away to a nice blue part of the country. It was physically and financially very difficult. I changed my phone number and email and gave no one any way to contact me, except the few non-conservative friends I have. I have no plans to ever speak with any of them ever again.
It's been almost 2 years now. I couldn't be happier. My stress is significantly lower without conservatives in it. I now wear my politics on my sleeve, which has resulted in a large number of new, high quality friends. I no longer feel any desire to drink and truly believe my depression is gone. I really do enjoy life right now, despite my concerns that civil war and genocide are upon us.
Disowning conservatives is the absolute best thing I have ever done to improve my quality of life. I highly recommend it.
I have to agree. Its not like most people I know are republican but at this point I can't even pretend they are a legitamate party any more than qny other nazi type flavor. Its not even acceptable if someone wants to treat them as having a legitamate standing in any way for me.
I stopped drinking energy drinks because I have ibs and they worsen my gut symptoms. Since then, my digestive issues have improved a lot. I've also discovered that I can't drink coffee either :/ So I believe that all caffeinated drinks trigger my gut problems. That sucks because I'm addicted to caffeine, especially from energy drinks ... but avoiding them, my quality of life is so much better.
I think that this plus taking the ibs medication could solve the problem. I hope so.
Quit Vaping. Holy shit nicotine does a number on your mind.
Quit drinking. Alcohol does a number on your body.
Started working out, even a little goes a long way towards feeling better mind AND body.
Got boner pills. I'm really tall and only in my mid 30s, but have struggled with ED my whole adult life. Amazing how much you can beat yourself up over something so silly, or how much satisfaction you can get out of just being able to fuck like an average cock-haver.
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Start working out. Seriously. A little cardio and a little strength training will go a long long way to improving your quality of life, even if you're not getting jacked.
Agree, and I'm someone who hates working out. Someone recently commented on exercising like "why would I choose to be miserable to 30 minutes a day", and I can honestly say it's because it makes you feel so much better the other 23 1/2 hours day. The smallest bit of cardio will make you more energetic, you don't get winded going up stairs, you can move easier, it's such a win. Yes it's miserable, but it is worth it.
Quick question please : what kind of workout do you do ?
I mainly run, but running more than 3 times a week tires me and my knees start to hurt
Personally I cycle, I also have bad knees and I do think it's easier on them
I'm long legged and can second cycling. It can be hard if your area isn't flat, but it's low impact and can serve as a healthier way to go grab groceries
you need to try different things to find what works for you.
there are tons of different ways to exercise. running is just kind of easiest because it has no equipment, training, etc requirements.
swimming is better than running for sure, but it requires access to a pool/water.
I'm so jealous. I have pots and now that I'm old, high intensity exercise is impossible. I bought a bike, if that doesn't work out, I'm out of ideas. I have pretty severe depression and I long to feel that feeling every day.
Good news! Exercise helps against depression! Biking is a very good way to get moving if you have other health issues. I’d also look into swimming if you have access to a pool (or a lake or ocean where it’s safe to swim).
Oh, there are sooooo many types of exercises! Search and try things YouTube can offer. I sometimes do the smaaall morning routine- stretching neck, moving shoulders, waist, hips, knees and ankles. It takes like 5 mins, but feeling rest of the day like -15 years. It's impossible to call them exercises, just a minimal movement. Like they did at school years ago before starting classes.
I have severe pots too. Might sound obvious, but try aiming for medium intensity like fast walking and compound exercises like beginner-intermediate calisthenics such as inverted rows.
If even that is too difficult there's stuff like recumbent bicycles but those are expensive.
Also if you find a kind you like, once you're in shape it stops sucking
It’s amazing that I’m older yet I have significantly less back pain just from working out semi regularly.
This is the way. I’m fitter, stronger, and look better in my mid 40s than I did for most of my 30s. I hurt less, I’m more capable, and I look at the future with a lot more interest and less trepidation.
Split from my abusive wife.
Glad you got away, nobody deserves toxic people in their lives
Respect. Sometimes ya gotta take stock and make the tough call for your sanity. Hardest transition you made, though, I bet.
Make stuff. With your hands,stuff that will last when you walk away from it. I spent a lot of time doing admin/office work, and you can be productive as hell but have nothing to physically look at for your time. I took up woodwork, started doing more building work on my property, and every time I look at what I’ve made, it makes me feel more connected to my home, and more capable of dealing with these weird times we find ourselves in. Learn skills, try different things, round out your experience in life. Make stuff you think is beautiful, or that makes your life better in some way, it’s a great feeling
Instructions unclear
One of those is a baby, you should never listen to babies, they’re dumb af
Source: I’m a baby
... dick stuck in bong
Different smokes for different folks
Deactivated Facebook about 6 years ago. That shit is toxic and anyone that still has an account supports it.
Unfortunately a lot of local communities and businesses around me only update Facebook. Last time the transfer station closed last minute I went there with a load of trash and had to bring it back home, only place that it was posted was the Facebook page. Not to mention u need it if ur ever going to buy a used vehicle private party among other things. I REALLY wish there was an alternative, I miss craigslist for buy/ sell but fb still needed for local information unfortunately :/
Those local community business have websites. I guarantee it. There is no excuse to support a business that protects child abuse fetush and rape.
A lot of businesses do, but the town transfer station? What am I supposed to do start dumping in the river instead? Lol not to mention if I wanna know why there was a fire stack coming from the railroad the only place that had information was the county fire response Facebook page. I promise you the more rural of an area your in, the less escapable Facebook is. Can't just pick another business when the next nearest is going to be 50+ miles away :/
No excuses.
I deleted my account back in 2022 I think. Best decision for me, but it's only gotten worse since then.
Bought a house in a quieter neighborhood. Apartment / condo life was destroying my mental health.
Switched to Linux and set up a Jellyfin server.
Laser eye surgery. No more glasses or contacts.
Among a million other things, all rented spaces should be inspected and required to be acoustically insulated. City living is great for the environment and your quality of life and there's even nothing necessarily wrong with renting a home if you want to, but we need to regulate rental spaces where people are expected to live.
Rewired, replumbed, insulated, and reroofed the house. Installed an Enphase System Controller 3 along with an IQ Combiner 5, and a pair of IQ5P batteries, have three IQ8A microinverters hooked to 400w bifacial panels so far. Have a total of 18 panels to install as I'm working on the racking. Also need replace the windows and a few other things but there is a lot of stuff in progress. Been a huge benefit and QOL boost overall.
Learning to Scuba dive helped my mental health a ton after becoming a widower. Diving in general had been great for me, I just wish I could go more often.
Sailing the high seas again.
Gotten top surgery. I knew my quality of life was going to improve by virtue of not having boobs that gave me dysphoria, but I thought I would have to wait until I was fully healed to feel it. My mood and outlook changed pretty much day after my surgery. It feels great :)
In no particular order :
Started exercising every day. All I do is 10 pushups, 60 seconds of planking, and 30 sit-ups. It takes less than 10 minutes and I've done it for about a year and a half and I've got a nicely toned stomach and better core strength from it. I'm pretty happy about it and it definitely makes me more confident. I also watch what I eat. I've lost about 40lbs in that time
You can now also defeat just about anything in one punch too.
Gave up alcohol & went vegetarian.
Hey me too! Best decision could have done for myself, I feel like I am super charged now and my guts have never felt better.
Stop drinking alcohol.
If you're on the fence just do it, I don't know anyone who regrets it.
Maybe all the bartenders I would have overtipped, and they're blissfully unaware.
Biking to work
I do the same. It's free healthcare.
It can be more stressful though if there are many conflicts with cars on the way.
Yeah it really depends on the commute and how flat your city thinks cyclists should be
How far is work? No one steals your bike?
A kryptonite bike lock and a chain to go through your rear tire. No one is going to want to mess with it.
This is a really naive comment. Even the best kryptonite locks can be cut through very quickly and regularly are.
Locks just keep honest people honest
Yup, with battery powered grinders there's really nothing stopping people. Even when it's broad daylight and there's a crowd.
You don't need the best lock. Just a better one than the bikes next to yours. And maybe replace quick releases with proper screws.
I use Pinheads, definitely discourages stripping because you can't undo them without the uniquely keyed tool.
My local bike shop installs them free if you buy them at the same time as the bike, but they were really easy to add on to mine myself.
https://www.pinheadbikelocks.com/
One option: Kryptonite sells an insurance plan. As long as you can show some evidence that the bike was stolen - picture of a broken lock and a police report for instance - they’ll pay for a replacement.
I need to check if I need to renew mine, but it was something like $20 for several years.
I would be very wary of the terms. Do you know anyone who's made a claim?
It's about 5km, and a fairly nice ride despite my city doing very little for cyclists. No theft so far! I see there's been lots of discussion on theft prevention but I'll add my opinion: you need to make your bike less of a target by having a big scary looking lock on a bike that doesn't look great. Just oversize the lock to such a degree that it's not worth messing with. Also locking up in a higher traffic, more visible area is helpful.
I kept buying scissors until i can always find a pair of scissors
I've done this with a lot of tools
hex keys, scissors, utility knives, and screwdrivers can be found on every level of my house and in the garage, as well as in dedicated tool sets (i.e. bicycle toolbox)
no more "oh I need to go get this tool to fix this one minor thing. that's annoying me every time I use it", it's at most ten steps away and I can do it now
I did this for reading glasses.
Now I find them all hanging out in a novel hiding place, how do them manage this grouping behaviour?
Made an effort to say "yes" when people invite me or are making plans. It's meant I get more invites, and have done and seen many things that I would've have otherwise. Picked up some new fun hobbies along the way too!
Stop drinking alcohol
I stopped drinking a year and a half ago, quit vaping 3 years ago (quit smoking butts a few years before that) and in the last 5 years or so have significantly inproved my diet. Holy crap do I feel better. Less fatigued, more focused, sleep better I can go on. I still smoke more weed than I should, need to try cutting that out at least for a little bit too but its my last vice...
Don't be cheap with footwear or beds.
Or tires or flooring. Basically anything that goes between you and the ground
I'm going to insert my thoughts here.
Flooring? Unless it's wood or tiles the rest of the options available are just floof.
Source: I have a good friend working at a construction materials depot. They stock a wide variety of flooring, from different manufacturer, and the materials only differ in finish not build. The materials are even supplied in bulk, not by category, and the end seller prices it has they see fit. An "oak finish" floor may be double or triple of what a standard "pine" or "spruce" costs.
I drive daily for professional reasons and the company I work for uses a fleet management service to maintain the vehicles. I've seen tyre brands being fitted that I was advised against for my personal vehicle at the store I usually bought tyres. The cheaper tyres last as long and in a few occasions longer than so called first line brands. This isn't to say there are no poor quality tyres but the main manufacturers are not that much better from the rest of the pack as they used too.
Just a heads up that tire longevity is not a good indicator for a good tire, the primary factor is grip. In both both dry, wet and soaking wet conditions, warm and cold. That's why stopping distance and slalom speeds are tested during the annual tire comparison review. A good tire can also pump more water to prevent aqua planing than a bad tire. A good tire will remain more soft and grippy in colder temperatures than a bad tire. Tire noise and ride comfort can also differ between good and bad tired.
I've compared tyre tracks between brands and some are near clones. We had a car fitted with english-made tyres with a thread nearly identical to a Firestone. Even the fitter noted that.
What I can confirm is the noise level usually differs, with cheaper brands usually in the C category but higher grades are starting to be seen.
More drugs
What a coincidence, I just found drugs while cleaning at work.
Give the man that sits at that desk a raise, he's definitely a hard worker!
Acid was great for me
In the past year:
• switched to minimalist footwear (so many physical ailments eased/disappeared)
• downloaded an app that reminds me to stand up & walk for 5 minutes every half hour
• got rid of all social media except the Fediverse
• got FL-41 glasses to help me function with migraines
• got an RSS feed app to let me keep up with all media & creators I want to keep up with, without the mental health strain of endless scrolling, algorithms, & toxic comments
RSS feed app is new for me.its for android, right. Have to go and check this.
Feeder is a good one for Android.
I actually have an iPhone currently (next phone will definitely be android, lol)
But I assume that the RSS feed app options are even better for androids
I'm ignorant about the footwear, what is minimalist footwear?? I typically wear the thinnest sneaks I can find (vans typically) so I can feel my feet, and for work i do need to run steel toes but i am currently in the market for more footwear lol
Here’s an article about the basics of minimalist footwear (also known as “barefoot shoes”, but that confuses people because they think it exclusively refers to those running shoes in the shape of bare feet).
If you need any specific recommendations, I’m happy to help! Unfortunately a lot of minimalist shoes are expensive, but they’ve been such a game changer that they feel like a necessity at this point.
Huh no kidding, so my most comfortable pair of shoes is always my oldest bagged out set of vans because of how flexible they are. Also zero arch support and zero drop soles, it's almost like my worn in vans are bordering on barefoot shoes! I'm definatley going to have to try a set, what brand do u wear? And how is the longevity of the soles? The rutsu high tops looks appealing.
Mental healthcare provider hopping. You don't really know what a good one is like until you've had one. A lot of people try one, work really hard and get nowhere, either because their therapist is a crank, or maybe they're a competent professional that just doesn't work for them for whatever reason, so they conclude that therapy is a sham and they stop pursuing it.
I think it's good practice to evaluate whether what you're doing in therapy is helping at regular intervals. If it ain't, talk about it with your provider and if y'all can't fix it, hit the bricks and find someone who can. If your therapist is worth their salt they'll be happy to provide you with a reference if you ask. If they aren't, all the more reason to find someone better.
Installed a bidet. What a beautiful thing to always have a clean bum.
I looked into this a few times, but my particular toilet seems to have a ceramic curve to it that would block the positioning of most bidet attachments. I should try again, it’s surely not impossible, but discouraging when most reachable hardware stores only have one or two.
You should get the hose kind. They just kind of hook onto the side of the tank.
Not as elegant, but they're effective.
So many things. But then other things happened and undone those QoL changes.
Polyamory + dnd also has a synergy bonus. Plenty of candidates for a regular group 😁
OP found the scheduling cheat code.
Willful bachelorhood.
I have total license over my space, time, and money. I don't have a wife or kids nagging me every day. I wake up to a quiet, clean house.
The whole culture is trying to tell me I'm a loser, but I found the cheat code to a better life and I'm not jealous of anyone stuck supporting another person.
Yea! I absolutely agree. None of my friends want to marry so there is no one messing up their space. Even the ones with boyfriends like to keep it that way because who wants to give up their personal freedom in exchange for a nagging husband and a kid asking whats for dinner. They have good jobs, take great vacations and their salary and time is their own. It really is a cheat code to a better life.
Recently went on a date, and after a couple hours in the coffee shop we went for a walk where she started looking for something to eat. She said she doesn't eat beef or chicken. She's not vegetarian but she is gluten free and wants thai food but the thai place is closed so let's walk and visibly confirm there's no more thai places open and in my head I'm just like "OMFG I forgot how much I hate having to deal with another person while eating/trying to find food."
The whole time I'm just like, I hope I can leave soon so I can go eat whatever the fuck I want.
Oof. That sounds like a chore.
Went absolutely ham with cycling in January, down 30kg as of today, still 5 to go. Trying to reach that 4W/kg FTP eventually 😅
Laser eye surgery and sterilisation.
I still use sunglasses and condoms for protection, but can gladly go without on overcast days and in steady relationships, and I panic way less if they break when I need them the most.
I bought a sit stand desk. After my back was broken, games and work became difficult. Now I can do both while standing. One of the best purchases of my adult life.
I'm 35 years after a minor back injury that I ignored into a major maintenance issue. Sit-stand means I sit until my upper back hurts, and then I stand until my lower back hurts. Aaaaand repeat.
It's good, though . I get to wobble and move as I work, and sometimes the work needs movement.
I’m 12 years after having my back broken. I totally understand what you mean. 🫂💚
Strength training, protein, and Creatine (10 grams a day) is a winning combination.
stopped trying to discuss things with idiot fundamentalists on lemmy
it's a waste of time, these people are stupid
basically stopped trying to make other folks happy with me. and focusing on doing things that make me happy, even if other folks hate me for it.
I want pancakes now. Anyway, I bought man leggings. It's so fucking comfortable. It's like my ass and legs are being hugged. I love it so much. That's about all I got. I'm really craving pancakes now because of OP.
I recently splurged on an expensive oled monitor and I must say I wish I had done this much sooner.
I'm nearsighted and the contrast really helps keep my eyes from feeling tired.
With small font I can notice an halo effect but it's much better than the glowing black light of my old ips screen.
OLED suffers burn-in. IPS does not. You can get good contrast on a good IPS screen, or with good contrast settings on a crappy IPS screen.
Getting a Dumbphone. I've never regretted it, though there are some changes I wish mine did & didn't have, I've never thought about switching back, let alone happily, It has what I want & need it to do without me having distractions I have to look at to use my phone, Calls, Texts, Photos, Music, Alarms & the snake is decent,
Getting up really really early. weirdly, as a night owl I love getting up super early, it's hard to get into, & you can mess it up quite easily, but wonderful when you do get into the groove of it, there's a lot of guilt when staying up late but when up early you get all the benefits of being up late without the guilt, you can often catch the night before the sun is up, let alone the rest of the world, great stuff.
These aren't for everyone ofc, this is just my experience.
Marrying and having kids.
Sure the baby year fucks you up. But once they can go to daycare, life starts to normalise again.
Turns out, caring for other people gives you purpose and makes you happy.
I love this for you, and I have a similar experience. Please people do not get married and have kids because you think it will make you happier. A lot of childhoods have been ruined this way.
Good one. I don't even think about it much anymore but it is a constant source of joy.
Blocking name callers on Lemmy. It's a very small community and it makes a huge difference. Anyone that is hateful enough to type out useless mean things instead of just a simple downvote is someone to avoid. Charged criticism that clearly denotes an opinion, contrasting view, attempts to provide education, or offers an opportunity to educate is all good. I'm not trying to live in an echo chamber. But, if it's a simple mean spirited slur or jab even at someone else's comment - block! It really cleans up the feed fast. Most people here are pretty on edge, but there's only a handful of total assholes and they can be avoided.
I check the history to see if its a one off but if a little scrolling shows it multiple times then I do the same.
ITT: Do / don't have kids / do drugs
Started lifting weights.
SELF REFLECTION AND LOSING WEIGHT DURING COVID!
Retrospectively i was real scum and an asshole befor. Ye ye i was a teenager with lots of issues that made me fall this was, and growing up in a toxic, unhealthy (food and behaviour wise) parents home, did anything but help. But the confidence of lots of cycling, being out so much, having now a body you actually like, is not overrated. Reflecting, turning to better philosophie, questioning my own behaviour and beliefs. Amazing. While i still am working on unlearning trauma-endused behaviour, i wouldnt be here if i didnt start this journy in the first place. Covid isolation truely was the best thing to happen in my life.
Label everything. Even stuff that's obvious. Idk why but it's easier for me to process that the thing of leftovers has Mac and cheese if I write it instead of just rely on seeing it. I leave myself post it notes for chores I intend to do later.
Coffee.
Hell yes.
Username checks out.
Therapy, switching to linux, taking steps to transition, coming out to a friend irl
In that order
Started playing Eurotruck Simulator 2.
I tried a few Times, could never get out of the car Park.
I know it's a patience issue,but how do i get in to it?
The hard part is getting hang of the controls, I think. First set the mirrors and seat etc. to a position you feel you can see outside well enough. There is a setting, you can use to put the side mirrors to always be visible as panels, I recommend that when starting.
I also straight up recommend getting a steering wheel to play it. I have a cheap one, and even that vastly improved the experience. I played with a keyboard and mouse before, and it was extremely difficult, since just the slightest hand movement would send the truck rolling on the highway, even when tweaking the sensitivity settings. It did take a lot of tweaking too, to get the steering wheel to work the way I wanted to, but it is worth it.
The game also has the truck driver's lessons, which I played some, before starting the actual game. That helped a lot, with getting better with the controls.
Now, I think the game itself just is not for everyone, since it is "boring", and really does require patience to learn, and to play. If anyone wants something action packed and quick, it is definitely not like that, so do not feel bad, if you just cannot find enjoyment in it. A very calming, zen vibed experience, in my opinion.
Thanks,i'll give it another Go.
I know it IS meant to be more than a "destroying Mountains of pallets"Simulator....
How is this good for you? Driving a car stresses me out. Why do you like driving a truck!? You're built different.
It is very different from driving a car IRL, that stresses me out too. There just is something extremely calming, and satisfying, about driving on the digital roads, especially at night, and getting the cargo where it needs to go.
Getting a college degree
What field and when?
In actuarial sciences like 4 years ago
Switched to a degoogled privacy ROM on my phone. Quit FB, X and any other bog tech social media Quit my previous career and took a year off. Went to a IT Boot Camp and pivoted careers. Did all of these after I got over a full blown pandemic and work induced burn out.
Gave up pretty much most of my free time to work at a series of meaningless jobs that eventually made it a bit easier to hunt for bargains on potatoes in my old age.
Adopted cats
Started taking a class. The people I'm hanging around now are slowly restoring my faith in humanity.
Hell yeah! Getting out and doing things is great for you
Jerked myself to that chick that I absolutely knew was trouble, then she proved it by the very next guy she was with.
So besides the obvious of transitioning and meeting my wife, the big one is getting comfortable socializing and becoming part of communities.
I used to have crippling social anxiety, like, I felt like an intruder with no right to be there going to the grocery store (and I still struggle with that instinct). But I made a point early into my transition to start going to events I was interested in. It was college so it was easier to find them, but events still happen outside college you just have to look harder for them.
I made friends, and those friends dragged me to stuff. I even worked up the courage to go to a social meetup for the local bdsm community, which I'd been interested in. And slowly but surely I learned that there's a lot to gain and little downside to going to an advertised event that seems fun, and that if I'm interested in doing something I should look for it. This is everything from meetups to classes to whatever. If I won't know anyone that's ok, I can just say I'm new and interested in it.
I've moved time zones away and within a year built community and made friends in my new home. I've run groups solely because I was tired of waiting for someone else to run them. I met my wife while attending an event alone (she was too) and just flirting with her.
I'm still fucking awkward irl, I'm still nervous going to something new or where I'm not well known, I still get a rush of fear going into some public spaces. But I know I can handle it, and I know how to make friends, and I know it's not going to be a catastrophe if things go wrong or I screw up. I also know I'm much happier when I leave my apartment and meet up with people.
I think this is a skill a lot of people really need to learn.
Other big ones are getting into cycling and going pescatarian.
I was out of shape, focusing on strength training for attractiveness over the pandemic when I had an incident of getting embarrassingly winded in front of friends, one of whom was a nurse that was concerned for my health. So I started running, but running fucking sucks even if you get a runners high, I'm sorry to those that like it, they're wrong. My wife then told me about a bicycle co-op she knew about and we got me a bike. It's fun to ride, it's fun to work on, and it keeps me in shape. But even more importantly it does wonders for my energy and mental health when I bike regularly, as well as giving me a fun exertion activity when I need to process stuff. And there's the added bonus of it making my butt and thighs look fucking amazing.
Pescatarianism (with a plant and dairy focus) helped with my anxiety, improved my mood, and improved my bowel movements. And on that note fiber supplements have been a wonderful addition to my life, has been my bidet. I really can't recommend psylium husk highly enough.
I lived in the deep south my whole life. Almost everyone I knew was conservative. Parents, siblings, a grandparent, friends, neighbors, colleagues and almost everyone else in my life was conservative.
After I retired and Trump won again, I decided to disown them all. I politely said goodbye to everyone, explaining I will be difficult to contact for a while, but not to worry. I then moved 1800 miles away to a nice blue part of the country. It was physically and financially very difficult. I changed my phone number and email and gave no one any way to contact me, except the few non-conservative friends I have. I have no plans to ever speak with any of them ever again.
It's been almost 2 years now. I couldn't be happier. My stress is significantly lower without conservatives in it. I now wear my politics on my sleeve, which has resulted in a large number of new, high quality friends. I no longer feel any desire to drink and truly believe my depression is gone. I really do enjoy life right now, despite my concerns that civil war and genocide are upon us.
Disowning conservatives is the absolute best thing I have ever done to improve my quality of life. I highly recommend it.
I stopped smiling and catering to rapists and nazis (republicans). I tell them exactly how I feel. really helps my mental health.
I have to agree. Its not like most people I know are republican but at this point I can't even pretend they are a legitamate party any more than qny other nazi type flavor. Its not even acceptable if someone wants to treat them as having a legitamate standing in any way for me.
I stopped drinking energy drinks because I have ibs and they worsen my gut symptoms. Since then, my digestive issues have improved a lot. I've also discovered that I can't drink coffee either :/ So I believe that all caffeinated drinks trigger my gut problems. That sucks because I'm addicted to caffeine, especially from energy drinks ... but avoiding them, my quality of life is so much better.
I think that this plus taking the ibs medication could solve the problem. I hope so.
Quit Vaping. Holy shit nicotine does a number on your mind.
Quit drinking. Alcohol does a number on your body.
Started working out, even a little goes a long way towards feeling better mind AND body.
Got boner pills. I'm really tall and only in my mid 30s, but have struggled with ED my whole adult life. Amazing how much you can beat yourself up over something so silly, or how much satisfaction you can get out of just being able to fuck like an average cock-haver.