We typically pay only for the ice cream that is purchased. It may be more expensive than a traditional birthday cake but there is a thrill factor of getting the ice cream truck to come right to your front door.

It's like a never-ending rollercoaster that's driving me crazy.
Yesterday, I stumbled upon an awesome article by James Clear, and it hit me right in the feels. Daily life forms its own steady state, and habits and behavioral patterns gradually form a balance.Turns out, being productive is a lot like changing your behavior. Some days you're on fire, getting stuff done like a boss, and then the next day you're just lounging around, being as lazy as can be. It's like a constant battle between burnout and laziness. And man, that really hit home for me.
That really hit home for me. I've got this bad habit of cramming my to-do list with way too much stuff. I go all out, giving it my everything, and then the next day I'm left feeling drained and useless. It's a frustrating cycle that I can't seem to break.
Luckily, the article actually offers a solution to this problem. Instead of obsessing over your daily productivity, why not zoom out and look at the bigger picture? Think in terms of weeks or months. That way, you can ride the waves of your energy levels and plan your work accordingly. For example, you might have a day where you're a productivity machine, crushing it for a solid 6-8 hours. And then the next day, you might only manage to squeeze in a couple of hours of work. It's all about capitalizing on those high-energy days and giving yourself a breather on the low-energy ones.
Ever since I started incorporating mental breaks and downtime into my schedule, things have changed for the better. I've managed to dodge burnout and maintain a more consistent level of productivity in the long run. It might sound a little counterintuitive, but it works like a charm for me.

I (27F) work at an admin job at a law firm. I've been here for a year now and I love this job. I do the job well but, every time I make a mistake, no matter how small, I feel like it's the end of the world. It's so dramatic and I hate feeling this way. I haven't even made any big mistakes yet and I'm often told by my bosses that all mistakes are fixable but, I don't want to be the reason why cases are being held up. I also don't want to be seen as incompetent or unable to do my job and I feel like I keep making dumb mistakes in this role. I try to not repeat them moving forward and no one has said anything to me about it yet. I just hate this feeling and want it to stop. How do I just make the mistake and then move on without feeling like shit everytime 😭

Day 1: took a 15mins nap (I fell asleep on my own without consciously looking for a nap) and felt so good for the rest of the evening.

Day 2: tried to recreate the nap from day 1 but ended up sleeping for 2 hours, woke up feeling terrible and dizzy.

Day 3: forced myself to wake up with multiple alarm clocks but was still too sleepy, so ended up sleeping for another two hours, again waking up feeling terrible and dizzy.

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How do I correctly reproduce the 15mins power nap and feel fresh again? Or how do I not let my body enter a deep sleep state during a nap? Thanks!

When I was a kid, I remember encountering some adults who would kneel down to my level and talk to me face to face. I always felt recognized by them, felt a connection that lifted me. A retired elementary school teacher told me recently that she had the same experience as a kid and it taught her to get down with kids on their level as often as possible.

I’m in ED recovery and eating is already a chore, but making food for myself multiple times a day seems impossible. I’m willing to cook once maybe twice a day. What are some of your go-to, non-complicated, inexpensive healthy, yummy meals you make for yourself?

Really appreciate the help! Thank you

Edit: I super appreciate all the help! If you have links to recipes or write them down I would be so grateful :) I can’t afford meal services unfortunately. My budget for a month is $300-350

It is cool enough that you appreciate the warmth, but warm enough that you can keep the windows open to vent any smells.

One way I got over dealing with hangovers was to include a glass of plain water for every shot of liquor/mixed drink/beer I would drink a water in between. Sometimes you will even lessen drinking with this 1:1 strategy. "But I will have to pee all the time! Wah!" Yes. But the inconvenience of a few extra trips to the toilet will heavily outweigh a day-long hell fest that is a hangover. Pro tip: it doesn't have to be a full highball glass either, a lowball of h2O will do. But even introducing a small amount between drinks will reduce the main cause of a hangover which is severe dehydration. If drinking a lot I keep a glass and ask & tip the bartender to 'keep the water full.' I also quit drinking ages ago, but I saw another hangover post, and thought this might help people. Awesome to do on dates too. It shows you have some regard for yourself and also limits pounding drink after drink bc of bad nerves.

I spent most of my life in management. I hated it. I can't go back to it. So, essentially, I have experience in something I don't want to do. My college degree is Business. I currently do gig work and I'm tired of living below the poverty level. I want to go on a vacation, I want to have no debt. I want a dependable car. I want a house. I want my kids to have a chance.

I'm unsure of how to start my life over at 40 though. Why would companies want to invest in someone who only has a couple decades more to work if that?

What are some of the best tips to recover quickly from wisdom tooth removal? What not to do? Looking for life experiences and advice from people who have gone through the surgery before. Thanks!

Edit: Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your stories and advice! Going into it a bit nervous but the well wishes and advice help a lot ☺️

Before you start arguing with me in the comments, hear me out.

All my life I’ve been a chronic overthinker. Even making the simplest decisions, like what I want to eat at a restaurant, is agonizingly painful for me. Any time I think I’ve settled on the option I want, I start overthinking my decision and wonder if it’s right. It’s like an endless cycle that I can’t get out of.

This is where the random choice picker comes in. You enter in the options, spin the wheel and let it pick for you. When the result comes up, you’ll have an instant gut reaction-are you disappointed in the result, or relieved that the generator picked that option? If you’re disappointed, pick the other option, while if you’re relieved, pick that option. There. Decision made.

The reason that this works is because most of the time, when you’re making a decision, you already have a gut instinct of which option you want to choose. But you’re too scared to verbalize it in case it’s the wrong decision, so you overthink it instead of just choosing that option. However, by using the random choice picker, your reaction to the result is instant and you don’t have time to think about it. This means that you’ll instinctively feel happy if it comes up with the choice you subconsciously want it to, or disappointed if it’s anything else.

Now, as a fair warning, maybe don’t use this method for extremely important decisions. But I’ve found that in general, it works pretty well in helping me know what decision I actually wanted to make all along!

Specifically in situations where physicians or other providers are being dismissive to your concerns. How does one ‘assert themselves/advocate for self’ without being unprofessional or inappropriate?

A consideration that has been brought to my attention: ‘according to my own research’ being largely perceived as condescending to a trained medical professional.

I often see advice that boils down to 'do things that you enjoy for yourself, stop seeking validation'. so the life pro tip I need is, how?

There are a lot of things that I love doing, but if no one knows that I did it it feels like it was for nothing, even if I enjoyed it. For example I love being creative, but I don't have any motivation to create anything if I can't show it to people afterwards. Time I spent reading a book feels wasted if I can't discuss it afterwards. I just moved into a new student room, and I don't have real motivation to decorate or keep it clean unless I know someone other than me is going to see it.

How do I learn to let this go and just appreciate things for myself?

Omg it was bad enough when it was in the basement and now there’s one in my room. All night. Chirping. Please help.

I occasionally do longs runs, or go for a walk, but I feel I need more stuff to do once I have finished work and have been sat in all day.

I finish around 6pm so I can't really do stuff that may be closed. Is there anything else to do other than running and walking after work that will get me away from my home desk?

thanks!

Today I tried to give away something on Facebook, after not using the site for many years. I put the item on the marketplace for free, so I wasn't surprised to immediately get a bunch of inquiries. But weirdly, all of them asked for my phone number wanting to "send a code to make sure you're real." Something about that felt off, so I gave them my Google voice number. I couldn't put my finger on why it would specifically be bad to share my real number but felt skeeved nonetheless.

It turns out, all of those folks were scammers. Multiple times they told me that the number didn't work to send the code so send them another number. After I did a bit of research, it turns out scammers try to get your number so they can hack into your FB account or use your number to send them paypall or Venmo cash. Fuck I am so glad I listened to my gut.

Don't give out your real number to anyone you don't know personally! Google voice is very easy to set up and you can use it for calls and texts. It will create a new number not currently associated with any accounts that you can share with people that forwards to your real number, so scammers only get the GV number. Today I learned so I thought I would share.

I deal with massive anxiety of calling in sick, yesterday I got my manager in an uncomfortable situation because I went to work although I really wasn't in the condition for it.

I did call before but now I think I wasn't clear enough how severe my condition was/is.

Now it looks like I have to call tomorrow again and I am dying of anxiety but I seriously can't go to work like this. What can I do to deal with this?

Edit: Thanks to everyone for the response. I learned a lot from you. The probability is high that I build up anxiety from former harassment from calling in sick and I also realized that my current workplace is slightly toxic and I probably have to leave. Thank you to everyone. I am getting a doctors notice now and will only return if I am not contagious anymore.

I was recently fired from a relatively new job. I've not been told why, and while everyone around me tells me this was absolutely not my fault, I still feel so shitty. What did I do? How do I not do whatever it was in the future? How do I handle the question of my last job if I ever get an interview for a new one? Apparently this is my pattern where I spiral, lose hope, and then everything works out, but while I'm in the midst of the low eb, it really feels so dark and hopeless. How do I get my shit together and handle this like an adult?

Most of people tend to say I’m not humble enough in my attitudes. I’ve too much self esteem and confidence even when I should not have that much (being a newbie at something for exemple). It’s probably a reaction of a child hating himself building a confidence shield as he’s growing up. I’m not comfortable with myself and other people so when I communicate with them and I don’t know how to react/respond so I’m just being cynical or doing sarcasm all the time. Usually people do not like me because of that because it gives a bad image of someone not being kind, immature and a weirdo.

I tried to describe the situation as I could, English isn’t my native language.

I have trouble showing empathy and compassion.

I have always been an introvert kind of a guy even though I have a good social circle, but I really find it difficult to show emotions. The correct words elude me when I am emotionally challeged. For instance, when someone has lost a loved one, I really don't understand how can I make things better for them when they have lost something irreplaceable and I just stand there with silence and just say "I am sorry for your loss". My words and emotions feel so meaningless and devoid of any human emotions.

I need some suggestions and advice on how to improve this aspect of life.

Growing up, my parents were busy with work and providing for us. Now I see around me other young parents doing lovely things, like going for a camping trip or a fishing trip etc, while I never got to experience the same, I don't blame my parents for that. I am in my 20s and my parents are in their 60s, I live alone in a different continent due to my work, how can I make the most of my time enjoying and getting to know them? I have planned to take them on a trip around Europe and Asia. Any tips/advice appreciated!