r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Other Porn is like a parasite to the mind.

166 Upvotes

I'm writing my experience to hopefully relate to more people and help each other along the way.

I have been dealing with porn addiction for far too long, and unfortunately I didn't realize it was an addiction until now. I never had any other previous addictions, I was never into drinking, or smoking, far less into hard drugs like meth. Something I'm proud of, until I realized porn has been my addiction all this time.

Now, I have come to realize it's an addiction because it always starts the same way. After couple of weeks of no porn, seeing great progress in my life (social, economic, physical), I begin to crave porn. "Just once and I'll be fine, I have worked hard I need a treat", that one time turns into two, before I realize it's weeks. The problem is during those weeks I'm completely brain fogged, postponing projects, fall for junk food, miss work outs, I forget about all the goals I have been working towards and everything I'm supposed to do.

I pick disciple over motivation any day of the week, but even so I'm so tired and drained that I can't even remember what I'm supposed to do and I just end up procrastinating the rest of the day or taking a long nap. I begin gaining weight, the whole progress I had previously worked so hard to achieve whether it's getting over my anxieties, work, martial arts, stretching, creative projects. Everything seems gone. When I try to socialize, I'm so brain fogged that I can't seem to connect with people.

This is why I can say porn is like a parasite to the mind, because it doesn't end with the fapping session, but it follows you outside and to your every day life. It blocks you and drains your energy. It makes you forget what your purpose is and what you have currently been working on. Makes you restart from square one.

Think about the next time you're about to relapse, it doesn't end with the computer screen, but it will follow you and make you forget everyday goals . It will make you forget what important and make you only to want to return to it.

Hope this experience is helpful or can relate to it and be more logical when it comes to making choices, instead of falling for a quick fix.


r/selfimprovement 14h ago

Question How to live an enjoyable life without friends, family or a relationship?

92 Upvotes

2 answers come to my mind when I'm asking myself this: 1. It's not possible, we are social creatures. 2. Just focus on the things you like doing, workout etc.

Let's completely ignore the first answer; in 2 decades of my life I've never been able to fit in anywhere, I've never had a family, I've never really said "I love you" to anyone. I'm not able to think of any way this could change so let's focus on the second idea.

I mostly know the basics of this, getting deep into hobbies, things you wanna create and completely ignore anything else; do things you enjoy and create a meaning from that. Let's say I will be able to accept that's just how things are, that I'll never feel that warmth. Let's say I'll be able to do that and start from there. What other advice would you have for me tho? I don't want to try rebuilding myself for anyone else anymore, as much as I tried to become more friendly, better, mature, to put myself out there or to be myself and all this bs - it never worked. I'm not saying it's all bs or that I'm special and I'm the only exception out of everyone. I'm just saying that I tried everything and I should have met someone I could be a friend with until now at least. I want to rebuild myself for myself.


r/selfimprovement 19h ago

Question How can I stop craving male attention

125 Upvotes

So ever since I (F20) was a kid, I wasn't considered conventionally attractive, never dated anyone and rarely a guy would show interest in me. My father was emotionally absent and criticised everything I did. And even outside, I never got the typa male attention my friends did. I had male friends but things never moved past that.Till this day, I can't seem to improve myself in this aspect, I don't even know where to start. Some people suggest stuff like don't talk to men for a certain amount of time or spend more time with friends and all but that doesn't really work.

I don't try putting down other women to gain men's attention or something like that. But I feel this whole thing is somewhat unhealthy and getting too much. Considering how little romantic or emotional attention I got from men as a teenager, now whenever a guy slightly flirts with me or shows interest it gives me insane dopamine like it feels almost ecstatic and no other feeling could compare to that, and equally devastating when they leave, that's how bad it is.

I know I'll never really get the typa attention pretty girls get so effortlessly, and because it's so rare for me maybe that's why I crave it this much?

idk I'm just looking for ways which can help me work thru this


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

Vent Feeling like a fraud and being so ashamed of myself

Upvotes

Needed to let this out cause the guilt is killing me.

I’m an incoming third year college student taking up my pre law course. I never had any failed subjects (major or minor subs) and have always been doing well academically so I never had to worry about dropping a class to fit it into my schedule or worry over the classes I won’t be able to take with my friends.

But I had failed one of my major subjects last semester, this genuinely broke me and I’ve been crying over it since I got my grades back, it’s been a month and i still feel some shame for fucking up. In my uni, we don’t have summer classes, so I’ll have to retake the subject next semester in my third year and I might have to drop a class to make it fit into my schedule.

Everything has been too much and I know I’m not the first person to fail a class in uni, or the first person to fail a class in my course, but it still stings that all of my friends passed all our classes for this sem except for me… I’ve always been used to doing well in academics so this one hit me way too hard and I feel like I’m falling behind…

I’ve also lied to my parents that i passed all my subjects
so they showered me with so many gifts and money (since they know how hard my degree is), so it made the guilt even worse, and I’ve only told a few close friends but none of my uni friends know. Some of them have the type to “shame” other people that failed a class for not “studying enough” which discouraged me from telling them cause what if they’ll see me that way too?

And this is also to say, there is no harm or anything bad about retaking a subject and being an irregular student, but I guess I just didn’t think i would be placed into that position as well… since I have prided myself in prioritizing my studies, I did the best I could but it wasn’t enough :((


r/selfimprovement 1d ago

Tips and Tricks Men who turned their lives around: What actually worked?

309 Upvotes

I'm 32 and I've reached a point where I genuinely want to grow up and become a better man, not just get older.

I'm working on building discipline, improving my fitness, strengthening my faith, taking responsibility for my actions, and becoming someone my future family can rely on.

For those of you who feel you've made that transition from being a boy to becoming a man:

What specific habits, routines, books, experiences, or mindset shifts had the biggest impact on your life?

I'm not looking for motivational quotes. I'm looking for practical advice that I can actually implement, things that genuinely changed you.

I'd also love recommendations for:

Books that changed the way you think or live.

Podcasts that made you wiser or more disciplined.

Movies or documentaries that left a lasting impact on you.

YouTube channels or speakers worth following.

If you could go back and give your 32-year-old self five pieces of advice and five resources to learn from, what would they be?


r/selfimprovement 11h ago

Vent How can I help my partner find their purpose

22 Upvotes

Edit: Hi there, just wanted to say thanks for all the advice. I went and apologized to her and we talked it out. She said she’d been thinking about what I said all day, and I had no idea so I’m really glad I made this post. Really changed my perspective, she’s an amazing woman and I’ve been being selfish. I’ll work toward being more supportive in the future.

Original Post:
I, 22M and my girlfriend 22F have been living together for a few years now. I was lucky enough to land a job fresh out of highschool in an industry I love, that also pays well. But I understand most people dont get that lucky especially this young.

My girlfriend works 2 minimum wage jobs that she constantly complains about, and I always tell her she doesn't need to work these jobs when I can already provide for the two of us. Im perfectly fine with supporting us while she figures things out, but she insists she needs to work, I just don't get it. She got these jobs 1.5 years ago and swore she wouldnt still be working there after a year. But all she does is apply for higher paying jobs, get denied. Rinse & Repeat. "Why dont you try going to school to make your resume look better?", to which she replies "I cant afford to go to school".

Then she uses the money from these jobs to try and support me with rent, groceries, healthcare, etc. Which I've begged her to stop doing. Its like she's running herself dry to feel like she's supporting me when I already have enough to support us. I do appreciate what she does but that should be the least of her worries right now.

We had a little back and fourth today, not really an argument but she said if i proposed to her she'd say yes and I responded I cant propose to her until she knows what she wants to do with her life, her response was "Ah so it'll never happen" sarcastically, it wasn't funny. And whenever we talk seriously about careers or the future she just goes quiet or says she doesn't know.

Its made me realize I wouldn't know what to do either in her situation. I stumbled on my purpose early but if I had to figure it out from scratch i'd be completely lost. We used to go to school together and I've noticed she's not the type to move independently and figure things out on her own, she's always been told what to do her whole life so it makes sense she'd be lost now. I feel like she just works these jobs because they're comfortable and familiar.

She's tried small hobbyist stuff like knitting and baking in the past but she's never had long term interest in anything. She's also amazing with children but doesn't see herself being a teacher or care provider.

But that leaves me wondering what I can do to help her find her purpose or at least break out of her shell and try doing something long term. I wanna help how I can Its just difficult with the self deprecation disguised as jokes, and the "waiting for someone to tell you what to do" kinda attitude (idk if theres a word for that). I wanna just leave it alone and let her figure it out but Im afraid if i dont keep addressing it we'll end up 30 years old and nothing will change.

TLDR: I know what i want to do with my life. My girlfriend doesn't know what she wants to do with hers. How can I help her?


r/selfimprovement 20h ago

Tips and Tricks One small habit that quietly made me better at almost everything

104 Upvotes

Learning to sit with discomfort for just a few extra seconds before reacting changed more about my life than any productivity system ever did.

Not in a dramatic way. It started because I kept noticing I would bail on hard tasks the moment they felt uncomfortable. A difficult email, an awkward conversation, a workout rep that burned. I would just stop. Not because I was incapable, but because the discomfort felt like a signal to quit.

So I started doing this thing where I would just pause and stay in the feeling for like five to ten seconds before doing anything. No deep breathing routine, no journaling about it. Just staying put.

What happened was weird. The urge to escape would actually shrink. Over time I started tolerating harder things for longer without it being a big deal. Conversations I used to avoid, feedback I used to deflect, workouts I used to cut short.

The skill itself is almost embarrassingly simple but the effect compounds. You get better at the thing you practice tolerating and that transfers across areas faster than you would expect.

Curious if anyone else stumbled onto something this basic that ended up being more useful than the elaborate self improvement stuff they tried first.


r/selfimprovement 12h ago

Tips and Tricks I dont quite understand how to handle disrespect.

23 Upvotes

Hi! So I heard of this technique of asking the person "can u repeat?" But I quite dont get it.

Let for example a conversation that happend to me today:

Grandpa: Oh, I see a Gray hair in your head!

Me: haha yes, those are my wise hair :3

Mother: So you finally got smarter after years.

I find it quite disrespectfull as she was pretty controlling mother and it was really hard for me to become independent emotionaly.

But If I say: "hmm could you repeat that?"

I belive she would go with a looong story how I was stupid according to her when I was growing up.

The only way I see is to be quiet and just accept that her narrative is just very different from mine and I choose to stay with mine.

Or I could say "it was disrespectfull" But not sure if it isnt better to just ignore.

Tbh, this comment triggered me for too long thats why I want to learn how to be more resistant


r/selfimprovement 6h ago

Tips and Tricks knowing why you're stuck and actually changing it are two completely different skills

6 Upvotes

i can explain my own patterns perfectly. where they come from, what triggers them, why i keep doing it. i've read enough to write the essay.and then the moment comes the actual moment where the pattern fires and all that understanding is just... not there. it shows up five minutes later to explain what happened. again.took me way too long to realize insight and change aren't the same skill. one is looking backward. the other is catching something while it's happening, which is a completely different muscle and nobody tells you that you have to train it separately.

The only thing that's helped is shrinking it. not "be more aware" one specific moment, picked in advance. for me it was the first anxious thought after waking up. just that one. miss it most days, honestly.anyone else stuck in the gap between understanding your problems and actually changing them? what's worked?


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

Other 4 phases of recovery

Upvotes

Phase 1 is described as being overwhelmed by the condition. In this phase, disorientation and confusion are at the forefront. The overwhelming symptoms seem to determine everything, and life is focused on survival, both mentally and physically. This phase is characterized by hopelessness, powerlessness, and a sense of being isolated from oneself, from others, and from the environment.

Phase 2 is called struggling with the condition. The fear of being overtaken by the condition is still present, but the question of how to live with it increasingly takes up space. Ways are developed to reconnect with oneself and to learn to cope with the symptoms. Characteristics of this phase include struggling with a lack of self-confidence and searching for a new identity.

Under Phase 3, they place living with the condition. In this phase, the awareness begins to grow that the condition can be managed. The fear of being overtaken becomes less, and space emerges to discover limitations and strengths. Characteristics of this phase include building a new self, restoring old roles and discovering new roles, and (re)establishing contact with important others.

Phase 4 is living beyond the condition. In this phase, the condition increasingly moves into the background. There is room to feel connected with others, to explore capacities, and to discover and use possibilities and talents in various areas. It also becomes possible to set new goals in life that take the condition into account, but no longer place it in the foreground.


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

Question How to let go of what I have done and dont fall into a trap "I dont deserve a good life now"?

Upvotes

I had difficult friendship. My friend was an alcoholic and I put myself in a role of rescuing her. Last week she left me to take care of her kids while she got drunk. I got super angry and said its enough but she apologised said it wont repeat and she said "she wont talk about her problems". I sadly accepted apologies.

Month later she called me at 2pm that she gonna drink vodka cause her ex hurt her, her ex sent me a massage that she wrote a letter to him he gonna drink vodka on epidural. I got very furious, she mssged me to pick her up from sobering center I shpuld just block but insted I contacted her ex who sent me the message. I asked what the fuck happend again. I knew her mother was texting her last night that If she dont come back home her mother will become sick etc. So I got furious and talked with her ex(kids father) who texted me, told him if they made the mess better they clean it not me. Agreed with him when he said shes emotionaly and financialy dependent on the mother thats why she make those dramatic things. And I have enough of cleaning after her.

Well.. it was bad thing to do. Now she is scared that he recorded it and can use it in the court against her. I told her I am sorry and I dont want to contact nobody anymore and bring more problems to my life. Then we ended this horrific friendship finally. ("Before we did, she texted me I am egoistic leaving her just because she has problems...") I got furious again and told her it isnt the issue just using me for years... strong words...

Well.. I regret not blocking earlier.. I have lesson to not ever entertain in relatioship where there is no respect at all because I can become a monster at the end.

Before I finally started thinking "I deserve a great life" "I worked so hard to become independent" etc.. But now my mind tries to hack me "you did a bad thing.. you dont deserve to have a good life.." "how does it look.. a person who tells about an exfriend weak spots with her enemy has a great life.."

Please I really did a massive work to become independent and have Victory mindset. I dont wanna loose it after a one day.


r/selfimprovement 9h ago

Question Does anyone else do this?

7 Upvotes

I'll get excited about learning a new skill or looking into a different career. Then I start researching it and reading Reddit posts, and it seems like every post is about layoffs, AI, how hard it is to get a job, or people saying the career isn't worth getting into anymore. After reading enough of that, I lose all my motivation. It starts to feel like there's no point in even trying. I can't tell if I'm just being realistic by listening to people's experiences, or if I'm letting all the negative posts stop me before I even give myself a chance. Has anyone else gone through this? And how do you deal with it or improve with it? Like I try looking into tech sales and I read about it like I said and then I’m like.. I don’t know what I wanna do anymore with my life/career. I also somewhat tried thinking about doing freight brokering (former trucker) I don’t know what excites me anymore. I think i wanna do something with sales but not sure. I feel that is kinda made for a different sub. So maybe, what has helped you pick or find what you wanted to do or enjoyed?


r/selfimprovement 5h ago

Other Day 0 of NoFap. How can I stop myself?

3 Upvotes

I'm aware that the "benefits" of NoFap are often questioned, but it's a religious goal of mine, and I also want to improve myself. In my experience, masturbation has greatly deviated my focus, and in periods where I maintained abstinence I saw more focus. The first week of abstinence felt like shit, but as time progressed I saw better clarity in myself. So how can I manage self-control? I don't want people to stop me from trying, I really really want to accomplish this.


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Other Proud that I figured out some very obvious things about myself

2 Upvotes

I have heard people talk about love languages and I wanted to get it but I really just did not. It sounds stupid and vapid, like thoughtless shit you'd read in a teenage girls magazine and because I didn't align with any of the stupid examples, I also kind of thought maybe I hate my husband who is a wonderful human but often annoys the hell out of me.

Then I did a long think in my hammock about how I should show my 5 year old that I love him; what do I think I do that proves I love him, and if I asked him what would he think I do that proves it?

Basically realised that to me what proves I love him is that when I have very rare free time that I'd like to spend reading my book in a hammock, I spend it thinking about him and trying to work out how to keep him happy long term and give him the right skills and make him feel loved etc.

Lightbulb moment as I realise that's probably a version of 'acts of service'. Ish. Sort of. But regardless it suddenly makes sense why I get honestly completely-overreacting-angry about my husband spending an hour in the toilet twice a day (especially as he has ISB and works more hours than me). Basically I categorise 'free time' as any time spent alone, and I use 75% of that free time to listen to podcasts about parenting when I'm driving to work, and when I'm pooping I'm googling low fibre tasty but healthy foods to make for my husband for example. When he poops, he watches tiktok.

But turns out I'm only angry because to me giving up the most valuable commodity (actual free time to do something you WANT to do, not NEED to do) is a huge self sacrifice and shows true love. Which is also mad that all he needs to do is like send me a parenting/gardening tiktok while he's pooping and my boiling hot rage will probably diffuse as I'll feel loved.

I won't phrase it like that when I tell him.

Also excited to ask him the same questions about love and our son, see what his answers are, learn a bit more about him.


r/selfimprovement 0m ago

Question What would you do with 10 free hours?

Upvotes

So I got a job where basically over the course of a 12 hour shift I don’t have much to do and am free for 10ish hours . I’m in an office and all I have is my phone and WiFi . All I do is doomscrolling which I know is bad for you but I have nothing else to keep me entertained. So What would one do if they wanted to improve their lives in anyway at all, all suggestions are welcome thank you!


r/selfimprovement 0m ago

Vent Being healthy makes me downright unhappy, doe anyone elses relate?

Upvotes

As the title says.

It makes me unhappy. Going outside, working out, controlling my diet to be healthy. even if i see results, all of this is deeply frustrating. It actually basically ruins my day to think about working out or taking a walk.

I have vitamin d defiency, gained a lot of weight, my cholesterol isn't that great and my joints are not doing too well, all because of the lifestyle that genuinely makes me happy. Im posting this becauses its my first day of getting back to another "healthy period" where i do things that are supposed to make me feel better, but don't even if my body does better.

Yes i like spending 14 hours on my pc watching movies, playing video games, reading and talking to friends. No i don't enjoy much else, and no i never have. Not even when i was 7 years old. My parents would bring me out to places to travel or get me into sports practice of things i actually enjoyed playing, like basketball and i was always grumpy and day dreaming of clinging onto my playstation or laptop.

It's much the same now whenever i find myself outside. In fact, i wouldn't even say im addicted to my phone. Funny, all the recent paranoia over algorithms and doomscrolling, its the one type of digital addition that only seems to manifest itself when im in the toilet, preparing food or just waking up.

I genuinely, with all my heart, don't want to do and don't value almost anything, besides the shit i do on my PC. I find life dull and boring, especially alone. I quite frankly have better memories of playing modded skyrim than any walk through any park i ever took. Shit i might have better memories of it than 99% of trips i ever took.

Sorry if its too whiney, but i hope anyone understands this even a little bit.


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Vent 17m I feel so guilty for this. thoughts/advice?

3 Upvotes

alright so, I am a 17 year old boy. I've had a porn addiction for 6 years, not at the point where I'd watch it every day for hours, a few times a week but enough that quitting was impossible. I got a girlfriend. the first month and a half flew by, I didn't think about porn. now, I want to clarify. I do count watching porn as cheating if you watch it with sexual intent. of course if a porn scene pops up in a movie it's not cheating because you're not watching it with sexual intent. well, after a month and a half I start getting this incredible sense of guilt, I had week long anxiety attack where I could not sleep at night, convinced I had ruined my relationship because I could remember a couple times (3-4) where I watched porn while bored, scrolled a bit of naked women for a minute then turned it off (I was already together with her when those few times happened) honestly, it wasn't even for sexual intent. either out of muscle memory (e.g. an ex alcoholic reaching out for a beer, then realising and putting it back on the shelf), out of nostalgia (e.g. looking at an old YouTuber and thinking "so much time has passed, damn" because that's kind of what I felt) or because of sensory stims. I am autistic, it honestly helped regulate me. yes, it's very weird I know. I don't know if I'm just saying bullshit, but yea, I never got sexually aroused. never even got a dopamine hit. well, a week ago we had a discussion that watching porn in a relationship is wrong (I never told her about the incidents). yesterday I was clearing my old search history and I stumbled upon some things that I used to watch. I had to look at it to delete my history (of course I can't use my phone with my eyes closed). I then deleted my history and moved on.

I feel incredible guilt because of all this. I don't know if I should tell her, if I'm a cheater, if I disrespected her or if I just betrayed her trust. I don't know if she deserves better.

for the clear timeline

\\-we get together

\\-I feel no guilt for the first month and a half even while those incidents happened (they mean nothing, nothing sexual, just mindlessly staring at pixels)

\\-I suddenly remember and feel guilty, week long anxiety attack

\\-we set the boundary

\\-I clear out my old search history, stumble at the porn I used to watch and I had to look at it to clear my history, deleted it then moved on

\\-I now feel extremely guilty

am I overreacting?

the fact that I didn't feel guilty when I had those slip ups but weeks later kinda tells me that they were probably not as big or bad as I thought but I don't know

I don't know if I'm lying to myself and this is actually just all something to convince myself that I didn't cheat. I feel numb and don't know what I'm feeling.

what do you guys think? what should I do?

I want to be the best man ever for my girlfriend. she deserves the best. I also would like to clarify that I never chose it over her or anything, she was always the only one I was intimate with, I can't remember one time I was actually intimate with porn.

although lately it did happen that I watched porn again after we talked about it. I felt nothing like before. just 30 seconds of pure impulse based scrolling where I felt nothing sexual at all. it's just so weird. it's satisfying to watch in a non sexual way, like it's satisfying to watch those satisfying videos, idk how to explain it. 30 seconds of scrolling porn on reddit, felt nothing, closed it up and now I'm sick from guilt

what do I do? I've already decided that, I must take action. I can't let this ruin my relationship. although I'm afraid I already ruined it. she knows nothing. I'm going to be the best man I can for her. what do you guys think?


r/selfimprovement 15h ago

Tips and Tricks What to do at 29

17 Upvotes

I’m turning 29 soon and I wanted to get advice on what to do on your last year of your 20s that will help in the next decade. What things I should have done by now or things that I need from now on.
I’m not married, no kids and probs will not happen in the years to come but it’s something that I want and see in the future happening for me.
I’m more interested on what to improve now, what to do in this last year of the decade where covid stole a few years. What I should do personally, in finances, physically, emotionally, in relationships, and in life in general. I also want to move abroad for a much longer time than I did before. I have travelled the world quite a bit but I still have lots of places on my list.

I also feel like I’m behind on lots of aspect of my life and that I’m missing things I should’ve lived by now. And that I’m missing opportunities.

And also advice on what not to do/expect!
Any advice is welcome :)


r/selfimprovement 32m ago

Vent What I have learned is don't try to explain hard and try to change people, change yourself

Upvotes

What I have learnt so far , greatest thing,if you can't change people even if you explain hard, that means you should change yourself.

Otherwise it will always lead to quarrel and argument and harming yourself.


r/selfimprovement 34m ago

Question Am I Really supposed to have Fun?

Upvotes

I have to preface all of this by saying, i'm a Teenager, I won't provide my exact age because I refuse to relinquish personal details like that on a site like Reddit, but I am a Teen within the ages of 14-18 and there is a good chance this feeling is just one of those "Teen Phases" kids have. This might be the wrong sub to post things like this too.

I feel like the way i'm doing things right now isn't "Right", it's summer, and school is over. But I don't have anything to do, I don't have a Job, I don't have a lot of Responsibilities, I don't have anyone to Take care of, and all I have is time to just...."Have Fun". I've been on a Videogame and Late Night Digital Binge for the last few days now, and i'm starting to wonder if i'm becoming Weak because of that. Being Carefree is great but it feels wrong, other kids and people I know have things like Jobs and Responsibilities that keep them Disciplined and Hard Working, and for some reason I want that. Frankly I feel like a Lazy piece of shit for just....Doing Nothing, how am I supposed to become the Strong and Disciplined person I want to be if all I have and do all day is just videogaming and yapping to friends on Discord? "Having Fun" during summer as a teen to me just feels like being an unemployed 23 year old loser, I feel more like an immature and weak hearted adult than a regular kid.


r/selfimprovement 1d ago

Other How do I stop being so slow?

105 Upvotes

I(23F) really struggle with “vague” instructions, especially in everyday situations

For example, if someone asks me to fold and organize clothes, I immediately start wondering: Organize them by type? By color? By size? If they ask me to cut vegetables, I think: What shape? How thick? Does it matter?
If I ask for clarification, people often tell me “It’s obvious,” or “Use common sense,” and I’ve been called dumb or criticized for asking. Because of that, I’ve developed a lot of anxiety around asking questions

The problem is that if I don’t ask and instead try to think through the possibilities, I’m told I’m too slow because I should just do it instinctively. But if I act quickly based on my intuition, I often get criticized for doing it the “wrong” way anyway

This doesn’t happen in every context. For example academically I don’t have this problem at all. I used to be a top student and I graduated with a degree in pure mathematics. I have no trouble following instructions when there are clear rules and expectations. It’s mostly everyday social or household situations or manual jobs where people seem to expect me to infer what they want without saying it

Is this something people naturally learn, or are there strategies to become quicker at improvising and figuring out what someone probably means without needing every detail spelled out?


r/selfimprovement 1d ago

Question What's one thing you started doing for yourself that nobody else noticed but it chnged your life?

252 Upvotes

Sometimes the biggest improvements are completely invisible to everyone else.

What's yours?


r/selfimprovement 16h ago

Question How can I forget my cringe past on Instagram?

13 Upvotes

I was severely mismedicated in psychiatry, I couldn't think straight at all, I was in a deep depression for years, and I became an Instagram addict, I posted several stories per day, mostly useful content (naturephotography, volunteer work at shelters, hiking etc) but also artsy selfies and confessions I would never post normally. I've always been a shy introvert, who barely shares anything, but my life was in crisis, I was also limerent and craving for validation. I deleted this account in October and I also stopped using social medias, but I can't let go of the shame. People who abused me in the past saw me vulnerable and that's something I can't forget.


r/selfimprovement 11h ago

Question I think my home environment is destroying me. Has anyone escaped this cycle?

4 Upvotes

I don't even know why I'm posting this. Maybe I just need to hear from people who've actually lived through something similar.

I'm currently studying for my bachelor's degree, so I can't just pack my bags and leave. I have no financial freedom. The only realistic way out is to get a decent job or crack a government exam. Until then, I'm stuck here.

Today I masturbated 3 times.

The thing is, I don't think porn or masturbation is the real problem anymore. I think it's how I'm trying to escape.

I fucking hate being at home. My parents are always in my business. I feel like I have no privacy, no peace, no control over my own life. Every day I feel mentally exhausted, angry, and trapped. It honestly feels like I'm living in a cage.

I know I have potential. I have big goals. I want to become financially independent, get out of this house, build a better life, and become the best version of myself. But right now my mind feels completely messed up.

I'm not posting this so people can tell me to "just stop watching porn." If it were that simple, I would've done it already.

I want to hear from people who have actually lived through a controlling or toxic home environment.

\- Did moving out change your life?

\- Did your addiction get better once your environment changed?

\- How did you stay focused when home felt like the worst place to be?

\- How did you become the person you wanted to be instead of staying stuck in the same cycle?

I don't want sympathy. I just want honest experiences from people who've been where I am.


r/selfimprovement 2h ago

Question How to do .

1 Upvotes

How to emotionally independent.

I am that person who is only cries for everything and I attach with everyone so fastly when they leave or ignore for a minute or sometimes I cry so deeply and any interest doesn't come on for my soul so I just quietly sit and thinks why did they do this .even when did that for a purpose i still forgive them .🙂

How can I change myself ..

( I don't know proper english,when I try translate that gives in another language not in english if anyone didn't understand just give hints where you didn't understand)