It doesn't have to take much to completely alter your life.
What can happen is you get into your own head, thinking there needs to be some grand, sweeping act that shifts your entire life's direction. Without this large gesture, then there is no change.
Really, all it takes is a commitment to something small and the results can begin showing up sooner than you think.
Reddit user, u/colorfulsoul_, wanted to know the secrets to turning your life around when they asked:
"What improved your quality of life so much, you wish you did it sooner?"
There might be a way to make your life better, today, right now.
Just go to sleep.
Nothing Good Happens After 11p
"Sleeping when I'm sleepy"
hellofellowhumanss
Who Knew Laundry Could Weigh So Heavily?
"Throwing out ALL my socks and buying a single type."
"No more looking for pairs."
atlantis_airlines
"This, and buying a mesh laundry bag with a zipper."
"when it comes time to fold your clothes, no more looking for that missing sock - they're all in the bag!"
mdsmds178
When Are You Seriously Going To Talk?
"Deleting all the people from high school I don't see anymore from social media"
FineBahnMi
"I did this too. Was one of my best decisions. Social media has never been a kind place for me."
sorryboutth4t
Or Really Any Online Toxic Culture
"Stopped playing league of legends"
Shoddy-Ladder-6233
Physically, there's a lot we could all be doing. While the thought of going to the gym feels like a death sentence to some, in ten or twenty years that sentence could be paying you back with interest.
Let Your Mind Clear While Clanging And Banging
"43y.o. Started exercising regularly again. 4x a week. Forget the physical benefits for a minute, the mental benefits outweigh the "gains" all day."
Longjumping-Step-270
"This is exactly why I finally took up exercise. I've never considered myself a FITNESS GIRL by any means, but last winter my mental health took such a hit that I had to try something, and I liked it so much I'm still sticking with it."
thewitchywordsmith
It's Probably Easier To Walk Up The Stairs Too, Huh?
"Quitting smoking. I couldn't imagine life without it back then. But man is life better without a constant need like that, not to mention all the health benefits."
myteethareallpenises
Get Into Nature
"Hiking in mountains. It's quite hard to explain why. It just feels like finally I've found some sort of peace or some sort of home. Or probably one of the most important parts of self."
hudvin
You Only Get The One Set
"Flossing. I never saw the dentist as a kid, and no one really pushed me to or cared about my dental health."
Ok_Replacement_8801
"As an older redditor who had poor dental hygiene growing up: keep at it."
"Getting old sucks as it is but its even worse when you have a problem that could have been avoided."
Torringtonn
Invest In Your Body, If You Can
"Bought an expensive (think: 1000 Euros) office chair."
"Now neither back nor butt hurts after 10 hours of home office work."
DocTomoe
The Strangest 'Wrong Number' Stories | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Before we all had caller ID, wrong numbers phone calls were commonplace. But now that almost everyone screens their calls, it's wrong number texts that have ...
A New Way To Get To Sleep Faster
"It's something I did when I was younger, but life kinda got in the way........I just recently started again and am so glad I did. Swimming. It is such a stress reliever and makes you tired in that way you sleep like a log at night."
CurtCurmudgeon
Not everything is physical, and not everything is going to happen today, but real change begins to slowly unravel in time.
No, You're Not JUST Tired
"Eating healthy. It's amazing after you realize how much you feel like sh-t after you just took down a double cheese burger, extra large fries, and a large coke, but at the time, you don't realize it and just "think" you're tired. Good eating habits and exercising changed my life."
D1sCoL3moNaD3
Learn To Do What You Love Because You Love It
"To do the things that I love without being desirous of superficial success. This lesson largely sprung because I was into writing fiction, and as we all know it's not that financially rewarding. When I got over the fact that not everything has to eventually have a financial outcome, and that it needn't necessarily to turn into a career, I leaned towards many things in my life that made be a better person - things that a stable job could never hope to provide."
"And this eventually led me to have better relationships, make braver decisions, and stand up for myself."
SpecificAccountant43
Just Say, "No."
"Learning to be okay with saying "no" and starting off all relationships (personal and professional) with healthy boundaries. You don't ever need an excuse to say "no" to if you don't want to do something."
"Don't feel like going out with friends that night? No thank you."
"Don't want to work an extra shift at your place of employment if it's not mandatory? No thanks boss!"
"Boundaries are amazing, and when set from the beginning, they are much easier to maintain for your own mental well being."
DnDYetti
To Quote: Just Do It
"Making decisions without constantly overthinking about them."
"I was in a dreadful, toxic work environment. I loved my peers but management significantly impacted my ability to maintain my aspiration to grow with the company. My mental health started to suffer, began drinking heavily, gained lots of weight and could not wake up in the mornings to drive to work. All of this toxicity for a close to minimum wage job."
"I was always overthinking about quitting and my fears of not finding another job. Not being able to pay my bills. What my girlfriend at the time would think of me if I was jobless."
"One day, I decided to take a calculated risk and stop overthinking. I quit, with no back up. I decided I would go back to school with my small savings and get a proper education. In hopes that I would have a stable salary."
"Once after taking that leap, my college professor knew a tech recruiter that worked at a massive organization. I was quickly recommended by the professor, got the job, and am now financially stable. Most importantly, my mental health is back in a steady state."
"Sometimes, you just have to trust that the universe will guide you through all these deep and dark paths, so you can arrive at your blissful destination"
merkin-slayer
It's Not As Important As You Think
"Letting my pride and ego take hits. I used to have been such a 'me, me, me' person in my early life. When I allowed myself to be taken down a peg or two, I started having new perspectives on life and people around me."
neoastic
"It's a great lesson for young people: If you're wrong about something, don't double-down on it, just admit fault, learn, and keep it movin'. We all make mistakes, let's quit pretending we're somehow "better" than everybody else!"
RoguePlanet1
There can be real change in your life so long as you stick with, hold it in your life every day, and work towards something. Trying to be better is enough, and we all deserve it.
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Of all the entertainment tropes out there, an endlessly popular one has to be time travel.
With a surge in movies centering around time travel, multiverses, and simply time-bending, it's time to vote for the most elite of the trope.
Redditor Upstairs-Paper-2079 asked:
"What is the best time travel movie?"
The Time Traveler's Wife
"'Time Traveler's Wife' was a beautiful movie (and book) once you realize the movie is about her, not him."
- IAmRules
Source Code
"'Source Code' was cool as h**l for how it implied multiverse theory."
- Samurai_IX
"The ending didn’t make sense, though, within the context of the established plot."
"They wanted the happy Hollywood ending. Logic be d**ned."
- dreamingnightmare
"It would have been a perfect movie if it had ended at the freeze frame. Such a missed opportunity."
- khendron
The History of Time Travel
"'The History of Time Travel.' It is told as a documentary. And, through the film the story changes. By the end of the movie, even its title has changed to, 'The Theory of Time Travel.'"
- bm1000bmb
Predestination
"Predestination."
"It is easily the best time-travel movie hands down. No action taken during the entire movie changes the past or future. There is no beginning and no end to the story, it's an absolute perfect loop. It's also a movie that gifts you new things with every re-watch."
- ManOfEtiquette
Icon World
"'Time Bandits."'
- KermitTheArgonian
"Can confirm. Rewatched it recently and it stands the test of time."
- IconWorld
Life On Mars
"It’s not a movie, but 'Life on Mars' is absolutely incredible. A police detective gets hit by a car in 2002 and wakes up in 1973 in Manchester, England."
- MyOverture
Somewhere in Time
"'Somewhere in Time.' Not the best, but it deserves a mention."
- onesixthscale
12 Monkeys
"12 Monkeys."
- max_ATK
"It's probably one of the most logically consistent time travel movies."
- extropia
"This needs to be said more often about '12 Monkeys.' In addition to the stellar acting (especially Brad Pitt), the story is watertight. There's never any indication that Cole can, will, or is expected to change the past; he's simply there on a fact-finding mission and what's happened has happened, and always will."
- Plug-5
Meet the Robinsons
"'Meet the Robinsons.'"
- TickleMyCringle
"The ending makes me WEEP every time."
- Ajxpetrarca
"The non-animated picture of Tom Selleck absolutely slays me every time."
- pedddster
About Time
"'About Time' is a weird movie because it's not quite a conventional story."
"There's no real conflict or climax; the protagonist has everything he needs to solve problems right from the beginning and usually finds a workable solution shortly after encountering every problem."
"The closest thing to a conflict is the act of confronting the natural flow of aging and coping with the fact that your life is different as you get older."
"It's more just a character study and a look at how a person would grow and change over their life."
- funkme1ster
"I think that's the point. Life (and, of course, death) are two unstoppable forces. Even if you are armed with the most powerful tool in the universe - Time Travel, you are still subject to these two forces. Time comes for us all."
"For me, the point was to enjoy life... all of it. The good and the bad. These experiences enrich and invigorate us. And, I know I'm drifting into more argumentative grounds here...but death is not the end. Not by a long shot."
- mwilsonsc
Edge of Tomorrow
"Edge of Tomorrow."
"My friend bugged me about watching this movie for years. It seemed stupid. The name made it sound like the most generic action movie ever for Tom Cruise to run in and the marketing didn't help."
"I had no idea it was a time travel movie and by the end of it it had become my favorite time travel movie. Seriously the best time loop plotline since 'Groundhog Day.'"
"I really do think the name held it back from garnering more interest from large swaths of people but I also think the original working title 'Live, Die, Repeat' may have given away too much."
- NYPorkDept
Primer
"Primer."
"Honorable mentions for 'Terminator' 1 and 2, '12 Monkeys,' and 'Hot Tub Time Machine.'"
- Loki-L
"The best thing about primer, and what I would assert is the point of the movie also confuses a lot of people."
"The characters do not understand time travel."
"They built it, but are messing with forces they don’t understand. Their explanations throughout the movie are wrong. Not hugely wrong, but just enough to really matter."
"This s**t is dangerous and confusing, don’t do time travel."
- Ashes42
Back to the Future
"Back to the Future."
- bowiemowie
"I never met anyone who disliked 'Back to the Future.' No hate at all. Their movies are just perfect."
- gabrrdt
Palm Springs
"It’s not the best in terms of cinematic experience (think grand-scale action like T2 or Edge of Tomorrow) but I was pleasantly surprised by Palm Springs recently. Just a gem I think more should check out."
- AlwaysSeekAdventure
"I streamed this movie having no idea what the premise of it was, I thought it was just going to be a normal romcom. Probably the best way to experience it."
- cdjunkie
Arrival
"Arrival is a fantastic film that I think fully qualifies as a time travel movie (though you may have to alter your definition of 'travel')."
- joyful_nihilist
Time travel may always be one of those tropes that is just elusive enough that people can keep making interesting, mind-bending stories that "break" the rules of time travel.
That is at least assuming we never figure out how to do it!
There's no one way to successfully raise a child.
Tons of books on parenting are available to offer guidance and they are suggestions drawing on different experiences and perspectives.
But who needs books? Not all the answers can be found in them since every situation is different.
Raising children successfully is typically achieved by first-time parents who fake it 'til they make it.
When it comes to talking about the birds and the bees, that's one topic that both parents and prepubescent children tend to be very evasive about discussing.
Sometimes "the talk" is awkward, but other times, it is extremely successful.
Wanting to highlight the positives on the topic,Redditor babyyyylilith asked:
"What is the best sex-related advice your parents ever told you?"
First starters, Redditors normalized various sexual situations.
Unbridled Urges
"My parents didn’t want to have the talk with me so they had our family friend do it. He said and I quote 'your body is going through a lot of changes and your going to get urges to do some weird sh*t. It’s all normal. Unless you are like rubbing dead puppies on your body, then come see us for help.'"
– FireFromThaumaturgy
Dirty Magazines
"When my dad caught 13-year-old me with a Playboy. I was terrified, but he said not to worry, it was normal to be curious. Then he said the wisest thing: 'Just remember, most women do NOT look like that.'”
– First_Drive2386
Dispensing With Stigma
"Honestly, I don't think that having 'a' talk or 'the' talk is the best idea, anyways. My wife and I have raised a pretty amazing young man, and we've never had 'the talk.'"
"We've simply never been afraid of the topic, and have never avoided it (while being proactive here and there as well). So over the years it's been a subject that comes up, and we discuss it just like any other topic."
"I feel that this is a much better idea than building up to a huge moment for 'the talk.' Doing this this just makes it a huge deal that will embarrass you and your child, teaching them that sex is shameful, even if that is not your intention. Besides, how can you cover everything in a meaningful way with only one talk?"
– TomEdison43050
There is a thing as sex etiquette.
Hygiene Matters
"To take a shower before it."
– hoorhay_ng
"and after too."
– Bill_ra16
"My father used to say:"
"Remember, It is better if you take a shower every time you are going to have sex."
"Just before it or just after it?"
"No son. Just instead."
– rmdf
A Medical Expert Weighs In
"Not my parents, but awkwardly and unexpectedly, my family doctor:"
"Teenage boys and even early 20-something men are horny, barely know what they're doing, and barely remember to wash their balls. Don't even let them touch you unless they show through their actions that they genuinely respect you, care about you, and like you as much as you like them. And even then always use a condom no matter if you're on other birth control because babies aren't the only thing you can pick up from sex. And never get with a guy who's hounding you for it."
– blickyjayy
Parents continued being very open about the topic.
The Result
"My dad held up my baby bro and told me that if i wasn’t careful this is what would happen lol"
– Immediate_Sense_2189
"if you're not careful you'll have another baby brother"
– IceFire909
Father Knows Best
"My dad gave me a sex talk when I was in my teens that pretty explicit about how a woman’s body needs attention and time to be ready for sex."
"He also gave me a book called 'the guide to getting it on.' And suggested I read it and he’d answer any questions."
"By the time I was having sex, I felt very confident about how it worked and how to make women feel good."
"I’ve tried to keep building up my skills and knowledge over the years - different courses and books."
"Partners have always been complimentary. I can thank dear ol’ dad for that."
– TheGameForFools
A Woman Backs Up
'how a woman’s body needs attention and time to be ready for sex.'
"As a woman, this is seriously good advice. Too many men learn how sex works from porn and get this inaccurate idea that women can just GO. We need time and prep work. You wouldn't start your car in the winter and automatically expect the geater to blow warm air, women aren't hot immediately either."
– StaunchMiracle15
Mother Knows Best
"My mom: 'Sex is great, but it's absolutely never worth compromising on your values or your self-respect.'""
Directly followed up with"
"Walk away from any guy who tries to pressure or intimidate you into doing stuff with him. Don't waste time with guys who think they're entitled to your body. Don't fall for shallow flattery and be manipulated. Just walk. You are not missing out on anything. "
"As kids, my mom always taught me and my siblings about being compassionate and kind to other people as well as being responsible and honest and respectful all those things parents try get into their kids' heads to help them turn out right. I was 14-15 when my mom sat me down and impressed on me that not everyone in the world has good-hearted and respectful intentions, and that I need to keep this especially in mind when it comes to how people act when romance and sex come into the picture."
"It was a new layer to the lessons she gave me growing up and I took it to heart. It's advice that has served me very well."
– SiliconeCarbideTeeth
Supportive Mom
"My mom: You know what people who practice the pull out method are called? Parents."
"In all seriousness though, my mom answered any questions I had and even helped me get a doctor's appointment arranged when I decided I wanted to be on the pill. I'm eternally grateful that she made it easy to go to her for any questions or advice"
– NightDreamer73
Importance Of Open Conversations
"I was almost exclusively interested in women (as a woman) for my late teen years, so a lot of the time my mom's advice and open conversation seemed irrelevant to me, but it meant so much to me that she had such an open conversation with me about sex and questions that didn't seem important until I started dating a man and told her 'hey I'm gonna sleep with a guy let's talk birth control ' and she immediately booked me an iud installation. Open comfortable conversation with mom is so important, it really sets the tone. If my mom hadn't been pro sex and talk id definitely be a whole a** mom by now."
– whoales
For many parents, teaching their kids about sex is such a taboo subject, and it shouldn't be.
The more the topic is stigmatized, the more it can be confusing for a child going through puberty and feeling shameful about the changes they're experiencing.
That was me. I can't say for sure if it's a culture thing, but sex doesn't seem to be something Japanese parents comfortably talk about with their kids.
This is way off topic but the tentativeness around discussing sex in Asian cultures is fascinating to me, because many depictions of sex in erotica in various forms are some of the most wildly perverse and imaginative visuals I've ever seen.
It's not a stretch to think that Asian pre-teens learn more from anime and manga about sex than from their parents.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you might want to do some research into some of these very graphically suggestive illustrations.
It's a wild journey down the rabbit-hole.
People In Relationships Reveal How They Feel About Giving Their Partner Unlimited Access To Their Phone
"What's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours."
A common ideology when people enter committed romantic relationships.
This doesn't mean, however, that people don't still appreciate a moment or two of privacy, even from the person to whom they are otherwise committed, body and soul.
Particularly when it comes to their phones.
While some people have no concern about their partners seeing anything they have stored on their phones, others might prefer that everything found on their phones stays away from their partner's eyes.
Be it for a text chain they'd rather remain private, or to avoid judgment for their choice of apps, knowing their partner would disapprove, or would at the very least mock them endlessly.
"Redditors in a relationship, how do you feel about your partner having full access to your phone such as text messages, photos, your apps, everything?"
Context Is Everything
"I wouldn't care unless the openness was only one way or constantly being used as a tool to constantly unsuccessfully prove I'm being unfaithful."- varthalon
"It's strange because i wouldn't care if someone looked through my phone, I have nothing to hide."
"BUT someone demanding that they can look through it is a massive red flag."- BunnyMcRabbitson
Red Flag Nascar GIF by Richard Childress RacingGiphyMeh...
"I don't care."
"There's nothing there."
"I can get on her phone, too."
"But I don't want to."
"Being married 40+ years does that to you, I guess."- mike11172
"Been married 33 yrs."
"My husband can access everything if he wants."
"I don't care in the least."
"Not much to see."- chalisa0
"I don't care if my husband looks through my phone, emails or whatever else."- galactictictac·
so what who cares tv show GIFGiphyGo Right Ahead
"Sure."
"Worst she'll find in my dumb searches."- Iisham
Nothing To Worry About
"My partner and I have each other's passwords but don't go through each other's stuff because he's always had an iPhone, I've always had an Android, and we don't know how to work the other OS."- abominable-ho-man
"The hell they gonna find, pictures of our cats?"
"Have at 'er..."- miffy495
Cats Ducking GIF by MOODMANGiphyCouldn't Stop Him If They Tried...
"He knows all my passwords."- LunaTic0922
Allow It? I Encourage It!
"My husband has full access to my phone and my passwords and I have full access to his."
"I would trust him with my life without any hesitation, I definitely don’t mind knowing that he has access to my phone."- Hekatevenstar
"Not a problem."
"I don't keep secrets and my sweetie isn't the jealous type."- Xylorgos
Good Night Hug GIF by JinGiphyHard No!
"I don't allow it."
"My friends and family occasionally tell me things in confidence that my husband doesn't need to know."- feral_hippie
"I consider it to be a red flag."
"Now, you might think 'Well if you're not doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide from your partner', right?"
"However, that doesn't invalidate my privacy."
"Not every little conversation and every little interaction has to be up for review."
"It also speaks to going into a relationship with an immense lack of trust or faith, which leads me to wonder why you'd engage with someone else to begin with."- MenagerieMiyamoto
"Married over 20 years."
"F*ck that."
"If I can't have some measure of privacy then I'd rather be alone."- Southernerd
No No No GIFGiphySharing Is Caring
"He's my partner it's fine, I see no issue."
"I'm not acting weird or crazy or creating some kind of suspicious environment to where we're snooping in each other's phones."
"The best thing about having nothing to hide, your brain can relax, you don't need to lie and you can."
"Leave things where you set then and not worry, like a phone on the table instead of carrying it all the time."- Hachimon1479
If there's anyone who one should feel free to share absolutely anything and everything with, it's their romantic partner.
Even so, everyone has a right to privacy, and everyone has the right to fill their phone with whatever content they like, without judgment or stress.
Sometimes there is no specific reason a person gives others the heebie-jeebies.
Certain people are just born with that vibe.
And other people are just flat-out crazy.
There are small mannerisms and big ticks that just send a clear message to stay a few yards back.
More often than not, we can't exactly put our finger on it... but something inside us just knows.
Better to know and be warned I guess.
Redditor TheRealOcsiban wanted to hear about the people who left many of us with a deep sense of unease, so they asked:
"What made the creepiest person you ever met so creepy?"
People who stare for a little too long without speaking always freak me out.
It's rude to share.
What are your evil eyes really saying?
On Camera
Giphy"He followed me for 3 miles after I left physical therapy and only f**ked off when I went into a store that I knew had cameras all over the place."
isapika
Rambo
"Was kayaking a river when some dumba** decided to dive off a cliff head first into a rock below the surface of the water and had a huge gash in his head. A guy came running out of the woods full Rambo attire headband and all. Poured moonshine over the cut and bandaged the guy up then ran back into the woods. Pretty creepy but probably saved that guy's life."
Over my Shoulder
"(25 Female) Was working out at a fairly busy gym with one other person in the gym at the time as it was late at night. He made a point to only work out on the equipment directly behind me, and every time I would move to another, he would move to the machine behind. It happened so many times that I started to text my boyfriend to tell him I was getting kind of creeped out by a guy at the gym and I was uncomfortable because I was alone in the building with him."
"There’s an entire wall in this gym that’s just a long mirror so you can see the entire room through this giant thing. I look up at the mirror as I’m texting my boyfriend and this man was standing behind me and reading my text over my shoulder from behind the machine. Instead of freaking out and making the situation more dangerous for myself, I stood up and got off the machine and put my phone in my pocket, and briskly walked to the front door without even turning around."
"I walked out and got in my car safely but by this point, I was full of adrenaline and fear. Luckily he didn’t follow. I don’t know why he would have done that, or what his intentions were but I noped the f**k out of there. Reported it to my gym the next day and was told they would investigate and handle it. Never saw him again, thank God."
UndiagnosedOtter
Chilled
"Random guy walks into the restaurant I was working at before. He asked for a crazy coworker (we didn't interact at all) if she was working or if I can give her the schedule. I declined both because it was information he didn't need to know. Told another coworker at the time, and she told me the same guy would sit at a corner table and watch her work."
"At that point, I told her that he was banned and to let a crazy coworker tell him he was banned and can't come back. I also informed the cooks to have the cooks make sure she left safely. This only happened because he happened to give me a creepy chill down my spine when he walked in and asked the question."
lazyfoo_3
Contact Ended
"He kept looking at my feet and ankle and asked to rub my feet the first time I decided to hang out with him. Luckily when he approached me, while he was cute, I was cautious and made our first hangout a group hangout which now I am so glad about. He got creepier the second hangout (public again) and then when I decided a couple of hangouts were enough and I ended our contact, I later saw him in the news arrested for trying to break into a girl's house and trying to attack her."
AgitatedCress7062
Okay, that is too much. The foresight to do a group hang was really something.
Dogs Know
"He had no friends so to be nice one day I invited him over after school to trade some cards. The second my dog met him doggo's body language shifted to tense and alert."
"The dog wouldn't let us be in the same room without sitting between us and straight stared him down the entire time and it was the weirdest vibe. Never did that to anyone else. Creepiest dude I ever met, to be honest. While he was over he openly told me he stole a girl's wallet so he could 'find it' and ask her out. I didn't hang out with him anymore after that."
Achaern
You know nothing...
"Dude called other people NPCs (non-player characters) and couldn't understand that women have their own thoughts that don't involve trying to impress men. Like... he couldn't understand that women have hobbies because they're fun. Weird, narcissistic, and creepy. Oh yeah, he doesn't like it when he gets called creepy."
haunted-poopy
The Crazy Influencer
"He stalked me, threatened me, got me involved in a cross-country legal thing, caused me to beg for a restraining order which was finally granted, lied about me, harassed me, and showed up to my house with a gun. Why? I was his coworker at a retail store for a few months and said “no” when he wanted to date randomly. I barely knew his name at the time… he’s an 'influencer' now that he’s out of jail."
AleshiniaLivesStill
My Protector
"I had a client whose dog protected me from him. He had a creepy fake smile, and that pit bull sat on my foot, staring at him, and keeping herself between us. He laughed and said she's always protecting him, but if she was, she wouldn't have her back to me. She was keeping him away from me."
Hopefulkitty
Listen to the gut...
"I can't put a finger on why I was creeped out by him the first time we met, but a few months later he murdered two people."
"So I'm really glad I was creeped out by him the first time we met."
Ok_Whatever_Buddy
This is why I try never to leave the house.
Some people have lost their minds.
Be safe out there!