What improved your quality of life, so much, you wish you did it sooner?

[piddocktrumperiness]

For me it's a few things:
-Learning what past trauma is and how it plays out in relationships
-Learn to say no to things and people and not feel bad about it
-Realising no one really notices or cares what I do or look like; felt liberated to not always wear lots of makeup, dress in a new outfit or have my roots done, or eat out alone, or do anything alone.
-Not watching much current tv and picking up a book instead
-Listening to James O' Brien on LBC ( I know he's not everyone's cup of tea- but I learned alot)
-Waking up v early to have some me time. This was hard as I was a night owl for many years.
-Declutter and only buy when I need something. To be honest this started as I had to downsize to an empty flat after my divorce and am on not much money but it has helped with not worrying about possessions and all the cleaning involved.
-Divorce my ex husband- biggest impact haha

What improved yours?

@crystalize I bought a tin from Tesco..it's so yummy. It tastes like a sweet cinnamon hot chocolatey kind of drink. You can have it with milk or water.

Not sure if it's the healthiest thing in the world but I'm sure it's healthier than the wine I normally be knocking back!

Leaving teaching - I can’t emphasise enough how wonderful it is not to bring work home all the time and to be able to call my weekends my own.

Sea swimming even in winter (without a wetsuit). It’s a kind of natural high.

Giving up trying to fix my difficult mother relationship. We won’t ever have the kind of relationship I’d have liked. I haven’t cut her off but I don’t try so hard. We see each other regularly but it’s in many ways a cordial relationship and conversation rarely goes beyond the superficial. Much better and less stressful.

Gardening. Moving somewhere that has a little garden I can tend and pootle about in has been more enjoyable than I anticipated.

Since I started taking various vitamins each day I have felt better. It may well be a placebo effect but I haven’t had a really heavy cold since November 2019.

Starting HRT
getting a cat (I was the least cat person you could imagine beforehand)
WFH
quitting alcohol
keeping up the gym
getting a new bathroom

This thread makes me so happy - glad to see lots of others have given up alcohol. Sometimes I feel like a leper!

@Reginaldina i also stopped being embarrassed about my accent and it is brilloant

@ThreeRingCircus do you mind me asking how if not TMI?! Always thought this was an urban myth 😂

The new Teepee interdental sticks, which are sort of latex and graduated in width have been a revelation. They make the whole thing much easier and I wish I’d stated using them sooner. For me, an important life hack-shortcut.

cutting down to a 3 day working week, really helped me feel less overwhelmed and now I have some me time, some time with my daughter and more. tine to catch up with the housework.

Therapy and acupuncture

Getting divorced (not even kidding). Getting a dog (now have two). Going on HRT. Invisalign..

Retiring. Stress went overnight. I am fitter, healthier and happier than I have ever been. I have time to do all the hobbies I ever wanted, practice the piano and go to the gym. And help out with grandchildren. I feel 20 years younger.

Giving up a stressful high paid job that was over an hour away and getting a much lower paid, less senior job on my doorstep. Absolute heaven. My old job was literally killing me with hypertension, grossly overweight, etc. Now my health is fine, I've lost 6 stones in weight, healthy blood pressure, and generally feel a lot happier and healthier.

Citalopram
Giving up Alcohol
Seasonal living
Working from home
Buying in specialist childcare at the weekend
Getting a dog

What is seasonal living?

Seasonal living - it's loosely linked to pagan practice.

For me, the year starts on Feb 1st - I set intentions and goals that are carried out between that time and 31st Oct. The months of Nov, Dec and Jan are hibernation time - for rest, reflection, closing down the year and then dreaming of plans for the following year.

Any 'projects' not finished get wound up in October and then I figure out if I want to carry them over to next February or forget about them. Obviously, this doesn't work for long projects. Still, I do try not to actively take on anything new in those three resting months, aside from the usual 'must do' activities - I don't socialise as much and do more restorative self-care. I try to really honour a period of deep rest rather than being 'go, go, go' all the time. In February I slowly unfurl and start to take on new things.

There are wider rituals around the changing seasons marked by the eight sabbat festivals, so I do small things to honour them too.

Ooh, also;
listening to comedy podcasts, esp. while doing tasks like housework or exercise
antidepressants
not trying to be perfect or do things perfectly - a small change or improvement is better than none

@ehb102 could you tell me more about your oesopath sessions and hiatus hernia? Were you already doing work on your abs? Thanks.

Daily morning yoga

@Takeittotheboss No, it was unrelated. Facebook showed me a post of his business from years previously and it was about how most people don't need omeprazole but actually need an osteopathic session. I thought I would gamble a session fee on it and by golly! It worked. If I remember correctly the osteopath stretches you to make space for the stomach to drop back down to "cure" the hiatus hernia. I did a few weeks of woodchop movements to be sure but it never came back. Another osteopath friend says it's a fairly standard treatment.

Amazing!! Well done for having the courage to pack in your previous job.

Thanks @ehb102 I'm off to check this out. It would sort so much for me.

@oddwellingtonboots Tell me about this specialist childcare, pleasethanks.

@Takeittotheboss my osteo is in South Cambs if you need a direct recommendation .

Getting rid of alcohol

Getting divorced, omg I do wish I hadn't wasted 35+ years on someone who never really loved me. Now old, free and single and loving life😁

Divorce (both times)

My son has autism, I use his DLA to buy in a carer on a Saturday that takes him to lots of ASD friendly activities 9-5. The carer has had training/experience and he loves going out with her. I work full time so this gives me a day at the weekend to do hobbies/house stuff etc.