What's one small change you made that had a big impact?

ATBclean

Hi all,

Just curious — has anyone here made a small lifestyle change that surprisingly had a big impact on your day-to-day life?

Could be anything — cutting something out, adding a habit, changing a routine, etc. For me, it was just putting my phone in another room at night. Simple, but it totally improved my sleep and mornings.

Would love to hear other ideas — always looking to improve the small stuff that adds up.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058419800/whats-one-small-change-you-made-that-had-a-big-impact

I got some crappy eco cleaners in and discovered I could do it better myself for free.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058419800/whats-one-small-change-you-made-that-had-a-big-impact

Deadly change but did you not consider turning the phone off ?

By the way this is posted in the wrong place.

This place is for feedback and help with site issues.

Contact a mod and they'll sort it out for you.

taxAHcruel

I got into quite a few things through tiny changes. Like long distance running I started one day by going for a run for a single minute. The next day I did 2 minutes. The next day 3. And so on. After 3 months I'm "suddenly" a long distance runner and never looked back.

Quite a few things in my life today started out like that. Turning over 30-60 seconds of my day to it one day and then incrementing up from there.

Ubbquittious

Started buying shares instead of watching my money wither away in Credit union

ottolwinner

I swapped out butter for olive oil on bread. Ate less bread and especially toast then. Lost 5kgs in 6 weeks.

sock.rocker*

None of these are a big impact, but it's just a random list of things I do or try to do.

Overnight oats and homemade coffee.

Not about any health impacts. It's just a nice way to start the day, and it lets me get up way later. I used to eat and have coffee on the way to work. Sit down on the couch, eat oats while coffee brews, drink coffee, shower, leave.

Steam Deck.

This has gotten me off social media a lot and I consider gaming to be one of the healthiest hobbies anyway. I spend a lot of time on a new website project, and being able to lie back and relax with it is more appealing that looking at a computer monitor or TV.

The 2 things rule.

If you're having a tough time keeping the place clean or tidy, just bring two things, or do two things. So if you are going to the kitchen, bring two glasses or whatever to the sink. If you are in the kitchen, wash two dishes. This helped me a few years ago break out of a bad phase I was in.

Setting the time completely wrong on my motorbike / scooter.

I commute by scooter. Not knowing the time removes a lot of stress from the drive. I'd rather be late and drive at a comfortably pace.

Naps.

I come home every lunch and most days, I have a nap. They're great.

Remove friction.

I bought a cheap secondhand laser printer because printing was becoming an annoying part of my day. I think actively identifying friction and just removing it is something worth doing.

Massive meals.

Every time I cook, I make enough for say 3-6 meals.

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy.

Amazing rice cookers. A cheap one does the job, but a great one is worth it if you eat a lot of rice. You are spending some money to have better meals every time. And rice stays warm in it for a day.

Skip the non-stick.

I swear an entire generation or two became convinced that food sticking is bad. Food sticking is the goal, unless it's fish or a fried egg.

AltTab.

A little Mac program that turns OSX from a steaming pile of frustrating garbage into something useable.

Rock climbing.

This is more of a big change, but frequent outdoor weekend trips has been the biggest positive impact on my life in the last couple of years. I think in the last year, I was away around 20 weekends.

Bum guns.

Standard where I live. Should be standard everywhere.

Mister Vain

Colonic hydrotherapy. I never realised how full of sh1t I was.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652903#Comment_123652903

TMI 🙂

thomil

Better suited for the Etiquette thread, that's for sure 😉

10000maniacs

After I got my computer degree, while looking for a job (it was the late 80's so sweet FA jobs in Ireland), I did a FAS computer course. I learnt more about computers in that FAS course in 6 months than I did in 4 years of college.

Not sure if FAS is still there but if not, it should be.

ottolwinner

started going to bed a half hour earlier. Sometimes it works. As you can see sometimes it’s doesn’t.

ThePentagon

Every evening, after my dinner, I sit down for a 3 or 4 minutes and plan my next day. Just a simple checklist on the ColorNote app on my phone, listing what I will do and at what time I will do it. I adopted this habit about five or six years ago and my life immediately became more focused and purposeful.

The beauty of this habit is that it's a bit of a "meta habit" — if I want to adopt another positive habit that I would otherwise ignore or forget (e.g. meditating, taking my Benecol, doing a language lesson on duolingo, etc. etc.) all I have to do is add that action to my checklist for the next day and it will get done. It works beautifully.

littlefeet

The old-fashioned version: write eveything down and there is great psychological satisfaction in ticking the task off when it's done no app can do that for you.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652333#Comment_123652333

Christ on a bike, how much bread were you eating???

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123655867#Comment_123655867

Two bakeries closed down 😀

ottolwinner

i should have added I cut out chocolate and biscuits also. Wasn’t eating them at any mad consumption rate but enough to make a difference dropping them. Bread was two slices breakfast sandwich at lunch then maybe two as a snack late toasted. That considered a lot?

zweton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123648773#Comment_123648773

Could you point a beginner like myself on where to start?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123664648#Comment_123664648

6 slices of bread a day? Yes that's considered a lot. Thats about 400 calories, or just under one sixth of what you need a day.

tayto lover

I took a course in Speed Sleeping. Now I get 8 hours sleep in 1 and a half hours.

I also bought a wet lawn mower because of the bad weather. I can cut the grass whenever I want now although I might have to turn the hose on it before I cut it if the weather is too dry.

silliussoddius

A wet lawn mower, there is such a thing?

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123697129#Comment_123697129

Open trade republic account. Start with some low risk dividend stocks, unlikely to go too far wrong with those. Maybe some bank shares, insurance companies, utility, berkshire hathaway. Unsexy and boring as feck but they pay good dividends and arent that volatile.

Then start branching out into tech stocks and small-caps in USA, huge growth there to be had if you back the right horse.

Hontou

I started to say 'no' to people who were always dumping their children on me for sleepovers or babysitting. Because I have many children myself and am a teacher, relatives and friends saw my house as a type of crèche, especially during the holidays. I found (too late in life) that saying 'no' made people show me more respect.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123697423#Comment_123697423

Learning to say No is a life skill one learns through life.

BraveDonut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123697162#Comment_123697162

Go on - I'll bite. What's speed sleeping?
Is it like putting instant coffee in the microwave and going back in time?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123697436#Comment_123697436

" 'No' is a full sentence" is something my better half is probably heartily sick of me saying.

Strumms

not putting myself out for people. Pointed out to me earlier today that it wasn’t a good look that I hadn’t been to see my elderly aunt since she’s gone into a nursing home a few weeks back…

I politely pointed out that this woman’s own offspring ( with one exception who we are close to and make regular mutual social efforts with ) don’t make the slightest effort with anyone this side of the family and one of her daughters I don’t think anyone has seen since before the pandemic….despite them living only about 12 kilometres away..

sbs2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707481#Comment_123707481

Not sure what that's got to do with visiting your aunt.

Go to see her (or not) based on your relationship with her. Not coz her children like your family or not.

sbs2010

My change is mentioned above too - go to bed a bit earlier. It can make all the difference the next morning

nachouser

Don't reply to threads started by bots.

banie01

I adjusted my thinking a little after a loss that left me bereft and learned that it's better to be grateful for the time you share, for memories and created moments with loved ones, than it is to be angry at the future that losing them robbed you of.

Grief can make you angry, selfish, lonely and resentful.
Switching my thinking on just how I approached loss made me a far happier person and led to some big improvements in how I deal with others.