To ask what changed your life dramatically for the better?

[youneeQuorn]

Did you find something that just changed life for you?

Be it yoga, meditation, religion, medication, therapy, a new hobby - that sort of thing

Becoming a Christian
Losing weight
Meeting my dh

Quitting my job to work for myself.

Loving this thread.

Having children.
Running.
Sertraline.
Going part-time at work.
Taking up a new creative hobby, that led to blogging about it, that led to wonderful new friendships and opportunities.

Having DS
Moving jobs from NHS to private.

Every major experience in life changes you in some way. For me:

Working in a psychiatric hospital so seeing what major mental illness really was.
Meeting DH and having 30 years of a good marriage.

Caring for then losing DH to a devastating terminal illness.

Learning to cope as a widow.

Going through chemotherapy and going into remission.

The salvation of doing something creative like making a garden or a patchwork quilt.

The catharsis that is writing.

Prozac/Lithium combo - I am 100% sure that without taking those when I did that I wouldn't be here today.

Giving up alcohol - was never an addict but would binge drink, it wasn't healthy, got myself in dangerous situations etc. I will have a glass of champagne at dinner or a glass of win on a birthday but ultimately I have about 4 alcoholic drinks a year or thereabouts.

Having my son - I always resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't have a child because of my illness (bipolar disorder), but having found the right medication and after speaking with my GP (who said illness shouldn't stop people having children and I have a right as much as anyone else) decided I was well enough (finally) to have a child. He has changed my life in so many wonderful ways.

Learning to deal with my illness without medication/mindfulness - my GP was a bit hesitant about me stopping medication but trusts me that I know myself well enough to ask for extra help/support should I need it. I don't need it now - practising gratitude has helped me so much.

I'm hoping the next thing to change my life will be further education, it has already helped in some ways. I have just finished an access course, I didn't hold out much hope for myself, lack of confidence and years of bunking off school made me feel 'stupid', I ended up with 39 distinctions and 6 Merits! It has done so much for my confidence. I'll be starting University in September and am hoping that it will be about big life changing thing.

Mindfulness meditation and emdr therapy

And having my dd at almost 44 :)

Minor knee surgery (meniscus). It meant I was able to exercise without pain, and that improved everything.

A Neti pot - I would suffer from a constant blocked nose, allergies, lack of taste etc. The Neti pot means I can breathe and taste my food all the time.

Also, my DH and DC and a large inheritance

Sertroline.

Moved out of expensive freezing grey England where no matter how hard I tried I was constantly struggling and suffering from the cold. The working hours were ridiculous and I was holding down a stressful job and a second job to get by. Never had so much money and so much fun as I have now without always being so weather focused, my work hours are flexible and my salary excellent with massive opportunities. But waking up to beautiful beaches and mountains is the most amazing part ever.

Going to university. I left a chaotic sink estate to live in a beautiful city for three years. It changed everything.

Writing my first book. Totally changed my working and family life. Put the creative process at the forefront rather than a back burning hobby.

Realising I had to let go of toxic people... Friends, colleagues and boyfriends who didn't have my best interests at heart all had to go.
Very quickly then got a brilliant new job and met DH. I never take this for granted now as I know how lucky I am.

Next step is to let go of Facebook. No good ever comes of it.

SAGE therapy
Enabled me to see that I had been blaming myself for 25 years for being raped (aged 9)
I can actually be kind to myself.... sometimes.

Getting married, due to DH's wealth it transformed my life into a much more relaxed and stress free existence.

New year 2014 I decided I was done with dieting. I'd been trying to lose weight or on some kind of diet since I was 14 and realised that I looked pretty much the same. I stepped off the exhausting treadmill of 'should I eat that, should I not, this person is skinnier than me, this person is fatter' and I regained control I never realised I'd lost.

Now I cringe when I hear people saying "I'm on a diet/I'm being good/ I'm going to be really bad this weekend/I feel like such a pig". I eat what I want, when I want to and refuse to get caught up in the endless cycle of weight loss and weight gain.

Hi Catsrus!

Nice to hear from you again.

The lovely Dr Michael Mosely and the 5:2 diet!

That post of yours also belongs on the 5:2 inspiration thread, don't you think?

Oh, and congrats on the divorce!

I second everything Cats said above. For four years I've been absolutely in control of my weight for the first time in my life, thanks to the good Dr M!

And through Mumsnet I've been encouraged and inspired to take up exercise at a late stage in life. BigChocFrenzy on the 5:2 exercise thread showed me how to do a proper press up 2 and a half years ago, and earlier this month I did 1175 press ups in one hour, raising over £800 for charity - and I'm 78yrs old. I have truly never felt so fit.

5:2 down 40+ kgs. Easy.

Dishwasher

Sertraline
Pilates
Running
A garden

Getting a whippet. Oh and cutting down massively on alcohol, although I do enjoy the feeling it leaves me with massive anxiety the next day and it's just not worth it.

The internet. Mobile phones. Photocopiers. Power steering.
If i had to pick 1 thing though it would be yoga.

This is going to sound really knobby but becoming pregnant/having my son. Before that I was taking some kind of drug most days. I stopped completely once I found out. He was conceived by rape so it also made that easier to cope with in a way. Especially once my son was born. I now have a good job which I love, have a dp who was there through the pregnancy and birth and we've just bought a house together!

Divorce, realising I don't need men in my life other than as friends (benefits not needed). Being celebate is a revelation. Love my freedom.