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As youngsters, many of us scoffed at the idea of going to bed at a reasonable hour and being up by daybreak the following day. Such behavior is typically dismissed as something that “old-timers do.”
But as we grew older, we began seeing the logic behind such habits and how practicing them can actually add efficiency to our lives. Many shared this realization in a recent Reddit thread about “old person habits” that make the most sense.
Whether it’s doing grocery shopping before noon to beat the throngs of people or sewing as a meditative activity, you may relate with at least one of these.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I have started shutting up lol. I was advised, by an older, wiser supervisor, to talk less. I never paid attention to the fact that some people take advantage of what I just considered friendly openness, but may be considered over-sharing. Not everyone is your friend. Some people have an agenda, and are waiting for you to give them something they can use.
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#2
Spending time in a peaceful and quiet home instead of partying.
#3
Comfy pants. Comfy shoes. Life's too short for uncomfortable pants and shoes.
KittyGaming 9 months ago
Just started my girl stuff this week so I second this, comfy pants all day
#4
All weekend errands are done before noon to beat the crowds. If I can’t get there before then, I’ll wait.
Oldachrome1107:
The proper old person errand hack is doing them on a Wednesday at like 1:30 pm.
Firstname Lastname 9 months ago
This is why Tuesday is grocery day. Otherwise I'm stuck behind someone who thinks they can find a better box of crackers if they stare long enough.
#5
Closed captioning on anything I watch.
Darth_Krios:
I can't hear without my subtitles!
Lyone Fein 9 months ago
Even with good hearing there’s a lot of scripted stuff that is easily missed, mumbled, spoken at the same time that someone else is talking, etc.
#6
Pill organiser. SO convenient.
Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
I got to the point where I kept forgetting if I had taken my meds, bought an organizer recently, so much better.
#7
I get to the airport plenty early for flights and don’t care about waiting around if the lines are short. I’m 27. I’ve had enough close calls for one life.
#8
Going out with my husband for lunch instead of dinner. No overly stuffed belly before bed, can get in your pjs and relax at night and talk about the lovely lunch, and you can enjoy the views or gardens at the pub or restaurant.
#10
Gardening….
And as my grandfather said, learn to age gracefully and accept the changes as they come.
LizardPossum:
It's wild how gardening just snuck up on me. I got a couple of herbs, then a Venus flytrap - just a couple. And it exploded from there. Now I have a whole "tea garden" full of herbs I make tea with plus a bunch of veggies and cool, weird plants that just look cool.
#12
Sewing / crocheting it’s literally meditation 🧘♀️.
#13
Ignore the clock, eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired.
TruthoftheHeart 9 months ago
Yes, remember life is a journey not a race! Perfect is impossible so just focus on happy instead.
#14
Granny trolly. Life saver.
batteryforlife:
Seconded. Looks stupid, friggin lifesafer for the big weekly shop with no car.
Auntriarch 9 months ago
Absolutely! Mr Auntriarch bought me one when I briefly hurt my shoulder, but I am still using it. Oh and it doesn't have to be tartan, mines got flamingos on it.
#15
Sitting in the shade and enjoying the breeze when I am by the water. You are hidden in plain sight and you see and hear a lot.
#16
Grunting when I stand up. Actually, I didn't adopt it, it adopted me!
#17
Not caring about my looks/body image! I still struggle with that, especially the culture we live in, but since I hit 50 I just care so much less! I'm definitely not going to judge my worth by what someone else thinks. Especially when they're trying to sell something!
Lost Panda 9 months ago
My wife says that people think that I don't get fed and it looks bad on her... I'm just like... I've been skinny my whole life... why are you worried about what others think? XD
#18
Earplugs at concerts and movie theaters, thank me in a few decades.
Jack and Coke 9 months ago
I have constant tinnitus because I was young and foolish and stood in front of the speakers at concerts back in the 80's. Wish someone had told me to use earplugs.
#19
Keeping a running grocery and to do list. "Writing it down later" is a young man's thing.
#20
Going to eat at a nice place at reasonable non busy hour of 4:30.
Hell'n Damnation 9 months ago
Meet friends for dinner at 5.30, home wearing flannel PJ's by 7.
#21
Taking my shoes off at the door and stepping straight into my slippers.
#22
Drive slower than usual in parking lots - it can save a life or prevent a serious injury.
#23
Hold the railing when walking up or down stairs.
Laura Lawson 9 months ago
Big nope from me! Public handrails anyway. I work in a medical field & frankly, many people are disgusting. They will cough or sneeze (or worse) into their hands & then just slide that gross hand along the handrail. I don't touch public door handles either & only use my knuckles on touch screens.
#25
Taking naps. Never felt better. No wonder my grandparents have lived so long.
FlamingoPanda 9 months ago
20 minutes turns into 2 hours for me and I wake up wondering when and where I am. Usually I lay directly on the floor with maybe a pillow under my head and just rest for 15 minutes instead if I am really tired and in need of a nap.
#26
Resting my eyes!
My grandma used to just sit there with her eyes closed and I’d always ask if she was asleep. But I get it now, sometimes they just need a little break.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
I used to be really paranoid about closing my eyes in public, but last weekend I was at a music festival, the sun was right in my eyes and I was feeling really overstimulated so I just sat with my eyes closed for a while. It was actually exactly what I needed.
#27
You know those "grabber" things that they market to "old people" so they can reach stuff up on h**h shelves? Those are really handy at any age, I've got a couple around the house. They're really useful when the dog rolls his favorite ball under the bed and sits there whining at you to get it for him.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
My family are all short, we've always had a grabber in the house, sometimes more. You realise just how important the first time you almost fall off the kitchen bench!
#28
Shower chair. Should not have been so old people marketed.
Featherytoad 9 months ago
I don't physically need one anymore, but it's nice to just sit and wash my hair. They are also a must if you only have a shower stall and you need to shave your legs.
#29
Paper printouts on my vacation itinerary. As someone with a common name it helps if I have the confirmation number handy. Having a piece of paper with the information for my flight/hotel/rental car means I don't need my phone.
Igor914624 9 months ago
I always print things like hotel reservations or boarding passes. Having them printed on paper saved us one time. The gate attendant couldn't find us on the passenger list, but we had boarding passes that said we were on the flight, so we got on and didn't miss the cruise ship leaving our destination.
#30
Showing up to vote.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
Everyone should be doing this anyway. At least then when it doesn't go your way, you did your part. Maybe it's because it's compulsory where I live but I can't believe people don't make the effort to think about the world/country they want to live in.
#31
Changing straight into pajamas the second I’m home. You won’t catch me hanging out in the house in my street clothes. I’m either n***d or in my jammies.
#32
Not everything needs to be rushed. I’ll get there when I get there.
Also, be yourself and don’t worry so much about what others think.
Child of the Stars 9 months ago
The first is fine--unless you're meeting someone. My ex-FIL refuses to make even an ETA for what time they'll be there when they come visit. He doesn't seem to understand that his son and I both work full-time, have chores and errands to do, and are co-parenting our school-aged children (who are in two different schools with two different schedules). We need to know what time to be home to greet them!
#33
Pay attention when walking down stairs.
SmooshyFries 9 months ago
I used to be an optician and always always told my patients when they picked up their first pair of any type of bifocal to TUCK IN YOUR CHIN WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE STAIRS! Be sure to look thru the mid range part of the lens or distance part otherwise you WILL fall!
#34
I won’t buy any clothing that doesn’t have a little bit of stretch. I accidentally bought a denim jacket without, and had to get rid of it because it made me feel claustrophobic. I wonder how I ever tolerated all the 'cute but uncomfortable' outfits I used to wear.
#35
Lap blankets. I got a heated blanket last year for Christmas (for myself), and it's amazing. I don't have to switch out the blankets by which one is warmer, I can just set the blanket to whatever heat level is right and I'll be toasty.
Auntriarch 9 months ago
I've got a crochet blankie, there's that point when it's not really cold enough to put the heating on, but it's not really warm enough to sit still, that's where the blankie comes in
#36
Slippers and a blanket for watching TV with my partner.
Why bother heating the entire room when you can both snuggle under a blanket with the dog?
#37
Early bed time/Early rising.
FortuneTellingB**bs:
This! I think I just am old, because one day I went to bed at 9pm and it just stuck. It's the greatest.
the_owl_syndicate:
It dawned on me the other day, I LIKE to sleep, so why am I fighting going to bed? Went to bed early, slept through the night, felt so relaxed and calm the next day.
#38
So this may just have been my personal perception, but I always associated recliner chairs with the aged.
When I was couch shopping with my husband we tested one in a jokey “let’s see our future” kind of thing and OMG I’ve never known comfort like it. We’ve been recliner people ever since. We have an electric twin seater with drink holders and a compartment storage for remotes etc. I love it!
#40
I got into knitting last year, and now I'm like, ok I get the appeal now. I recently started trying crochet, too.
#41
Sitting on my porch is rather nice.
#42
Before standing up, repeat keywords for things you aim to accomplish. ‘Laundry’, ‘Window’, ‘Computer’. After you close the window, repeat ‘Laundry’ and ‘Computer’. It short-circuits that feeling of arriving in a room inexplicably.
#43
A place for everything and everything in its place. If I bring in something new, something older goes. Makes you think before buying and clutter way down.
Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
Here's my best old person advice: Never let perfect be the enemy of good.
#44
A box of tissues in every room.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago (edited)
Do young people not do this? I must be even older than I thought.
#45
Moving carefully. Arthritis struck me before I hit my 40s and I very quickly learned that moving very carefully keeps the pain down a bit.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
Also aqua aerobics (or other low impact exercise). When I was trying to get into exercising more regularly to help my fibromyalgia, the first thing I did was join a group of people with arthritis who did exercises in the pool weekly. After building up to it, I now do an aqua aerobics class between one and three times a week.
#46
Heated seats in the car. Soothing to the sore back, and warming to the chilly a*s.
#47
Avoiding social media like facebook, IG, twitter.
i use reddit, but it feels different here. reddit feels like i'm with my people.
all the other social media feels like insane people just screaming at each other.
keyboardtek 9 months ago
I recently joined Facebook just to connect with music related groups. I made a comment in a piano tuner group asking for a repair advice. I was shocked that someone on a non political piano tuner group would then respond with a snarky insult! Is there some kind of virus causing mass mental disorders?
#49
Carrying a plastic bag full of other plastic bags. You never know when you’ll need one, and somehow, it just feels like the responsible thing to do.
Rose the Cook 9 months ago (edited)
Reusable cloth bags that screw up to the size of a ping pong ball are a better alternative.
#50
Walking after meals. Even if it’s a block it still helps with not only digestion but weight loss.
#52
I always carry a clean handkerchief in my pocket.
#53
Getting a pair of those ugly a*s white new balances. They’re SO comfy.
#54
Not buying Starbucks lol. Just make coffee as home.
TruthoftheHeart 9 months ago
Fun fact for anyone who just likes the taste of some of the syrup Starbucks has they will sell it by the bottle if you go ask at the store!! Used to work there and I found that out!
#55
Wearing socks to bed in winter turns out warm feet, making it way easier to fall asleep.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
I've never been able to wear socks to bed. Even when my feet are freezing, I end up kicking them off an hour later because they are too hot. I'm more likely to sleep with my feet outside of the blanket. In summer I often have to sleep with a cold pack on my feet because I can't sleep when my feet are hot. In my family, that is very weird.
#56
Lower the volume when I’m parallel parking.
#57
Birdwatching. All the time and wherever I’m at, too.
Bi.Felicia 9 months ago (edited)
I've become a birdwatcher lately. Mainly thanks to an app created by Cornell University, called Merlin and it's free. I just got my first pair of decent quality binoculars and I'm hoping to get to use them a couple days this week. I briefly tried them out around my house and I can't wait to see some amazing birds.
#58
Moderate breakfast, moderate lunch (avoid food comas) and light dinner for better sleep.
keyboardtek 9 months ago
Better yet to control blood sugar swings it to eat six small snacks a day.
#59
Keep my insurance and registration in a wallet in the glove box of the car. I feel so grown up.
#60
Staying at the airport hotel before or after a poorly timed flight (if I can afford it). Better sleep is a genius move.
Shaggy 9 months ago
When it was a thing my bosses would generally stay at the airport and simply commute from there. It is Brilliant actually. Lots of parking, open bars/restaurants basically 24/7 and you can hang in whatever lounge accepts your cc points. Plus you are not rushed before flights.
#63
Getting out of bed properly lol. Roll onto your side and push yourself up that way. Your back will thank you.
Hell'n Damnation 9 months ago
Also make sure that both feet are out from the sheets and blankets. Otherwise you might fall and break a hip.
#64
We do not buy it if we do not have a coupon. Also, we have McDonald's at home.
BookFanatic 9 months ago
I never thought most of my adult years would just be me having the "we have food at home" talk with myself.
#65
Complaining about young people.
Featherytoad 9 months ago
I never really understood what "Youth is wasted on the young." meant when I was young. I do now.
#66
Collecting cats.
BookFanatic 9 months ago
Snafu and Fubar (exceptional felines of distinguished taste) would like to point out that cats, in fact, collect humans. Not the other way around. Lol
#67
I’ve been eating dinner earlier. Gotta give food a chance to properly digest before bed.
#68
Driving exactly (or 5mph under) the speed limit and generally being a very safe and cautious driver.
I adopted this habit when I was driving for a living almost twenty years ago since my income at the time depended on a clean driving record, and it stuck. Almost everyone who rides with me complains that I'm a grandma driver. Jokes on them, I have k****r low insurance rates, never get tickets and haven't had an accident (knock on wood) in decades.
Y'know how much you have to speed and how far you have to be going for it to actually save you significant time? People are just out there risking their own lives and everyone's around them for all of 3 minutes. So dumb!
Ace 9 months ago
Do you have any idea just how many people you annoy by doing that? Or is it just that you don't care? Oh, and did you realise that your speedo already over-reads by design? So your indicated 35 in a 40 is more like a real 32, meaning anyone wanting to drive at the speed limit is being significantly slowed down and getting p'd off at you. I'm all for safe driving, but courteous driving means being considerate to other road users and is equally important.
#69
Stretch before you get out of bed.
keyboardtek 9 months ago
Safer to move slowly at first to warm the tissue before doing any stretches. Cold stretching tears tissue.
#70
Wearing those straps on your glasses so you can wear your reading glasses around your neck when not using them.
#71
An older lady recommended flipping the garbage bags inside out so the seam is on the inside and your garbage bags won’t rip open as often. I still put my garbage in like this years later.
keyboardtek 9 months ago
Whether the seam is facing inside or outside would have nothing to do with the strength of the seam.
#72
Two meals a day. Breakfast at a civilised time (not 6am) and dinner early. Allows time for light evening snacks and a sensible bedtime to read for an hour or so. 3 full meals is actually too much most of the time.
#73
Using shower caps to keep my hair dry when I’m showering.
What do you think ?
Joe Publique 8 months ago
What? Most of these have nothing to do with a person's age. You should rename the list: 'Sensible people habits that foolish people adopted'.
Joe Publique 8 months ago
What? Most of these have nothing to do with a person's age. You should rename the list: 'Sensible people habits that foolish people adopted'.
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