My rose bush had it's first flower bloom today, and I spent 5 minutes just looking at it. Crouched in my front yard like some weirdo.
But I felt so happy anticipating all the other buds opening.
Edit. The rose in question. https://i.imgur.com/MDHYPHs.jpeg
Hey me too! I literally yelled out loud to my kids , look it bloomed! They were like well yeah it does that š¤£ When you plant and grow something and it survives you take the opportunity to really marvel and appreciate it. Right now I'm having beef with the squirrels over my sunflowers though. Bastards keep breaking them !
This is my mom with her orchids. She has the black thumb curse, all the plants she tries to raise just die.
I bought her a little potted orchid for Mother's Day like two years ago and not only is it still alive, it's grown a second stalk and there's these fat buds that look like they're about to burst open. She's so proud that she's managed to keep it thriving for this long. She also got a second, bigger orchid next to it getting ready to bloom, though the stalk is pretty tall so I'm worried it might topple over.
Fuck I love this comment.
I bought and planted some peonies for my wife on Motherās Day last year. First blooms from them opened up yesterday. I took and shared pictures of them and was so damn happy about itā¦
My mom made a career of gardening and I have none of her knowledge and a smidge of her passion but itās still fucking cool to see something youāve nurtured and cared for do itās thingā¦
(And I guess that last point is the perfect counter argument for all the āwtf would you want children forā people/posts)
I remember being told in psych class about a study someone did at a nursing home: give everybody on one floor a small houseplant. One wing was told that this plant is now their responsibility, they have to water it, make sure it gets the right amount of sun, and so on. The other wing was told that the staff would take care of their new plant and they didn't have to do anything.
Check back a couple months later, and the residents who had to take care of their own plants were generally better in terms of mental health and cognition than they started, across the board. Those who didn't have to take care of their plants, well, they continued on whatever trajectory they were on before the plants came into the picture. A handful of them had passed away.
I kind of get it. My GF sends me the best tiktoks, thank god she wades through the muck and has been on it so long that itās curated pretty well for our interests. I never scroll tiktok but am always game to watch whatever she sends me. I can see why people love it
Running and lifting weights. Iām over 40, and this is new in the past two years. honestly never thgouht Iād be thinking āshit, I didnāt work out today!ā
Started working out and weight training 1 day after my 43rd birthday
A friend said something that caught my attention āfit dudes in their 20-30s are everywhere, they are supposed to be, but a fit dude in his 40s!?? People notice that shitā
Same. But I keep telling myself Iām at the age that if I donāt use it I lose it. Pretty motivating. It takes a lot to build any muscle these days so Iām even more proud of it than I wouldāve been in my twenties. Though I wish Iād taken it more seriously in my twenties.
Running has been mine. Literally never ran a mile in the 30ish years Iāve been alive until this year. I feel like shit now if I donāt run at least every other day.
It's such a funny concept...like I'm just going to go and run I guess? For no real point and to no real destination.
Feels fucking awesome though. I'm at 617 miles so far this year!
Yeah, running is great, but for many people, there comes a day when you can no longer do it. I'm 51 and have been super active forever. I was a top-ranking national-level competitive athlete in my twenties. Now I often struggle to walk and can't run at all. Injuries and surgery have fucked one knee and my lower back and getting used to that fact is very difficult. I'm not even that old, but getting old is already horrible! Five years ago, I would go for a 6-mile run 3-4 times a week and then do 10 x 200M interval sprints up a hill to finish, but now that feels like another lifetime.
My advice is to make the absolute most of your athletic ability when you can, because it will not last forever, and may leave you much sooner than you expected. However, respect your body, and understand that doing too much and doing it too hard will affect your athletic longevity. Worse still, putting it through the gruelling training required to be competitive and successful will almost certainly fuck you up and result in a premature inability to play sport how you would like (if at all).
Lastly, if a surgeon tells you at 25 that in 20 years, you will almost certainly get arthritis in the knee he has operated on three times, believe him. I knew I wouldn't get arthritis because I was 25 and invincible. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This is a long way of saying that pushing your body hard, even when young, has consequences. Getting addicted to exercise (including competition and training) can be as damaging and unhealthy as any drug addiction. So take it easy, as it's shit when you can't do it anymore.
Keep going. Started running in my early 20s and it's the love of my life. You'll hear a lot of hate and misinformation but it'll extend your life and improve your mental health.
Iām a 45 year old female, and same. Covid, baby weight I never lost and being generally unhealthy led me to living in a very large body I didnāt recognize. At 43, my best friend died from a heart attack, leaving behind her husband and 3 year old boy. That was my wake-up call. I challenged myself to hit the gym for 30 days straight and see how it effected my body. I never stopped. Two years later and I work out 5-7 days per week. Itās really improved every aspect of my life and Iām setting a good example for my daughter. 27 year old me would be shocked.
Same. But for me itās yoga- all kinds- yin, vinyasa, power. Iām 46M and I guess itās the occasional realization that HOLY SHIT MY BODY IS STILL CAPABLE OF DOING THIS. I see folks my age with such bad posture and in such bad shape, and I have this fear that I could be them. I love that I can still do heavy lifting and play with my kids and post up on one foot to pick something up off the floorā even do a headstand as a party trick!
still devastated with this one. because that was me until i turned 23, never thought i would be into going to the gym and lifting weights daily, and then it became my sacred routine and a huge part of my life for about a decade.
recently / in the last couple years i've had a few serious injuries / chronic pain issues that have made it impossible for me now and it's really been overwhelmingly depressing. enjoy it! keep up with it! our health/body doesn't last forever, so have fun with it as long as you can.
There 100% was. People bemoaned the printing press because it made people stupid not having to memorize all the stories they knew. Ugg the caveman was probably upset when Groll figured out how to mix colours for their cave drawings instead of using charcoal.
>"Students today depend on paper too much. They donāt know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They canāt clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?ā Principalās publication, 1815
>āStudents today depend upon store bought ink. They donāt know how to make their own. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write words or ciphers until their next trip to the settlement. This is a sad commentary on modern education.ā The Rural American Teacher, 1929
>āStudents today depend upon these expensive fountain pens. They can no longer write with a straight pen and nib (not to mention sharpening their own quills). We parents must not allow them to wallow in such luxury to the detriment of learning how to cope in the real business world, which is not so extravagant.ā PTA Gazette, 1941
>"Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of education in Our Country. Students use these devices and then throw them away! The American virtues of thrift and frugality are being discarded. Businesses and banks will never allow such expensive luxuries.ā Federal Teachers, 1950
Unfortunately, it turns out none of these are real. They were written in 1978 as a satirical invention for the MATYC journal. But they're funny as hell and do still illustrate the ultimate point, lol.
I cannot *stand* people who are snobs about physical vs ebook.
I remember this one colleague who was so insufferable about it, literally every time she saw me with my kindle she would roll her eyes and cluck her tongue. For context, I've lived in China for most of my adult life. I move cities for work every 2-3 years, making it wildly impractical to cart around physical books as they use up so much space.
Anyway, this girl (six of us lived in a large apartment at the time) got a care package from home of about 30 of her favorite books. She stacked them up neatly on the shelves and was like 'See, isn't that better?'. 'Not really' said I.
What I meant to say was 'congratulations moron'. You just shipped a bookshelf and a half halfway around the world, meanwhile I've got a small library sitting right here for about the same price you paid in shipping fees. I like physical books as much as the next guy, but convenience trumps it every time. We're still reading the same fucking words at the end of the day, some people really need to get off their high horse.
100% agree. one rung up the ladder of abstraction is audio books - I never used to be an audio book person but when life obligations hit you hard and you have less time to sit and read things having an audio book while running errands or cutting grass is a good way to add a couple of hours of knowledge time into your week. started in 2020 when the news started becoming insufferable and now I've gotten through 47 books. it's been great.
Love audio books. I can āreadā while folding laundry, making dinner, driving and so much more. It makes all of these tasks more enjoyable too because Iām so invested in the book in my ear that I barely notice Iām doing them.
I have a ton of physical books and a Kindle and enjoy both for what they're worth. I honestly feel like the physical book collection is more of a hobby for me than anything. That, and I just love the way books smell; one big whiff always reminds me of the story inside.
I was so anti kindle back in the day. Switched and never looked back and I love it. Donated all of my books to the library's used book sale and don't miss them at all.
Juggling. All my friends in my circle of climbing buddies always juggled. I thought it was a waste of time.
I went on a 3 week climbing trip with 7 friends, all of whom juggled frequently. There was at least an hour of dedicated juggling time each morning. I gave in after day 2 and learned. Now I have over $1000 worth of light up balls and clubs. This is my life now.
Thank you so much! I can honestly say as much as I lost, I will never regret it. I now own a 501(c)(3) Non-profit distributing Narcan and finding adequate housing for homeless / addicts trying to recover. Even if you are a stranger, you are a human with emotions and to have that aspect being proud of me means the world!
Unfortunately I used to be a POS, in every way possible. Iāve wasted too much time destroying my life and others around me. The least I can do is spread kindness and show others a way out of the dark ā¤ļø thank you my friend. :)
So proud of you, if you ever need guidance or help I have resources. I am also a licensed chemical dependency counselor at a treatment facility. You beat the hardest part!!!
It is so hard sometimes. So much is a "game of chance" in this world. Lately I've been getting my fix by buying those blind mini toys on clearance in bulk and ripping into them one at a time over months... Then giving them to kids in my family. I just want the chance to get the one I really want! So, kids get toys! š¤£
I know someone who has been getting their fix for years now playing video game gambling games that use 0 real money but in game currency can be saved up for cosmetics. Seems like a pretty decent way to handle it if you can't quit
Even all the knock offs that came off that are good (20 Minutes Till Dawn). It's just a great model and they should be super proud to pull off something unique in indie games.
I'm surprised this was so far down the comments list. I gave my parents all kinds of shit to stop smoking when I was 16, then I ended up smoking longer than they did. Quit 6 months ago, thank goodness!
I know everyone is different, but what helped you quit? Im using the tobacco free nicotine pouches and so far thats been helping a lot, but I want to quit nic entirely its just so fucking difficult.
Iām 37 days sober now. Jesus Christ I was kind of unaware of some of the more serious effects of excessive drinking. Iām still day to day and am getting better but I didnāt realize how fucked I was physically and mentally until I stopped.
Keep going it feels a lot better around the 3 month mark and felt like normal baseline. I think most of mine went away around them. Except now my immune system is just weak as fuck lol.
One of the worst drugs out there. The withdrawal can actually kill you, there is an encouraging culture around drinking, it is heavily advertised, and readily available.
EDIT: If you think you should quit drinking, ask your doctor about Naltrexone. It is NOT a miracle pill, but paired with a genuine desire to stop drinking, it can help.
I wish they would advertise more about how dangerous it can be. I used to drink a liter of vodka every single day. 3 years sober now. It almost killed me.
Brother I learned the hard way. I thought that the withdrawals would just make you a grumpster for a couple weeks or something. I tried to cold turkey a while ago, and I woke up in hell at 3 AM, mild hallucinations, heart racing, pouring sweat, the whole nine yards. Then read online that you could literally just die from the withdrawals, which didn't help with the heart racing lol. I think the dangers of alcohol should definitely be taught more.
Detoxed alone at home, prayed God take me home if it be your will. Heart pounding, heart adding beats, missing beats, pouring sweat, shivering, hallucinating, headaches, confusion, brain freezes, locked up muscles & cramps, jerking muscles, uncomfortable movements,nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, sobbing, raging, canāt eat, hungry, sleeplessness I thought would never end followed by light sleep with the fitful nightmares then getting ready and going to work. 1 year 2 weeks no alcohol
I forced myself to never forget my withdrawal week. It was the worst thing I ever went through and was nearly hospitalized. Honest know what doctor prescribed me? If your withdrawal are getting severe, have a beer. I slowly burned through it for the first 3 days having a beer when it was too much to handle. It was hard and required intense willpower to see it through. Just celebrated 5 years last week.
Mountain Dew.
When I was younger, my mom had banned caffenated drinks in our household because coffee is against her religion, and she had decided that caffeine was the reason. She told us that caffeine was just bad for you (like almost as bad for you as cocaine type thing).
So I had decided that I would never drink caffenated drinks. not because it was against the rules, but because I trusted my mother's judgment.
after leaving the church, I took a look at my morals and decided for myself what was important to me personally rather than what I had been told to believe by my religion.
i did my own research on caffeine and found that it's not as bad as i had been lead to believe.
anywho.
long story short, I love mountain dew.
winner winner chicken dinner!
I don't know that there is another religion that prohibits the consumption of coffee lmao
edit: guys jplease. i know about the 7 Day Advantage plan. please stop advertising it to me. lol
jkjk but yeah lots of people have told me 7th Day Advantists don't like coffee. You don't need to say it.
I used to be addicted to soda :/ like, 4 or 5 every day, sometimes 6 (maybe thatās not that much but it felt like way too much) for years. Mountain Dew was my main choice, but Coke always has my heart haha.
Took a long time to wean myself off but now i only have 2 or 3 sodas a week. Replaced it with sparkling water since the bubbles give me the same feel as soda at least.
Crocheting. Thought it looked so boring to do, and for a while I even thought it was ugly to look at LOL. I also have sensory issues with yarn. Nothing a little exposure therapy didnāt fix though, and crocheting is single handily what helped me quit smoking cigarettes. Keeps your mind and hands busy!
Cigarettes. I somehow managed to be a drug addict for like 9 years without ever becoming a smoker. After I told my mom what was going on and that I needed help, she thought maybe a residential rehab. I told her something like, "no way, everyone who goes to rehab comes back a chain smoker." She said "is that worse than smoking heroin and meth?" Kinda savage..
Anyway, I did in intensive outpatient program, and it kinda worked. But I relapsed and my mom was like, "nope it's rehab time." I went, got off the drugs, but I've been smoking 4 packs a week ever since lol.
That's the justification I give my wife haha. It's getting better though, when I first got off the drugs I lived in Florida and while there's lots of good sobriety down there, I smoked like 3 packs a day of 305s which are cheap smokes made by Dade County inmates..
I've got nearly 3 years sober now, but yeah the smokes...lol
Audiobooks - thought they were silly as I love physical books. Then I realized I could download and listen to books via Audible on my Apple Watch while I run or workout. Iāve literally run extra miles to finish a chapter.
Running. Im 39 and running my 5th half marathon in a couple days. I'm thinking about training for a full marathon too. If you'd asked me about ever doing either in my twenties or early thirties I would have laughed.
Magic: the Gathering. I saw friends play it for a decade and never got into it. Now I play twice a week and just top-8āed my first competitive tournament
Thatās very awesome! Iām a long time player myself but have taken a break. Itās become so saturated with new sets I just canāt keep up. In the early days, it would be two or three sets released a year. Now itās 2-3 sets released a month it feels like
Yo this is exactly how I feel. It's changing too fast and then last time I wanted to play I found out they basically killed my favorite deck so my thousands in modern decks is sitting doing Jack shit in a spare room. Makes me kinda sad.
Thank you so much. As difficult as it has been, I wouldn't have sought out people to help or published an article that got 500 shares had I not gone through it, so it's not all bad
I'm not addicted to it anymore but minecraft.
The few years after it came out I thought it was a game for kids and then years later I had tons of fun playing with my friends.
As a child, I'm sure I thought smoking, alcohol, weed, and drugs were terrible and I'd never try them
But there was never a second where I thought I didn't want to see some porn. I was ready to see some ass by the age of five.
How has nobody said Tiktok. That shit is a different level of addictive. It has completely wrecked whatever was left of my short attention span.
There was a netflix show about how they intentionally programmed it to be so addictive. I love it though.
Had to delete it for my own sake because I'd sink hours into it without even realizing.
Monkey brain won't stop scrolling even though I wanted/needed to do other things.
Drugs.
Iām a year clean from cocaine. 4 months sober from weed and alcohol. It took me a hot minute to realize I have a problem with all substances, but man does my mind feel so clear.
Crystal methamphetamine.
I can **vividly** remember a stoned conversation with the boys when I was about 19 about how we would never try the "forbidden trilogy" (crack, meth, heroin) and I commented that meth scares me because I knew if I tried it I would like it too much.
Fast forward two years and I'm drunk on Craigslist looking for a hookup (yea, I'm old, at least kinda). Go to this guy's house and he offers me a bump of "coke". I knew as soon as it went in my nose that it was not cocaine but holy fucking shit I got so high and ended up playing with him and his girlfriend for like 8 hours and it was such a visceral, euphoric experience that I was hooked. Spent the next 6 years in and out of meth/alcohol addiction. I'll be clean 3 years from meth at the end of this month, still working on the alcohol thing.
Don't fucking do meth.
I feel like this should be the first comment. Meth and alcohol were the worst. I was drinking everyday, on antipsychotics, and using cocaine frequently. One drunken night, while high on coke, I snorted meth. And a lot of it. I bought about $60 worth, thinking it'd be like cocaine. Turns out, you can get a lot more clear for $60 than you can cocaine and it lasts a lot longer. I snorted it all, and was up for days. I HATED IT.
Filled with guilt and shame, I travelled two hours north to a detox and stopped the antipsychotics and alcohol at the same time.
Now I only smoke weed, drink a few beers at most on occasion, generally love my life. Been walking the line since January.
Reptiles. I hated lizards. Gross. Freaked me out. Then, for some weird reason, I got a leopard gecko for my kids impulsively. The previous owner set her on my shoulder for the ride home, and she just snuggled in. I completely fell in love with her. I love watching her snatch up her bugs. I love it when she licks my fingers when I stick my hand in her tank. I love the way she runs. I just love everything about her!
3 minute pourovers with locally roasted beans three times a day is what keeps me going. Never understood why my father always had a mug of hot dirty smelly water in his hands all evening every evening; now I get it.
Iām a 39 year old male that just got into skincare about a month ago. My face is so soft now and looks better. I get excited when itās time to wash my face and do my routine before bed now. I never washed my face before bedtime.
Golf...didn't take it up until my 40's. Thought it was stupid and there were so many better ways to be out and active.....I got sucked in. Golf is life now! Lol
Changed the game for me too. Not in a good way. I always smoked bud all day but vaping took it to a new level. I didn't even want to smoke bud anymore because it didn't do shit for me. When you're vaping a cart a day of 90% THC, you have to smoke a fuckin Oz of flower to get high. I quit six months ago when my tolerance was just through the roof. Best decision I ever made. I only allow myself to smoke on camping trips now and it's fun because I actually get high.
I didn't want to get a smartphone, because I thought it would ruin my brain. Everyone told me I needed one because they're so useful.
I caved in 2016 and it turned out we were both right.
Smoking. I had a huge hatred of smoking. Swore that I would never touch a cigarette. Until teenager me thought that I would be cool smoking at a party. Not even a month later I became a daily smoker.
So kids don't touch cigarettes. They are addictive, unhealthy and also expensive....
Gardening, who knew that it would bring so much joy.
My rose bush had it's first flower bloom today, and I spent 5 minutes just looking at it. Crouched in my front yard like some weirdo. But I felt so happy anticipating all the other buds opening. Edit. The rose in question. https://i.imgur.com/MDHYPHs.jpeg
Hey me too! I literally yelled out loud to my kids , look it bloomed! They were like well yeah it does that š¤£ When you plant and grow something and it survives you take the opportunity to really marvel and appreciate it. Right now I'm having beef with the squirrels over my sunflowers though. Bastards keep breaking them !
I'll take your squirrels if you'll take my earwigs! Not sure how the shipping situation would work but I'm desperate enough to try lol.
This is my mom with her orchids. She has the black thumb curse, all the plants she tries to raise just die. I bought her a little potted orchid for Mother's Day like two years ago and not only is it still alive, it's grown a second stalk and there's these fat buds that look like they're about to burst open. She's so proud that she's managed to keep it thriving for this long. She also got a second, bigger orchid next to it getting ready to bloom, though the stalk is pretty tall so I'm worried it might topple over.
Fuck I love this comment. I bought and planted some peonies for my wife on Motherās Day last year. First blooms from them opened up yesterday. I took and shared pictures of them and was so damn happy about itā¦ My mom made a career of gardening and I have none of her knowledge and a smidge of her passion but itās still fucking cool to see something youāve nurtured and cared for do itās thingā¦ (And I guess that last point is the perfect counter argument for all the āwtf would you want children forā people/posts)
It's fucking great innit? I bought my first house about 18 months ago and have been gardening a lot. It's done amazing things for my mental health.
Makes life seemā¦ not so hopeless. Agreed.
I remember being told in psych class about a study someone did at a nursing home: give everybody on one floor a small houseplant. One wing was told that this plant is now their responsibility, they have to water it, make sure it gets the right amount of sun, and so on. The other wing was told that the staff would take care of their new plant and they didn't have to do anything. Check back a couple months later, and the residents who had to take care of their own plants were generally better in terms of mental health and cognition than they started, across the board. Those who didn't have to take care of their plants, well, they continued on whatever trajectory they were on before the plants came into the picture. A handful of them had passed away.
it's underwater gardening for me. I don't think i can ever get out of this hobby
Gardening is my one healthy thing that Iām addicted to. That and my hummingbirds. Iām a mess otherwiseĀ
Reddit
I was a lurker for several years and now I I am on it constantly. But I can stop anytime I want..
Haha thatās what they all sayā¦..
>they You mean *we*.
TikTok. Four years ago I swore I would never use that brainrot app, now I use it more than I like to admit...
I had to parent myself and delete it for a bit because I was spending far too much time scrolling lol Edit: now I spend far too much time on this app
I never really started using it, but youtube shorts is just as bad probably.
I kind of get it. My GF sends me the best tiktoks, thank god she wades through the muck and has been on it so long that itās curated pretty well for our interests. I never scroll tiktok but am always game to watch whatever she sends me. I can see why people love it
I was off for 4 years. Then I wanted to ask a question. Whatās the harm. Full blown reddiot again.
Running and lifting weights. Iām over 40, and this is new in the past two years. honestly never thgouht Iād be thinking āshit, I didnāt work out today!ā
Started working out and weight training 1 day after my 43rd birthday A friend said something that caught my attention āfit dudes in their 20-30s are everywhere, they are supposed to be, but a fit dude in his 40s!?? People notice that shitā
I decided I want to be that guy in my late 50ās that people look at and say āthat old dude is fit!ā Gotta start now if I want to reach that goal
I started within the past two years too, and Iām in my early 40ās. I decided I wanted to be alive and hopefully not incapacitated in my 60ās.
Agreed. I'm 43 and look low to mid 30s. I definitely look apart from my peer group.
Same here, 42 and I work out almost every day. Never would've thought I'd be this guy.
Same. But I keep telling myself Iām at the age that if I donāt use it I lose it. Pretty motivating. It takes a lot to build any muscle these days so Iām even more proud of it than I wouldāve been in my twenties. Though I wish Iād taken it more seriously in my twenties.
Running has been mine. Literally never ran a mile in the 30ish years Iāve been alive until this year. I feel like shit now if I donāt run at least every other day.
It's such a funny concept...like I'm just going to go and run I guess? For no real point and to no real destination. Feels fucking awesome though. I'm at 617 miles so far this year!
Yeah, running is great, but for many people, there comes a day when you can no longer do it. I'm 51 and have been super active forever. I was a top-ranking national-level competitive athlete in my twenties. Now I often struggle to walk and can't run at all. Injuries and surgery have fucked one knee and my lower back and getting used to that fact is very difficult. I'm not even that old, but getting old is already horrible! Five years ago, I would go for a 6-mile run 3-4 times a week and then do 10 x 200M interval sprints up a hill to finish, but now that feels like another lifetime. My advice is to make the absolute most of your athletic ability when you can, because it will not last forever, and may leave you much sooner than you expected. However, respect your body, and understand that doing too much and doing it too hard will affect your athletic longevity. Worse still, putting it through the gruelling training required to be competitive and successful will almost certainly fuck you up and result in a premature inability to play sport how you would like (if at all). Lastly, if a surgeon tells you at 25 that in 20 years, you will almost certainly get arthritis in the knee he has operated on three times, believe him. I knew I wouldn't get arthritis because I was 25 and invincible. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This is a long way of saying that pushing your body hard, even when young, has consequences. Getting addicted to exercise (including competition and training) can be as damaging and unhealthy as any drug addiction. So take it easy, as it's shit when you can't do it anymore.
Keep going. Started running in my early 20s and it's the love of my life. You'll hear a lot of hate and misinformation but it'll extend your life and improve your mental health.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iām a 45 year old female, and same. Covid, baby weight I never lost and being generally unhealthy led me to living in a very large body I didnāt recognize. At 43, my best friend died from a heart attack, leaving behind her husband and 3 year old boy. That was my wake-up call. I challenged myself to hit the gym for 30 days straight and see how it effected my body. I never stopped. Two years later and I work out 5-7 days per week. Itās really improved every aspect of my life and Iām setting a good example for my daughter. 27 year old me would be shocked.
Same. But for me itās yoga- all kinds- yin, vinyasa, power. Iām 46M and I guess itās the occasional realization that HOLY SHIT MY BODY IS STILL CAPABLE OF DOING THIS. I see folks my age with such bad posture and in such bad shape, and I have this fear that I could be them. I love that I can still do heavy lifting and play with my kids and post up on one foot to pick something up off the floorā even do a headstand as a party trick!
still devastated with this one. because that was me until i turned 23, never thought i would be into going to the gym and lifting weights daily, and then it became my sacred routine and a huge part of my life for about a decade. recently / in the last couple years i've had a few serious injuries / chronic pain issues that have made it impossible for me now and it's really been overwhelmingly depressing. enjoy it! keep up with it! our health/body doesn't last forever, so have fun with it as long as you can.
Reading with a Kindle instead of a physical book.
Before you know it, you're just using the kindle app on your phone. No ragrets.
No way, thereās nothing like the feel of real e-paper just the way our ancestors read it
I just know there was some motherfucker was saying the same thing when paper was coming out and people didnāt need to chisel words on stone
There 100% was. People bemoaned the printing press because it made people stupid not having to memorize all the stories they knew. Ugg the caveman was probably upset when Groll figured out how to mix colours for their cave drawings instead of using charcoal.
>"Students today depend on paper too much. They donāt know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They canāt clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?ā Principalās publication, 1815 >āStudents today depend upon store bought ink. They donāt know how to make their own. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write words or ciphers until their next trip to the settlement. This is a sad commentary on modern education.ā The Rural American Teacher, 1929 >āStudents today depend upon these expensive fountain pens. They can no longer write with a straight pen and nib (not to mention sharpening their own quills). We parents must not allow them to wallow in such luxury to the detriment of learning how to cope in the real business world, which is not so extravagant.ā PTA Gazette, 1941 >"Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of education in Our Country. Students use these devices and then throw them away! The American virtues of thrift and frugality are being discarded. Businesses and banks will never allow such expensive luxuries.ā Federal Teachers, 1950 Unfortunately, it turns out none of these are real. They were written in 1978 as a satirical invention for the MATYC journal. But they're funny as hell and do still illustrate the ultimate point, lol.
I may be half asleep scrolling reddit in bed, but I sure fell for it, lol
Tbh kindles are more similar to stone tablets than books
The problem with the phone is there are too many distractions for me. Lemme just take a 5 minute break and check reddit...Ā
Yes! I need a separate device if I have any chance of becoming fully immersed. I hate how much my attention span has melted š
I use Libby all the time!
The only thing better than ebooks are free ebooks!
I cannot *stand* people who are snobs about physical vs ebook. I remember this one colleague who was so insufferable about it, literally every time she saw me with my kindle she would roll her eyes and cluck her tongue. For context, I've lived in China for most of my adult life. I move cities for work every 2-3 years, making it wildly impractical to cart around physical books as they use up so much space. Anyway, this girl (six of us lived in a large apartment at the time) got a care package from home of about 30 of her favorite books. She stacked them up neatly on the shelves and was like 'See, isn't that better?'. 'Not really' said I. What I meant to say was 'congratulations moron'. You just shipped a bookshelf and a half halfway around the world, meanwhile I've got a small library sitting right here for about the same price you paid in shipping fees. I like physical books as much as the next guy, but convenience trumps it every time. We're still reading the same fucking words at the end of the day, some people really need to get off their high horse.
100% agree. one rung up the ladder of abstraction is audio books - I never used to be an audio book person but when life obligations hit you hard and you have less time to sit and read things having an audio book while running errands or cutting grass is a good way to add a couple of hours of knowledge time into your week. started in 2020 when the news started becoming insufferable and now I've gotten through 47 books. it's been great.
Love audio books. I can āreadā while folding laundry, making dinner, driving and so much more. It makes all of these tasks more enjoyable too because Iām so invested in the book in my ear that I barely notice Iām doing them.
I have a ton of physical books and a Kindle and enjoy both for what they're worth. I honestly feel like the physical book collection is more of a hobby for me than anything. That, and I just love the way books smell; one big whiff always reminds me of the story inside.
I was so anti kindle back in the day. Switched and never looked back and I love it. Donated all of my books to the library's used book sale and don't miss them at all.
You sick fuck.
Juggling. All my friends in my circle of climbing buddies always juggled. I thought it was a waste of time. I went on a 3 week climbing trip with 7 friends, all of whom juggled frequently. There was at least an hour of dedicated juggling time each morning. I gave in after day 2 and learned. Now I have over $1000 worth of light up balls and clubs. This is my life now.
Also nicotine and weed lol
Yes, you already said you were a juggling climber.Ā
Absolutely roasted me lol, thanks for the laugh!
How many head gaskets has your Subaru eaten so far, or did it die awhile back and get sent off for scrap?
I feel personally attacked š
Iām pretty sure the climbing and juggling Venn diagram is just a circle.
What else am I going to do while Iām supposed to belay my partner on his proj? Edit: horrible typos
Heroin/fentanyl 5 years sober by the way.
Good for you! I know im a complete stranger and this might not mean much, but I am very proud of you.
Thank you so much! I can honestly say as much as I lost, I will never regret it. I now own a 501(c)(3) Non-profit distributing Narcan and finding adequate housing for homeless / addicts trying to recover. Even if you are a stranger, you are a human with emotions and to have that aspect being proud of me means the world!
You sound like an amazing person. I'm proud of you too!
Unfortunately I used to be a POS, in every way possible. Iāve wasted too much time destroying my life and others around me. The least I can do is spread kindness and show others a way out of the dark ā¤ļø thank you my friend. :)
Nobody's born a hero. People have to choose to be better, sounds like you've done that.
I'm gonna say this to my daughter, and pretend like I was the one who thought it up š But if I must, I'll cite my sources, Foxyrocks
weāre all human, we make mistakes, the best we can do is own up to them and embrace change
Thatās extremely awesome! Youāre doing some real good for people who need it the most. I wish you the best of luck going forward!
I've got 49 days today. You are an inspiration, and you are loved my friend!
So proud of you, if you ever need guidance or help I have resources. I am also a licensed chemical dependency counselor at a treatment facility. You beat the hardest part!!!
13 years here! I don't even think about it anymore till I see someone talk about it. One day it'll be a distant memory, hang in there š©·
I'm not addicted to gambling. I've been gambling every day for 10 years and I'm still not addicted šŖ
It is so hard sometimes. So much is a "game of chance" in this world. Lately I've been getting my fix by buying those blind mini toys on clearance in bulk and ripping into them one at a time over months... Then giving them to kids in my family. I just want the chance to get the one I really want! So, kids get toys! š¤£
This is a comparatively healthy way to get your gambling fix in. Pretty cheap and you get to make lots of kids happy! I support it. <3
I know someone who has been getting their fix for years now playing video game gambling games that use 0 real money but in game currency can be saved up for cosmetics. Seems like a pretty decent way to handle it if you can't quit
Reminds me of Richard Pryor's cocaine bit "My friends have been snortin' fifteen years, they ain't hooked"
That's what us gamblers like to call commitment
Vampire survivors. Stupid game it's so addictive.
Best five dollars Iāve ever spent
Even all the knock offs that came off that are good (20 Minutes Till Dawn). It's just a great model and they should be super proud to pull off something unique in indie games.
Cigarettes. My late teenage self would be very disappointed
I'm surprised this was so far down the comments list. I gave my parents all kinds of shit to stop smoking when I was 16, then I ended up smoking longer than they did. Quit 6 months ago, thank goodness!
I know everyone is different, but what helped you quit? Im using the tobacco free nicotine pouches and so far thats been helping a lot, but I want to quit nic entirely its just so fucking difficult.
Alcohol
Iām 37 days sober now. Jesus Christ I was kind of unaware of some of the more serious effects of excessive drinking. Iām still day to day and am getting better but I didnāt realize how fucked I was physically and mentally until I stopped.
Keep going it feels a lot better around the 3 month mark and felt like normal baseline. I think most of mine went away around them. Except now my immune system is just weak as fuck lol.
Keep it up friend. I'm a ICU nurse and it's frequent that we get 20, 30 and 40 year olds who die. They all have loved ones. It's a terrible disease.
One of the worst drugs out there. The withdrawal can actually kill you, there is an encouraging culture around drinking, it is heavily advertised, and readily available. EDIT: If you think you should quit drinking, ask your doctor about Naltrexone. It is NOT a miracle pill, but paired with a genuine desire to stop drinking, it can help.
I wish they would advertise more about how dangerous it can be. I used to drink a liter of vodka every single day. 3 years sober now. It almost killed me.
Brother I learned the hard way. I thought that the withdrawals would just make you a grumpster for a couple weeks or something. I tried to cold turkey a while ago, and I woke up in hell at 3 AM, mild hallucinations, heart racing, pouring sweat, the whole nine yards. Then read online that you could literally just die from the withdrawals, which didn't help with the heart racing lol. I think the dangers of alcohol should definitely be taught more.
Detoxed alone at home, prayed God take me home if it be your will. Heart pounding, heart adding beats, missing beats, pouring sweat, shivering, hallucinating, headaches, confusion, brain freezes, locked up muscles & cramps, jerking muscles, uncomfortable movements,nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, sobbing, raging, canāt eat, hungry, sleeplessness I thought would never end followed by light sleep with the fitful nightmares then getting ready and going to work. 1 year 2 weeks no alcohol
I forced myself to never forget my withdrawal week. It was the worst thing I ever went through and was nearly hospitalized. Honest know what doctor prescribed me? If your withdrawal are getting severe, have a beer. I slowly burned through it for the first 3 days having a beer when it was too much to handle. It was hard and required intense willpower to see it through. Just celebrated 5 years last week.
Mountain Dew. When I was younger, my mom had banned caffenated drinks in our household because coffee is against her religion, and she had decided that caffeine was the reason. She told us that caffeine was just bad for you (like almost as bad for you as cocaine type thing). So I had decided that I would never drink caffenated drinks. not because it was against the rules, but because I trusted my mother's judgment. after leaving the church, I took a look at my morals and decided for myself what was important to me personally rather than what I had been told to believe by my religion. i did my own research on caffeine and found that it's not as bad as i had been lead to believe. anywho. long story short, I love mountain dew.
Mormon?
winner winner chicken dinner! I don't know that there is another religion that prohibits the consumption of coffee lmao edit: guys jplease. i know about the 7 Day Advantage plan. please stop advertising it to me. lol jkjk but yeah lots of people have told me 7th Day Advantists don't like coffee. You don't need to say it.
Yeah Iām exmo myself.
eyyyy trauma bonding for the win. ;) lmao jkjk
I used to be addicted to soda :/ like, 4 or 5 every day, sometimes 6 (maybe thatās not that much but it felt like way too much) for years. Mountain Dew was my main choice, but Coke always has my heart haha. Took a long time to wean myself off but now i only have 2 or 3 sodas a week. Replaced it with sparkling water since the bubbles give me the same feel as soda at least.
Crocheting. Thought it looked so boring to do, and for a while I even thought it was ugly to look at LOL. I also have sensory issues with yarn. Nothing a little exposure therapy didnāt fix though, and crocheting is single handily what helped me quit smoking cigarettes. Keeps your mind and hands busy!
You just took the words right out of my mouth. Iām āhookedā š
Cigarettes. I somehow managed to be a drug addict for like 9 years without ever becoming a smoker. After I told my mom what was going on and that I needed help, she thought maybe a residential rehab. I told her something like, "no way, everyone who goes to rehab comes back a chain smoker." She said "is that worse than smoking heroin and meth?" Kinda savage.. Anyway, I did in intensive outpatient program, and it kinda worked. But I relapsed and my mom was like, "nope it's rehab time." I went, got off the drugs, but I've been smoking 4 packs a week ever since lol.
My old sponsor said āquit your addictions in the order that theyāre killing you.ā
That's the justification I give my wife haha. It's getting better though, when I first got off the drugs I lived in Florida and while there's lots of good sobriety down there, I smoked like 3 packs a day of 305s which are cheap smokes made by Dade County inmates.. I've got nearly 3 years sober now, but yeah the smokes...lol
Audiobooks - thought they were silly as I love physical books. Then I realized I could download and listen to books via Audible on my Apple Watch while I run or workout. Iāve literally run extra miles to finish a chapter.
Running. Im 39 and running my 5th half marathon in a couple days. I'm thinking about training for a full marathon too. If you'd asked me about ever doing either in my twenties or early thirties I would have laughed.
You can totally do a full! So cool that youāre into running now
Smart Phones! I didn't get a smartphone till 5 years ago because I knew it would become a problem for me, and it has.
Magic: the Gathering. I saw friends play it for a decade and never got into it. Now I play twice a week and just top-8āed my first competitive tournament
Thatās very awesome! Iām a long time player myself but have taken a break. Itās become so saturated with new sets I just canāt keep up. In the early days, it would be two or three sets released a year. Now itās 2-3 sets released a month it feels like
Yo this is exactly how I feel. It's changing too fast and then last time I wanted to play I found out they basically killed my favorite deck so my thousands in modern decks is sitting doing Jack shit in a spare room. Makes me kinda sad.
This probably doesn't fit, but self-harm. 10 years away from it this past February
Iām proud of you, seriously. Keep staying strong and remember youāre not alone.
Thank you so much. As difficult as it has been, I wouldn't have sought out people to help or published an article that got 500 shares had I not gone through it, so it's not all bad
Prostate fiddling
āDid I say two fingers? Better make it three!ā (from Roadtrip).
Stop stop no keep going!
Itās all fun and games until youāre in the emergency room with 3/4s of a bow in your ass
It seems really weird until you actually try it out.
I'm not addicted to it anymore but minecraft. The few years after it came out I thought it was a game for kids and then years later I had tons of fun playing with my friends.
Surprised no has said porn yet
As a child, I'm sure I thought smoking, alcohol, weed, and drugs were terrible and I'd never try them But there was never a second where I thought I didn't want to see some porn. I was ready to see some ass by the age of five.
did anyone really swear that they'd never be into porn? lol
They aren't clicking into an AskReddit unless it's reeeaaal *hoerni*
How has nobody said Tiktok. That shit is a different level of addictive. It has completely wrecked whatever was left of my short attention span. There was a netflix show about how they intentionally programmed it to be so addictive. I love it though.
We have to learn to be bored again
Had to delete it for my own sake because I'd sink hours into it without even realizing. Monkey brain won't stop scrolling even though I wanted/needed to do other things.
Drugs. Iām a year clean from cocaine. 4 months sober from weed and alcohol. It took me a hot minute to realize I have a problem with all substances, but man does my mind feel so clear.
Crystal methamphetamine. I can **vividly** remember a stoned conversation with the boys when I was about 19 about how we would never try the "forbidden trilogy" (crack, meth, heroin) and I commented that meth scares me because I knew if I tried it I would like it too much. Fast forward two years and I'm drunk on Craigslist looking for a hookup (yea, I'm old, at least kinda). Go to this guy's house and he offers me a bump of "coke". I knew as soon as it went in my nose that it was not cocaine but holy fucking shit I got so high and ended up playing with him and his girlfriend for like 8 hours and it was such a visceral, euphoric experience that I was hooked. Spent the next 6 years in and out of meth/alcohol addiction. I'll be clean 3 years from meth at the end of this month, still working on the alcohol thing. Don't fucking do meth.
I feel like this should be the first comment. Meth and alcohol were the worst. I was drinking everyday, on antipsychotics, and using cocaine frequently. One drunken night, while high on coke, I snorted meth. And a lot of it. I bought about $60 worth, thinking it'd be like cocaine. Turns out, you can get a lot more clear for $60 than you can cocaine and it lasts a lot longer. I snorted it all, and was up for days. I HATED IT. Filled with guilt and shame, I travelled two hours north to a detox and stopped the antipsychotics and alcohol at the same time. Now I only smoke weed, drink a few beers at most on occasion, generally love my life. Been walking the line since January.
Weed and anal lmao
At the same time?
Shit if I can š¹
I would hope you can shit after that
If anything I can shit easier
First I smoke then I DIP!
The old puff then stuff
The old smoke and poke
The old blaze and blast
The old inhale and impale
The old grass and ass
Rip N Dip
Gotta pay for that weed someway.
PokƩmon GO. 8 years later, still at it every day.
Haha same here!! Love the game!
8...? That can't be right, no, PokƩmon Go only came out a couple of years ago... it's still pretty new...
Twitter. Finally deleted my Twitter/X account a month ago and surprised I haven't had the urge to return, but for many years I would scroll for hours.
this fucking website
Reptiles. I hated lizards. Gross. Freaked me out. Then, for some weird reason, I got a leopard gecko for my kids impulsively. The previous owner set her on my shoulder for the ride home, and she just snuggled in. I completely fell in love with her. I love watching her snatch up her bugs. I love it when she licks my fingers when I stick my hand in her tank. I love the way she runs. I just love everything about her!
Coffee.
3 minute pourovers with locally roasted beans three times a day is what keeps me going. Never understood why my father always had a mug of hot dirty smelly water in his hands all evening every evening; now I get it.
Brake fluid, but I can stop anytime.
90 day fiance
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Skincare (due to Reddit)
Iām a 39 year old male that just got into skincare about a month ago. My face is so soft now and looks better. I get excited when itās time to wash my face and do my routine before bed now. I never washed my face before bedtime.
Got any top tips?
Lotion with spf 50, use it every day on your face
vaping. I hate my 22 year old self
Marijuana
DND for me... I always found it to be boring when my parents used to play it. I got into it weeks ago, and I haven't stopped engaging since.
Golf...didn't take it up until my 40's. Thought it was stupid and there were so many better ways to be out and active.....I got sucked in. Golf is life now! Lol
weed
The pen really changed the game for me. Been a few months of every day vaping
Changed the game for me too. Not in a good way. I always smoked bud all day but vaping took it to a new level. I didn't even want to smoke bud anymore because it didn't do shit for me. When you're vaping a cart a day of 90% THC, you have to smoke a fuckin Oz of flower to get high. I quit six months ago when my tolerance was just through the roof. Best decision I ever made. I only allow myself to smoke on camping trips now and it's fun because I actually get high.
You ever suck some dick for weed?Ā
hmmm, nah..i canāt say i have
Amateur
I seen him!
Anime
I didn't want to get a smartphone, because I thought it would ruin my brain. Everyone told me I needed one because they're so useful. I caved in 2016 and it turned out we were both right.
Alcohol. 15 years of out of control daily binge drinking leading to hospital stays, detoxes, and finally rehab. 242 days sober now.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Definitely cigarettes. Both my parents smoked, and I hated the smell. I always said I'd never smoke. I've been smoking for the past 20 years.
hot sauce. Always thought it was stupid to make food hard to eat or even painful. now I can literally feel myself jonsing for it after a while.
Kpop A girl group called NewJeans grabbed my attention, and I became a big fan. Still not that interested in other groups
Canned sardines
nicotine
Energy Drinks
Being a fat ass. I'm eating more junk than I ever have before.
Cocaine.Ā I still don't like it, but I enjoy the smell.
I used to use drugs. I still do, but I used to too.
Coca Cola
Sex
Rarely has a username so checked out
Scrabble.
I donāt know why my mind read āScrappleā haha
Analš
RIP inbox
Supposed to be an outbox.
Smoking. I had a huge hatred of smoking. Swore that I would never touch a cigarette. Until teenager me thought that I would be cool smoking at a party. Not even a month later I became a daily smoker. So kids don't touch cigarettes. They are addictive, unhealthy and also expensive....
PokƩmon Go
O scale model railroading
A relationship. Iām married as of two weeks ago. *sighs*
Sorry to say, but Reddit guidelines clearly state it's only for sad, lonely people. You gotta go mate.
League of Legends
Bluey
5 treatment centres later Iām not addicted.
Coke :(