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“What Improved Your Quality Of Life So Much, You Wish You Did It Sooner?” (50 Answers)
Interview
Improving yourself to lead a genuinely more purposeful, healthier, and happier life isn’t a sprint—it's a marathon. The smallest things you do every single day and the tiniest habits you have compound very quickly over time. The question is if you want to overhaul everything about yourself, where exactly do you start? Well, the internet is full of clever suggestions.
Inspired by user u/CookieNegative9860, the members of the AskReddit community revealed the things that they’ve done that have massively improved their quality of life. Scroll down to read their recommendations, and don’t forget to take notes—you might just read something that you didn’t know you needed.
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of the viral thread, u/CookieNegative9860. They were kind enough to share their thoughts on improving our lives, including how the tiniest changes can snowball into perceptible improvements. You'll find our full interview with them as you read on.
This post may include affiliate links.
In our personal experience, the biggest non-negotiable areas that you should prioritize in terms of your time, energy, and money are:
- Spending time with your loved ones and focusing on positive relationships;
- Getting lots of movement and finding fun ways to exercise so you don’t live a sedentary life;
- Eating a healthy and nutritious diet while avoiding ultra-processed foods so you live longer and have more energy to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way;
- Becoming financially literate, earning more than you spend, having a healthy budget, and saving and/or investing a portion of your income for the sake of your and your family’s future;
- Doing purposeful, meaningful things at your job, in your hobbies, and while volunteering.
RELATED:
#2
Quitting drinking.
Lost 50 lbs. Skin cleared up, and I look younger. It's probably because my body is functioning as it should. Eating healthier also has helped. I'm 33
I will have a year sober on May 14.
I'm still figuring out how to make new new friends whose lives don't revolve around drinking. It's lonely, but it's still better than the utter despair of alcoholism.
#3
Escaping the Jehovah's Witnesses Cult!
keyboardtek 1 week ago
Using my brain, logical thinking and science helped me escape the Catholic religion nonsense.
It’s very important to look at what you eat, as well as what food items you avoid. The BBC warns that based on a recent study done in eight countries and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, people who eat lots of ultra-processed foods (also known as UPFs) may be at greater risk of passing away early.
Lead study author Dr. Eduardo Nilson said that UPFs affected people’s health “because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavors and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids.”
#4
Quit smoking (Edit: it’s been 10y now and most upvotes I ever got for anything, thank you very much).
Bi.Felicia 1 week ago
I'm currently trying to quit smoking for the first time, and I'm about 3 weeks into it. I'm turning 40 and I realized that I've been a smoker longer than I haven't been, it honestly made me feel kinda gross. I've cut back significantly but I'm hoping to be completely smoke free within the next couple of weeks or so.
#5
Understanding that working with someone smarter than you is a privilege and an opportunity to learn and hone your own skills, not a threat.
#6
In my early twenties I learned it was okay to say "I don't know" instead of pretending I knew what someone was talking about. People are excited to share what they know. It's such a simple thing that led to a lot of professional and social growth for me.
Petra Peitsch 1 week ago
It's a sign of maturity accepting you don't know something, even in your professional field.
The BBC adds that “UPFs tend to contain more than five ingredients, which are not usually found in home cooking, such as additives, sweeteners, and chemicals to improve the food's texture or appearance. Some experts say it's not known why UPFs are linked to poor health—there is little evidence it's down to the processing itself and could be because these foods contain high levels of fat, salt, and sugar.”
#7
When my kid comes home from school, putting my phone in a drawer and not touching it again until he is asleep in bed.
DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago
I like this, interact with your kids! A lot of kids here are developing American accents due to constantly interacting with US media and not interacting with their parents and siblings to develop our local accent. People said it's watching too much TV but we didn't develop it and we watched a lot of TV. I think a speak therapist said recently it's because parents aren't speaking and interacting with the kids enough for them to develop the local accent.
#8
Getting diagnosed and medicated.
Sometimes you can't just bootstrap yourself into a happy, productive person.
keyboardtek 1 week ago
Republicans are always telling people they have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but do not want to provide those of us without bootstraps any help at all to get started. Now that they are destroying the education system and attacking colleges, those at the bottom of society will have no option but to resort to crime.
#9
Buying a dishwasher...
Idk a single person who enjoys doing dishes, but I had no clue just how much I would enjoy having one. Takes ~ 5 minutes of my time to load the thing, and it does the dishes for me, while I watch TV/game lol.
The NOVA classification of ultra-processed food includes things such as:
- cakes, pastries, and biscuits;
- crisps;
- supermarket bread;
- sausages, burgers, and hot dogs;
- instant soups, noodles, and desserts;
- chicken nuggets;
- fish fingers;
- fruit yogurts and fruit drinks;
- margarines and spreads;
- baby formula.
#10
I didn’t delete my accounts but I removed social media apps from my phone and I started to ignore most political “news”. I’m so much happier and productive.
#11
Quitting that toxic job.
#12
Stopped putting so much weight on what other people thought.
Petra Peitsch 1 week ago
IDGF about it. Although, it takes some years/decades to reach this level.
The author of the thread said that taking an incremental approach to changing your life, when you're unsure of what to do, is probably best.
"Please just take one small step. It probably looks insignificant, but just take one small step toward improving your life. You'd be surprised how one tiny step, one tiny action, can snowball into bigger changes," u/ CookieNegative9860 told Bored Panda.
"It's the momentum that counts, this little shift in your life can lead to miles of progress you never thought was possible."
#13
Moving out of my hometown. I never felt like where I was from was home. Was never comfortable. Kept hitting hurdles trying to come up and be better. But once I left my entire life trajectory changed for the better.
Katiekat 1 week ago
Coming from the Deep South and being as blue as blue could be, from childhood on... knew from about age 10 I was getting out of my hometown, the state, and the South in general. Spent 20 years in Los Angeles, and loved living in a blue bubble. I'm back home now, retired, but life is better... and I feel like the South needs my very different outlook and beliefs. There are blue people here... we just keep it low-key.
#14
Divorce. My ex was such a drain on my life. I had GI issues, skin issues, anxiety, depression. It didn't change overnight (well, except for the GI issues) but has steadily improved since I left him. I was over functioning, taking care of him before myself, and even had a cancer scare + emergency surgery which was the wakeup call I needed to get out.
He cheated repeatedly, belittled me, was controlling. Loving myself enough to leave has made every second of my life more worth living.
#15
Learning how to cook like a chef. Went to a community college culinary program, and it was hands down the most useful investment of my time. I won't work in restaurants, not my cup of tea, but being able to think and cook like a chef has been a very net positive skill.
The author said that they're very happy about the attention that their question got online. "I'm really grateful how many people took the time to share their experiences, giving thoughtful advice to strangers on the internet, it shows how much we can learn from one another when we speak honestly," they said.
They also opened up about the inspiration behind their thread. "Honestly, that day I was just bored, reflecting on couple of things I regretted doing in the past and a few decisions I was proud of, that got me wondering what others might say if I asked this question, so I decided to post it."
We asked u/ CookieNegative9860 about their thoughts as to why the question was so relatable to so many people online. "I think the reason why it resonated so widely with internet users is because, at a fundamental level, we are all not that different from each other. Most of us have made mistakes that we regret and done some things that turned our lives around for the better," they said.
#16
Antidepressants. Thought I was just lazy and perpetually exhausted 24/7. Stopped listening to people in my circle who said “it was normal given my circumstances” to feel this way and spoke to my doctor.
Wish I would’ve done this a decade ago, I feel so much better now.
Huddo's sister 1 week ago
I was diagnose with depression and anxiety about 6 months after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. While the antidepressant I started then did help my depression, it was switching to one that helped with sleep and fibromyalgia pain as well that made the most difference. Going of the original was awful though (apparently common with Effexor).
#17
Transitioning, becoming a girl saved my life.
keyboardtek 1 week ago
Being a straight male was confusing and stressful enough as a teen learning how the whole sexual relationship thing worked. I cannot imagine the emotional strife someone who mentally identifies as the opposite s*x goes through.
#18
1: HRT …I’m 65+ yo and started back in March. I haven’t felt this good in years.
2: Kicking those 2 bully siblings out of my life… shoulda done it back in 1993. …hey, it’s never too late to protect your peace ☮️.
"I believe there is something very human and fulfilling about helping others, even if it's just by sharing a small piece of advice, and I believe that thread became a space where people were open, kind, and generous, helping others and that is what made it so powerful."
They said that they "absolutely did not expect" the thread to get so much attention. "I made the post, and a couple hours later, it had thousands of comments, I ended up spending hours reading them, and even taking notes in my notebook, I truly appreciate everyone who took the time to share their insight, and experiences about what improved their life."
#19
Adopting a kitten!
#20
Paying attention to my diet and eating healthy, working out regularly, stretching. My physical and mental health has improved drastically, I didn't even know how crappy I felt at the time and it's only in hindsight I can see how awful my gorging and sloth made me feel.
keyboardtek 1 week ago
I started lap swimming three days a week when I was young. But when I started swimming daily, my overall sense of well being improved considerably. Now in retirement, daily swimming is my major source of arthritis pain relief.
What one piece of advice would you give a complete stranger who is hoping to greatly improve the quality of their life, dear Pandas? What are some small healthy habits that you wish you had started doing much earlier in life? What do you do to live life to the fullest every day? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. You can share yours in the comments at the very bottom of the post.
#22
I am a software developer, so I spend over 8 hours a day looking at a screen.
I started having severe "tiredness/depression" and this lasted a couple of years. No matter how much sleep I got, it didn't help. I became irritable, and eventually started having headaches. I thought it was sinus headaches because it felt similar. Then I had severe migraines. I went to the doctor and everything came back normal.
Eventually I found out that it could be eye strain. I started resting my eyes every 30 minutes, focusing on something around 20 feet away. If I am using my phone, I use it a reasonable distance away. A few days later all of my symptoms disappeared.
Ace 1 week ago
Surprised it took you so long - this has been known about for years, decades even. I recall at least as long ago as the late 1980s that it was common advice to get up from your computer, walk around, look out of the window, take a five minute break every hour or so. Not just for eye strain, but that was always a large part of the reasoning.
#23
I stopped being scared of failing at my hobbies or finding the learning process too difficult. I just say “f**k it” and jump in. It’s art at the end of the day so however it turns out is however turns out. I dreamed for years of experimenting with making music, but was always intimidated by expensive setups and a tedious learning process. About a year ago I slowly started teaching myself modular synthesis, and when I’m creating I feel so free and happy.
#24
Being intentional about where my mind is going and whether it's constructive or not.
Kat Alison 1 week ago
This should be higher. In the past, my self-talk has been my worst enemy. I learned better, but I feel it pays to stay vigilant.
#25
Deleted TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. No more comparison and FOMO. 10/10 recommend.
#26
Blackout curtains.
#27
Getting on ADHD meds. It's made me able to focus and get things done so much easier! It's calmed most of my racing thoughts (most because anxiety is *yay*) it's just overall made my quality of life go up.
Huddo's sister 1 week ago
My mum was finally diagnosed at 60, but none of us think the meds she has been put on work for her, in fact symptoms seem worse but she won't ask psych to try new ones for some reason. The same psych put my sister, who had been diagnosed for 15 years, on the same meds and didn't want to take her off even though they didn't work. She found a new psych and she put her on the same meds she had been taking for years before that successfully.
#28
Breaking up with my ex…I wish I did it back in 2023..
StrangeOne 1 week ago
The initial part is hard and scary. Afterwards it's like all that weight has lifted off of you. All that dirt has been cleaned off. You have all the freedom to do what you want, when you want. You're just the happiest you have been in a years.
#29
Drinking water, washing my face everyday, flossing everyday, and not starving myself.
Peter Bear 1 week ago
Hi! This comment is meant to bury a tasteless, rude, and downright heartless comment from someone else. I hope that everyone who reads this comment has a wonderful day!
#30
Laser eye surgery. I had -7.5 and -7.25 vision and couldn't even read my phone screen at more then 3 inches. Now, I can wake up and see what time it is on the alarm clock. The catalyst for me was when I put my glasses down on the bathroom counter and couldn't find them. I was looking, 2 inches from the countertop, and just couldn't find them. This was a few weeks after I knocked them off my nightstand and under my bed.
Huddo's sister 1 week ago
I was warned by my doctor not to get it (other than the necessary ones to stop an optic nerve pit from sending me blind) as it can fail and it is more likely that you will need reading glasses later in life.
#31
Volunteering - meet people with the same interests and values as you, be in the community making it better, feel good about yourself, learn new skills for free. Honestly, there is no downside. Everyone should do it - especially if you're bored, lonely or having any sort of existential dread.
#32
It sounds cliche, but diet and exercise. Doesn’t have to even be extreme. Just eat more fruits and vegetables and try to do something active every day.
#33
Got into mushroom cultivation, these oysters and champignons really make me a lot happier about life in general.
#35
Starting a band. Completely changed my life in all the best ways, not least of which is giving me a group of friends that I know I will see once a week at minimum.
keyboardtek 1 week ago
I was in bands from age 16 to 26. Both the best (source of all my friends) and worst (mostly broke) years of my life.
#36
Dang everybody here talking diets sleep and health meanwhile I was about to say youtube to mp3 😭 I'm not taking it back tho.
Patrick van den Houten 1 week ago
Same here. all my music on a SD card in my computer or car stereo.
#37
Buying a single family home. Love not sharing walls with neighbors.
DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago
All I want is like an acre...could be a tiny house...just no close neighbors to play loud music or make any noises etc. Let me be me in peace.
#38
Replacing my Amazon Basics office chair with something that actually offers lumbar support.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 1 week ago (edited)
A comfortable mattress and chair makes a huge difference!
#39
Ok 3 big things for me.
1. Stopped alcohol completely
2. Began running 5k and trail running
3. Got rid of fake/ toxic people and people who were only my friends only when they needed me for something
Took about 3 years and I’m on such a better path…..
It takes work and discipline but in the long term it has helped.
#40
A house with nice sunlight and windows.
DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago
Always use natural light when you can. I barely use any lights during the day in the house.
#41
Not drinking alcohol.
Stopped at 44, should have stopped at 24...
DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago
Really glad I never developed the habit when I was younger. Didn't like the taste or being woozy.
#42
Taking vitamin D everyday. Literally changed my life.
Huddo's sister 1 week ago
I haven't noticed a change personally, but it made my blood test results better. Not sure if I need a higher dose now (getting tests next week) but I am so exhausted and worried vit D, iron, folate and vit B are all lower now I'm coeliac.
#43
Quitting pot, i realized it made me be okay with being mediocre and not taking much action, it’s a dopamine game throughout, trying to chase one high after the other.
not only that, i realized the effect it had on my mood, energy levels and sleep, ive noticed a day and night difference after i stopped using. the “cons” may seem small but thats the f****d up part, because they’re so small you don’t think of them much, but overtime in the long run it builds up to some hefty damage without you realizing. i’m still someone who smokes occasionally but making it an everyday habit is a no go for me at this point.
#44
Decentralizing men.
Katiekat 1 week ago
YES to this, and I speak as a 50+ woman who was married twice for 25 years, and knew from single digits that I very much wanted to be married. Left the first guy, happy the second time for 17 years, widowed 2016. These days, yeah, I've begun to want companionship, but he has to live in my city and state, and HAVE HIS OWN HOUSE. That right there makes for an even playing field. I get out of cooking and cleaning, and any introvert like me would be the right man for me on hearing that and being relieved. I want a loving, close, monogamous relationship, but we also have our own lives and our own space. We're not in each other's pocket. Just focusing more on myself, family, friends, community has been a game-changer.
#45
Walking every day. better sleep, better mood, more energy even when I'm working long hours and nights.
StrangeOne 1 week ago (edited)
This is great for if you have a very sedentary job, or have a disability that makes it harder to get around. It's not punishing yourself or making yourself more in pain. It's strengthening the your muscles so you don't become in worse shape later.
#47
Exercise. I thought it was vain to exercise all the time. Now i get cranky/depressed if i dont. I hate fitting it in to my day, but i always feel better once ive done it. It gives me energy, i get outside (for the most part), and it keeps my body in way better shape than sitting on the couch ever did. I also now look at it through the lens of how ill feel and move when im 60+. I want to be mobile and strong for as long as possible.
Peter Bear 1 week ago
Hi everyone! This comment is intended to bury another person's tasteless and cruel comment that doesn't need to be read. I hope everyone reading it has a wonderful day!
#48
Bidet. I'm honestly annoyed that I lived this long without one.
#49
Taking vitamins. I take an iron, magnesium, and multivitamin supplement every night.
I now sleep through the night, wake earlier, and rarely need a nap in the day (I have chronic illnesses so this is wonderful for me).
Huddo's sister 1 week ago
I wish I had found it so easy. I had an antidepressant for a while that helped my sleep for the first time in my life, but after about 4 years, it stopped working.
#50
For better quality sleep, Magnesium Glycinate. I took the other kind (citrate) without realizing there were different types of Magnesium, it gave me the s***s.
Sleep feels more restful, improves my mood for the day.
Little Bit 1 week ago
I started taking magnesium glycinate a couple of years ago for my anxiety. It was a game changer. I wasn't expecting it to work because I'd spent years trying different things which either made no difference or made things worse. I read about magnesium glycinate in a newspaper article and I thought I might as well give it a go. After a few weeks I realised I wasn't feeling anxious any more and couldn't remember the last time I had. My sleep improved too so I felt much better all round.
Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
What do you think ?
Tabitha 1 week ago (edited)
Starting our own business. Told my husband for 15 years that he should start his own business. He’s great at his job, and I got tired of him and his talents making money for his a*****e bosses and not h8 self. He finally agreed to do it about 2 1/2 years ago. He’s the talent, I run the office. The company has been growing by leaps and bounds, has been out of the red and in the black since month 13, and we just had to hire another employee. I work from home, and love that commute so so much. My husband and I have control over what goes on in the company, and we vowed to be the diametric opposite of our old a*****e bosses. We’ve been doing that consistently since day one, and regardless of what some MBA tells you, it works! Who would’ve thought being decent and fair with your employees, as well as paying them a decent wage with bonuses and being generous and understanding with time off, basically treating them like responsible adults instead of naughty children, is the way to get the best out of them. Since our employees know we trust them to do their best, they do it because we have won their loyalty. That also means my husband can make his own schedule, take on as much new work as he wants and refuse to work with a******s—-things you can’t do when you’re working for greedy f***s like his old bosses—-and we are SO much better off, not just financially but also physically and mentally, than we were when both of us worked for our old a*****e bosses.
The Redhead 1 week ago (edited)
Divorcing my ex-husband. 3 months into our marriage (I was 19) we moved to his home state (I'd never visited before). A couple of days later I knew it was a mistake & I said "I don't like it here, let's please go back to my home state". Instead he & his dad started unpacking our stuff. Wasted 7 years there (hated all 7 of them). Then moved to a new state (I knew better this time & visited first); wasted an additional 7 years with him; but now have a wonderful life, SO, and an amazing child in the "new" state. Although in hindsight I should have called home after arriving in his home state gotten my parents help & gone back to where I came from.
Tabitha 1 week ago (edited)
Starting our own business. Told my husband for 15 years that he should start his own business. He’s great at his job, and I got tired of him and his talents making money for his a*****e bosses and not h8 self. He finally agreed to do it about 2 1/2 years ago. He’s the talent, I run the office. The company has been growing by leaps and bounds, has been out of the red and in the black since month 13, and we just had to hire another employee. I work from home, and love that commute so so much. My husband and I have control over what goes on in the company, and we vowed to be the diametric opposite of our old a*****e bosses. We’ve been doing that consistently since day one, and regardless of what some MBA tells you, it works! Who would’ve thought being decent and fair with your employees, as well as paying them a decent wage with bonuses and being generous and understanding with time off, basically treating them like responsible adults instead of naughty children, is the way to get the best out of them. Since our employees know we trust them to do their best, they do it because we have won their loyalty. That also means my husband can make his own schedule, take on as much new work as he wants and refuse to work with a******s—-things you can’t do when you’re working for greedy f***s like his old bosses—-and we are SO much better off, not just financially but also physically and mentally, than we were when both of us worked for our old a*****e bosses.
The Redhead 1 week ago (edited)
Divorcing my ex-husband. 3 months into our marriage (I was 19) we moved to his home state (I'd never visited before). A couple of days later I knew it was a mistake & I said "I don't like it here, let's please go back to my home state". Instead he & his dad started unpacking our stuff. Wasted 7 years there (hated all 7 of them). Then moved to a new state (I knew better this time & visited first); wasted an additional 7 years with him; but now have a wonderful life, SO, and an amazing child in the "new" state. Although in hindsight I should have called home after arriving in his home state gotten my parents help & gone back to where I came from.
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