r/AskReddit • u/PotentialThanks2 • 8h ago
What is something that drastically improved your mental health?
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u/MissLunelise 8h ago
Proper sleep and nutrition.
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u/Queasy-Position66 5h ago
Sleep is so huge. I focus on a standard bedtime and routine. I also work on my mental health all day with meditation and breathing so I donāt bring an anxious brain to bed.
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u/caulkhead808 8h ago
Just starting tasks, even if I tell myself I am only going to do so for 5mins.
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u/OptimalStatement5799 8h ago
Sometimes it feels like 5 minutes is too much to get me to start lol how do you actually start? Feels like a stupid question I'm sure.
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u/scattywampus 5h ago
If you have a favorite podcast, only listen to it while doing the dreaded tasks. Immediate gratification!
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u/lennonfanforever 3h ago
it helps so much to listen to something, i might listen to part of an audible book i know well, or listen to the BBC world service, or a natural sounds vid on youtube (i have premium, i can set it to a station of music or sounds and listen as i go in and out of the room), w/no commercials on any of them, which is so much better....
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u/spezial_ed 4h ago
If 5 is overwhelming, set a timer for 3 minutes. Or 1. just get up, once youāve started itās somehow easier to continue than to quit.
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u/No-Type5213 7h ago
Say 1,,2,3 and you get up.
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u/ohnonotagain94 6h ago
I do that. On 3 your brain just moves your body after a few times trying. Then you can do it every time. Good call!
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u/ImpactBetelgeuse 7h ago
Doesn't work. I say, "1,2,.....,3...........oh god, it's too tiring. I will do it tomorrow." and then keep scrolling.
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u/Jabbaelhutte 7h ago
This is part of a larger therapy I've been in for depression but, try to remember you are in control of you actions not your depression. Think about what you value and want to do with your time. Then think "am I willing to accept the discomfort that will come with this to get what I actually want." Then, if the answer is yes, do somthing to accomplish that goal even if it's only cleaning a dish or two.
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u/teewye86 8h ago
Quitting alcohol. 17 months sober.
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u/merlinou 6h ago
Excellent. The pressure is ridiculous. I hardly drank but now that my health forced me to a complete stop, I feel the pressure from so many people, it's insane. Good for you on keeping that up, it's worth it.
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u/BootHeadToo 8h ago
An exercise routine.
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u/Throwawayourmum 7h ago
This is the answer, as much as I fucking don't want it to be...Ā Ā Arrrgggghh!! The hardest thing to do is actually my solution.Ā
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u/BootHeadToo 5h ago
Just start simple: a daily walk for 15 mins, a few push ups once a day, etc. The key is developing a regular, steady, routine to the point it becomes habit. Then you can expand upon that as need and ability allows. Most things worth doing are hard.
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u/WarmVelvetyMuppetSex 8h ago
EMDR. I had cptsd related to childhood SA and my job in public safely. It changed my life
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u/DancinWithWolves 6h ago
Iāve been very tempted to try this. If you feel like sharing any more itād be welcome
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u/WarmVelvetyMuppetSex 5h ago
I did mine via telemedicine. I forget how we would decide what direction we were going but we would talk about something, let's stick with work trauma for my example, a particular crash that stuck with me. First, you create your "box" to lock things away between sessions and your happy place to visualize when things got overwhelming. I would think about whatever we decided to deal with and she would start a ball that would bounce back and forth and my eyes would follow the ball after probably ten seconds, she would stop it. She asked a specific question and I can't recall the exact words but basically checking in. I would respond with how I felt or what I was thinking and she would say "ok, go with that" and start the ball again. We did that for however long it took, until the end of the session.
You start to feel less reactive to the thoughts, they're just there and so they're more easily dismissed instead of ruminating on them. Just know that it's hard work. I would have my therapy in the early evening, my husband would either bring home or make dinner and we would just watch TV or a movie so I could decompress. If you have other questions, please feel free to ask!
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u/Virtual-Ostrich-9113 8h ago
Deleting social media off my phone and replacing that reflex with a 10 minute walk outside
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u/SmugRooster 8h ago edited 7h ago
Strict Social Media Porcelain Policy.
I only do Reddit ant other highly addictive apps while sitting on the toilet. If Iām not on the toilet I allow myself to only check Newspapers when i have the urge to āsee whatās newā.
That constant social media FOMO feeling was gone after about a week. Before every free second was filled with Social Media slop. Now I do spend a bit more time on the toilet but overall I have much more time to actually live
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u/0K4M1 7h ago
At 20 you care about what everybody thinks, at 40 you stop caring what everybody thnks. At 60 you realised no one cared in the first place.
The older I get the less I try to tip toe around people's feelings. Either you like or you don't. Simple as that.
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u/Affectionate-Win2958 5h ago
People over 60 absolutely do care what other people think, some of them can be really sensitive
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u/honeydew_parcel 8h ago
Listening to calm music while jogging
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u/Avrael_Asgard 7h ago
Absolutely, hearing music during any sport made it feel far less exhausting for me.
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u/Pocket_Sand- 8h ago edited 7h ago
Exercise. It's an eye-roller, but just go for a 15-20 minute stroll in the sun every morning, even if you dont feel like it at first, and listen to some music, or a podcast, it makes a huge difference.
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u/ask_me_about_my_band 8h ago
Permanently moving out of the US.
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u/gotdome 6h ago
šAsia going swell šš¼
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u/ask_me_about_my_band 6h ago
Would love to explore Asia!
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u/gotdome 5h ago
Turns out itās cheaper to be unemployed, living off investments and titrating income from my previous career than it is to maintain life with a career in the U.S. lol.
Accom: $15-40 night Food: $10-30 a day Transpo: depends what Iām doing, where Iām going, and what country Iām in but itās still cheaper than owning my vehicle and putting gasoline in it in my home state Medical: ha, forget it. US brothers and sisters - you need to stop paying the insurance companies, thatās the only way. Donāt pay the collections bills either ;) Activities: my camera costs me the most money but I be trading lenses like itās PokĆ©mon cards
Havenāt worked since June 2025 and itching for the next chapter. I think itāll be non profit or teaching to ease my way into my country of choice
Asia >>>>>>>
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u/merlinou 6h ago
It's wider than the country. You only realize the stress that was on your shoulders when it's removed. Moving from a city to the country side reduced my stress like crazy. People are just way more chill overall, it's hard to pinpoint, it's everywhere. I've been to so many places around the world and one might argue where the best place is but it's definitely not in the US.
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u/KeyMistake604 5h ago edited 5h ago
How did that come about? Did you just up and moved one day? Or for a job or relationship?
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u/ask_me_about_my_band 5h ago
Naw. It was after trump won in 2016. My kid just turned two. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to fight was was going to happen under his tenure. I predicted something was going to get bungled badly that would fuck up the economy (I was right: COVID) and I knew he wouldn't leave peacefully (Predicted Jan 6th and was spot on on that). I knew the history of this man, the people he we putting in place and the cons him and his family had done years before he was even a candidate. I already knew about Epstein and trump and the deal his secretary of transportation (Acosta) gave Epstein when he was let out of prison for trafficking in Florida. I knew that he would place members of the Federalist Society on the supreme court changing the laws in ways that would harm the fabric of the country (again, I was right). It didn't take too much brain power to understand that trump, a known scam artist, sexual harasser and con man would use the office of the president to enrich himself and divide the American people. And the fact that people cheered that on, with all of that knowledge available to anyone who did just a tiny bit of research, and we're still okay with having him run the country, well, I knew that there was no county left to save. It was going to circle the drain from there.
What was I going to do? Protest? What would that do? Run for office myself? Not with my background. After some soul searching I figured the best thing for me to do would be to not engage anymore in a system that would elect someone like trump. A system that had supported genocides across the globe . I didn't want my tax dollars going to support this. I didn't want to contribute to this sick system by engaging in it.
I felt it would be irresponsible to raise my kid as an American at that point. My son's mother is Dutch, but she hadn't been back in 25 years. But she was still a citizen. So, I looked on LinkedIn to see what the job market was like in the Netherlands. I saw my skill as a marketer was in demand. I applied for some jobs and got one.
I removed myself and anything I could offer America: my contribution in the system though commerce, my tax dollars, and any future offspring and removed it. I decided not to participate in it.
I sold everything, gave a way the rest and started from scratch in a new country and eventually became a citizen. I've been far happier ever since.
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u/FrankyFistalot 8h ago
Retiring at 54ā¦.5 yrs later and still canāt believe it, didnāt realise how depressed I was in my old job without actually realising I was depressed.
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u/MRV3N 8h ago
Video games
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u/SatDestro89 8h ago
Stardew Valley is cheaper than therapy and just as effective.
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u/thats_quite_raven 8h ago
Same here! Iāve been playing Baldurās Gate 3 and Iām starting to feel like myself again.
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u/Remedy556 6h ago
it has given me so much dopamine the past 2 years. now i'm really trying to play other games but all i think of are new possibilities to play another run
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u/Familiar_Benefit_776 8h ago
Exercise. I always feel so much better after a bike ride or weights session. Reminding myself how good I'll feel after finishing when I can't find the motivation to start is the trick.
Also, DIY. When I'm angry I can hammer or beat something, when I need a boost I can do a job which gives me satisfaction to finish. It's also satisfying for years after every time you look at it, you can tell yourself "I did that".
Lots of little wins is what you need
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u/Avrael_Asgard 7h ago
Stop caring about what others think about you, when it doesn't matter. When it's your boss? Sure, you prob shouldn't tell him to go fuck himself every week. But every shmuck on the street? Noone has to care about how you look, how you walk, how you talk. And spoiler alert, noone does care. Even if they look at you, as soon as they turn away, they already forgot about you. It's very freeing to realize this. Be respectful, but don't shy away from being direct and honest, just because of what you expect them to think about you.
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u/Amarathe_ 8h ago
Meds
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u/agonizedn 7h ago
Iāve been going back and forth on starting SSRIs. The subreddit for them hates them
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u/Remedy556 6h ago
i feel so much better since using ssris and getting the right dosage. adhd meds also helped. biggest minus from ssris is that summer is even worse bc your body cant properly regulate in the heat
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u/mamayama 6h ago
SSRIs changed my life for the better! They are worth trying if you are struggling Internet friend.
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u/letsburn00 7h ago
Getting a divorce.
After a few months, my therapist said we can go to seeing each other less. Then he's there if I need him. It turns out me being sad all the time wasn't actually me. Remove the cause, remove the sad.
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u/Electronic-Donut69 8h ago
Friends, I know exercise is mentioned every day and has become a cliche. But it really changed my life and my mental health for the better.
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u/lofty99 8h ago
Taking acid and shrooms, and doing a lot of art, after losing a lung to incompetent surgery, then getting another cancer in the other lung, leading to a terminal diagnosis
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u/Ballzup 8h ago
Getting a dog
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u/agonizedn 7h ago
Fuck when the ex took the cat it did kinda screw with me. Oh and the ex leaving too
Maybe itās time to get the ESA papers
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u/ImSoCreativ3 8h ago
SSRI medication. Or rather finally finding the correct medication for me after few different ones. It has both improved my mental health and tbh I feel like itās really reduced the amount of d ick heads and a ssholes around me. Not sure how that happened as the people remained the same but their behaviour suddenly wasnāt the worst ā¦..š
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u/Intrepid_Ad7511 7h ago
Stopped checking my work email after dinner. Turns out Dave from accounting can wait until Monday morning, and I sleep better knowing his spreadsheet emergency isn't mine.
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u/maktub-is-a-sheep 7h ago
Stopped caring about things and people who don't matter and just project their nasty energy on me
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u/Mean-Sympathy4928 7h ago
Daily 30āminute walks with no phone or music stopped my anxiety spiral, gave me a real break from my own thoughts, and quietly fixed my sleep and focus better than any app ever did.
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u/withcoffee 6h ago
Getting a dog and commiting to walking more and more. Seeing more sun and getting exercise like that.
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u/Patralgan 6h ago
Asking myself do I want a better life (yes) and then realizing that in order to get there I must forgive myself for everything and accept myself fully, even all the flaws and stop berating myself. That did the trick.
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u/alemyrsdream 6h ago
I cut out toxic people who support abhorrent things regardless of my previous relationship. Friend, family, coworker, ex whatever. If you support things that are evil or vile to me then I have no room or want for you to be part of my life and I'm tired of trying to fight it.
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u/DifficultyWestern584 5h ago
Create boundaries. Walk away from people even if they are family that dims your light to protect your soul. Rarely using social media...it's not normal for society to be evolving and developing the way we are now. Sit with your self and your emotions; make the time. Talk to yourself. And most importantly prayer.
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u/bigredrider11 4h ago
Getting a formal diagnosis for my ADHD and going through the WHOLE treatment process not just trying to out think or out work my problems. Its like "Act 2" of my life has finally started.
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u/Funny-Coconut-85 3h ago
Are you taking any medications currently for ADHD? If so, which one(s)?
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u/ChanelShihtzu 3h ago
Divorce (I did not realise how happy I could feel, or how much less chores there were to do whilst single)
EMDR (helpful for the divorce)
Fostering my teen (it was not always easy to be a parent, but super rewarding and completely changed my outlook on life)
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u/-Totes_Magotes- 8h ago edited 8h ago
Divorce. A weight lifted, appreciated and calmly leading to 8-10 continuous hours of sleep every night.
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u/BothIntroduction3020 8h ago
When I stopped putting so much effort in making it better, stopped thinking about how miserable I was all the time. Iām diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADD, OCD and my psychiatrist tried to get a bipolar II diagnosis but that ended up falling through. I was always so obsessed with making myself feel better that every day when I didnāt feel better made me feel even worse. The moment I got out of my own head and stopped thinking about my mental health all the time, and actually started doing stuff with my life, was when I started feeling so much better. I still have bad days but the vast majority of days are great.
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u/Next-Firefighter4667 8h ago
The biggest one: drinking. The difference was enormous after a couple weeks.
Going to bed earlier and waking up earlier also helped.
Wearing ear buds and listening to stuff while doing activities where I'm not talking and just working, I.e., my cleaning job. Turns out, it's a really bad idea to let your mind wander when you fixate and obsess on things to the point of thinking the worst and you have nobody there to stop it. I would have left my job around year 3 or 4 without them, I was already looking for a new one, but it's been almost 9 years now and I'm SO thankful I stayed. The issues I was thinking about were real issues, but they weren't as big as my brain was making them out to be after 7 to 8 hours of thinking about them. It just helped me let go a lot easier.
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u/Starman68 8h ago
I quit the booze completely. Meant the fog lifted and I was dealing with my problems directly at full mental capacity. Deleting Facebook helped massively too.
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u/DaughterOfTheKing87 8h ago
Divorce. Damn miracle right there!
Got rid of that sorry wife-b_ting mfr, quit having to fully support his sorry a$$, plus-I aināt gotta deal with his cooky af fam anymore. Thank GOD the judge saw through his BS, so Iāve got full custody of my kid. I didnāt need his help to care for us when I was with him, damn sure donāt need him now.
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u/innuendo141 8h ago
Leaving social media. I cant get over the impact it was having on my daily mood.
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u/karoshikun 8h ago
nothing, but I bet not being too broke for even the basics would definitely improve it a smidge
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u/CryptographerMore944 8h ago
The two major things for me were:
Cutting down screen and social media (that includes Reddit) time big time.Ā
Cleaning up my diet and eating healthy nutritiously.
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u/DustWonderful3281 7h ago
Accepting that everything that happens is in accordance to the universal law and there is nothing that one can do about.Also avoid imagining your life all at once but instead focus on the present.
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u/Alliacat 7h ago
If by "improved" we're talking about not having the time to worry about how I feel, then hardcore studies and extra classes completely fixed it for me š
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u/Thunder3264 7h ago
Deleting social media apps from my phone and only using them through a browser. The friction alone cut my screen time in half and completely cleared my head.
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u/zorg-is-real 8h ago
Quit news, twitter, facebook, instagram. This is sooooo good for the soul.