People sharing small life changes they've made that's made them 'happier'

20 January 2024 , 07:00

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Some posters said that simply going for a walk had made a huge positive difference to them (Image: Getty Images)

People have been sharing the little things they have changed in their lives that made a positive impact to their overall health and wellbeing. After being asked to share their answers on social media, people in the replies talked about making changes at their work such as "slowing down" or not having that "rush mentality" as doing that would risk it becoming "an expectation".

Others said that doing a simple thing, such as going for a walk or making slight changes to the way they did chores had made a huge difference. Some posters on Reddit said that adjusting their bedtime routine was a great way to ensure they could fall asleep quickly while others said spending time with their children doing simple things such as baking always ensured happiness and another said deleting their main social media accounts was their path to happiness.

One said: "Slowing down at work. I don't need to respond to every email right away, or make sure everything is up to date constantly. Some things can just wait," and another added: "I've always been one of those to jump in and help, stress about things not getting done, etc so every employer ends up treating me like management without the title or salary."

Another warned that: "Another negative thing that comes out of that rush mentality is that eventually becomes the expectation. People will always expect you to get things done asap. This just causes them to give you more work. Still, no extra pay and often no recognition. Just more work and stress with the expectation that you work at a super fast pace now."

Exercise was a big favourite with people as a positive change anyone could make to relieve stress, with one poster saying: "Walking... yeah, in my opinion exercise (along with diet, things like meditation, etc) are actually imperative to positive mental health and wildly effective, and people who scoff at the suggestion have a weird complex around their suffering."

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Another poster said they had changed the way they did work around the house, such as wearing gloves when doing the dishes, wearing headphones while vacuuming or drying their hair and watching TV while folding clothes, adding: "Basically I tried to minimise the sensory discomfort and boredom of regular chores, and now I almost look forward to them."

One man said that making sure he spent time with his daughter and the two of them baking together was a real source of fun for him and that his child got a lot out of the task too, as well as getting to eat what they made, and another poster agreed, saying: "I also love baking with my daughter! I find imaginative play difficult and boring, so a structured activity that we both enjoy is really nice."

Another said that they had deleted Facebook, TikTok and Instagram and that even though they were now spending too much time on Reddit, they were now spending much more time outdoors with their dog, walking while also listening to relaxing sounds and practising mindfulness.

They added: "I try to notice everything… different colours, how the ground feels beneath my feet, the breeze in my hair, the way the sunlight filters through the trees. I pick up interesting leaves and rocks to look at up close and see how they feel in my hand. I probably look nuts, but I always come back feeling so relaxed having given my brain a break from anxieties and stresses."

Paul Donald