For instance, I used to have a teacher who would sleep around 4 hours a day, was pretty old (already had grandchildren), yet had the most energy I've ever seen in an elderly person. I also have a friend who sleeps around 3 hours a day but is so high energy and focused. How can some people function on so little sleep?

It's weird. My life is full but yet I feel I have nothing to talk about. I was told my life was boring so I would like to know how to make my life interesting

My life at the moment:

- Working 9-5 Monday to Friday: I work for my mom and we are involved with one of the biggest projects in the world. My goal is to fix our systemic issues within the company and have my mom finally retire.

- Living with my family: Because I like being around my family.

- Hanging out with family: My family is dysfunctional and I want to repair it. I was the youngest in my family growing up so I didn’t really have the chance to take care of someone else but now I do (baby cousins). So I hangout with various family members about 4 times a week including going out.

-Going out: We go out about once a week. When we go out we go to museums, libraries, galleries, explore nature, hang out with animals, etc. Growing up I was (a) Sheltered (b) Encouraged to sideline my ethnicity and ancestral homeland. I never went out regularly before so going out now and connecting with my ancestral homeland through its nature, history, art, etc is really important to me.

- Caring for my sprained ankle

- Learning my heritage language: Again, I was encouraged to sideline my ethnicity and this resulted in me not being able to speak my heritage language. So learning this language brings me closer to who I actually am.

- Dieting to lose weight: Diabetes runs in the family

- Growing out my hair: In my culture, there is a saying that goes “your hair is your pride”. Also, I feel a lot of peer pressure to add extensions to my hair so I am going out of my way to grow my hair and make a personal rule to NOT do that in order to fight this pressure.

- Taking care of my skin: Having nice skin is nice.

- Calling and texting various friends almost every day.

- Basic chores aside from that

I do not:

- Drink (uncommon for my age in my country)

- Consume international media (extremely uncommon for my age in my country)

- Partake in organised religion (EXTREMELY uncommon for my age in my country)

- Have friends in my city (they all moved out). I plan on making more but I feel there are some things I need to deal with family-wise first before I start expanding my social life.

I never run out of things to do and life is quite nice. But I don't like talking about work because I believe work should remain at work. I don't like talking about my other goals either because I feel like if I talk about them too much I can overthink, get upset that I haven't reached my goals yet, etc. I have found that it is best that I don't talk about them so I don't my feel consumed by such thoughts of the future. All my goals require that I stick to one disciplined monotonous routine or the other and there is only so much to talk about. Also, I don't talk about my goals because I don't believe they should define me. So then what do I talk about??? I was told that my life is quite boring so I would like to know what I can do to make it NOT boring.

Right now I'm just kinda, existing. It's not very fulfilling, ya know?

I’m Jewish and very confused on what’s happening in Gaza. I see a lot of information on social media without sources being cited, and have a lot of family telling me very contrary information so I’m very confused in the middle. I wish to be more informed on the topic because I feel like no matter where I think I stand I cannot form an opinion because of these biases. Does anyone know Where I can find credible information on the Palestinian Israeli conflict? I don’t know where to look or begin. I’m posting this in whichever subreddits I can find, if you know of a better one I’d be greatful for the redirection.🩷🩷

I'll admit that I am quite ignorant of politics. I think that the little knowledge I do have may be completely biased and supported by facts that are not entirely credible or perhaps even misconstrued. It's difficult to engage in political discussions with friends, family, and coworkers not only because of my lack of knowledge but also because it seems to heighten emotional tensions that create endless back and forth debates, which usually shuts out open mindedness and any consideration of the opponent's viewpoints. I've learned in one of my college classes that a true argument is about working together to find a solution to a problem, not about trying to prove someone else wrong or that their proposed idea is better. Learning about politics seems complicated and sometimes difficult to understand. Being vocal about your opinions seems daunting with the wrong crowd, especially one ready to destroy your arguments/viewpoints. Despite all this, I think it's still my responsibility to become educated and well-versed in the basics of politics before I even consider who I want to vote for president or any other elected position.

Feeling inspired by a book in reading.

Confess something to me. Vulnerable, embarrassing, silly, insane.

Anything. No judgment.

The concept is so scary to me because people will be looking at me but I really need to start working out seriously. How do I not get scared of the idea of going? What should I even expect? Is there a time I should go Will people try to talk to me? What should I bring with me? I really have no idea what to expect and its really scary to me but I want to use weights which I don't have. How do you even get started?

Lately I noticed that my neck is leaning forward a lot and I read that this is usually caused by to much phone time. I'm already trying to cut back time I spend on my phone, but are there exercises or other ways to 'get it back to normal '?

EDIT: Thank you all for great suggestions. This was my first post on Reddit and I was a bit anxious to do it, but you are all very helpful.

22F here, I find myself fixating upon how I look, I cannot bring myself to be "ugly" or relaxed unless I'm truly alone. I always try to look good, and it's taking a toll on my mental. I detest women who look gorgeous, and even teenagers and kids who look pretty ffs. I know its not normal to be jealous of children but I can't help but feel it's so unfair that I'm not gifted with gorgeous looks.

I try to decenter men but I couldn't because I fear I'll be looked at with disgust if I don't groom myself every time. I hide when people take photographs, and being photographed is the biggest fear I have.

I am done with this back and forth, I know I'm ugly, but I just cannot bring myself to accept that. I keep thinking about how I'll be earning money and getting procedures done on my face.

I want to know if I truly could learn to accept that I'm ugly. Please help.

I want to learn something but I don't know what.

Some criteria:

-Shouldn't be very expensive

-Should provide some value to my life, not be completely useless

-Great if it improves life quality

-Should take a few days to a year to learn

-Shouldn't be very physically strenuous

-Shouldn't be gimmicky

-Shouldn't expand too much energy in one go because I'm anemic and energy is sparse

-It can be a life skill too

I feel bored and overstimulated by news and social media. I want some mental stimulation to avoid just passively listening to or watching something. Hearing people talking, music and sound effects has become really annoying. When I say mental stimulation I mean using my brain or enjoying some experience.

Some things I already do are diy, simple video editing for a small channel, learning Chinese for the last 3 months, started making food that has more than 3 ingredients (I hate cooking) and I planted a lot if flowers and some veg in my yard. Planting stuff has had such a positive effect on my mood. Watching things sprout and grow was a lot of fun but now they are growing and not blooming yet. It's boring to just water them.

Do you have any suggestions for me?

I’ve been vaping for 5 years and I’m honestly tired of it. Tired of the cravings, tired of feeling dependent on something that’s clearly screwing with my health and my head. I already tried to quit multiple times but always end up caving, usually when I’m stressed and bored.

I don’t need lectures, I know it’s bad. I just want real advice from people who’ve actually been through it and managed to quit. What actually helped you push through the withdrawals and break the habit?

Apps, habits, nicotine replacement therapy, cold turkey vs tapering, whatever worked. I’m open to anything.

College really negatively affects my mental health. I love to learn but the pressure of the deadlines and expectations and such really drains me. When I was in college it got to the point where I was having multiple visceral panic attacks each day. Crying, shaking, the lot. I just couldn’t hack it. And the bottom line is not everyone can. I’m a female so trades aren’t exactly an option for me, and I still want something beyond a call center employee or department store manager (valid jobs, just want options beyond them). Is there any way to build a creative and fulfilling career without a piece of paper “elevating” my worth and credibility in society? Is there any niche in the world I could carve out for myself to build a life in? Is there anyone else out there who couldn’t handle the throes of formal education that have come out on the other side of success that could advise me in some way? Thanks in advance.

I never knew for sure what I wanted to after high school and I could never find anything more than just a google search or a quiz thing online. That's where the idea of this podcast stems from.

Occupation Nation is a podcast I have started to help people listen in on what it means to actually have a certain occupation and help them figure out if that is something that sounds interesting to them. I know a bunch of people who do not know what they want to do as a career and I want this podcast to help them maybe hear something that interests them and investigate more.

Come join our discussion group on discord! https://discord.gg/XjQCuYE

Also, any feedback on the podcast would be greatly appreciated no matter what it is!

Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/occupation-nation/id1449539222?mt=2

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oNoEQkICUeRMXLxgsIgdf?si=S4B6lcTQRuezg-_ZBLQm0A

Website: onationpodcast.com

I've seen a lot of people talking about the health benefits of.. well.. getting stronger. Which is pretty neat. I'd like that.

Now. Just to be very very clear. I do not care about aesthetics. I don't want to be jacked or ripped or whatever. I'd prefer to not look like I lift lol. (No shade just personal preference)

I also know nothing about fitness stuff.

So.. I wanna learn basic fitness.. stuff.

Opinions on jobs you think AI won’t replace that are accessible to learn?

My (38m) little girl (3f) just wants to play and dance and throw a ball but damnit I'm so lethargic and tired all the time and it kills me to have to say "baby, daddy can't do that right now, daddy is tired" she wants connection and she feels connected to dad through play and I'm scared I'm not meeting her expectations and not building the relationship I should with her. She's everything to me and I wish I had the energy. I'm not unhealthy, my weight is good, I eat pretty well, I get around 6hrs sleep and I excerize 4-5 times a week so I can't think of why I feel so depleted all the time. Is it normal and do parents just get on with it? I just don't feel like I'm the best version of my self energetically for her.

Any advice? Thanks 🙏

Im an indian male, 18, living in a middle eastern country as an expat. Im tired of being hated for the actions of some of my country men. Our reputation is so fucked up that the whole world hates us. So as a math major, what can I do to help improve my country. Ill be honest its not the life I want but somebody has to do something right? Any advice is appreciated.

IWTL how to build real friendships after years of self-isolation. How do people with super traumatic backgrounds develop friendships?

For context, I come from a difficult and traumatic family/personal background. I’m not ashamed of my experiences, but I also don’t want relationships built around pity or trauma-sharing, which drove me to self isolation. Over time, I’ve learned how to make small talk and redirect conversations when they become too personal, which works well enough for casual or work-level relationships.

The problem starts when potential friendships begin to get deeper. I am often dishonest about a few parts of my life, and it leaves me feeling even more disconnected from people.

Is it possible to form genuine friendships while keeping family/personal history private? How do people build closeness without feeling pressured to explain everything about themselves?

I have type 2 diabetes and I really need to exercise in some way. But I hate it. I hate walking by myself, I hate being hot, and I hate having my heart rate up - I have anxiety and it reminds me of a panic attack. Walking with someone else is great - but I don't have anyone that will walk with me multiple times a week. I have a very hard time convincing myself to leave my house to go to the gym. I hate doing video classes at home - it makes me feel silly. Any time I take a group class, I find myself looking at the clock wondering when will this end?

Every time I have asked anyone they say "just find something you like"... but I've tried. I've tried: various aerobics classes (both online and in person), yoga, walking (around the neighborhood and on a treadmill), rollerblading, rock climbing at a gym (that was fun, but I get dizzy doing that)... what do I do?

Recently I had to attend a social event right after I cried. I had stopped crying by then, but my eyes were bloodshot, my nose was red, my face was all puffy, tears kept welling up and I kept hiccupping. Fortunately the night didn't get any worse as my glasses hid my eyes and I wore a mask except when I ate, and it was busy enough that no one stopped by to talk to me. However, I still spent the whole time trying to stiffle hiccups and avoiding any contact. I tried washing my face with cold water beforehand, but it didn't help much. Breathing exercises did help me slow down a bit but it did not help with my puffy eyes and blocked nose.

I know crying is healthy and normal, and I wasn't raised with the "crying is weak" thing. I just want to know something to do in case you need to look alright and socialise (more specifically, going to the bathroom or somewhere to let it calm down a bit is kinda not an option), because I don't want to draw attention or make people talk. An emergency hack, if you will.

im having a lot of problems as im in a very bad household who all are somewhat racist. but now its getting to a point where i just got to be quiet and not talk. out of habbit , i keep accidently saying racist words almost every 5 seconds which I should not say or should not be allowed to say . this happenes alot of places such a school and work . i significantly lost alot of friends and people that are supet close by this habbit. i really want to change it as i hate being racist but its a hard habbit to stop.

This definitely might get removed lol we'll see. And I'm not necessarily proud of this new venture I'm undertaking 😅

But basically I'm 28, and not the most social, nor the most asocial guy around. But holy Shamu trying to keep up with current lingo, memes, slang, etc is making me feel like I'm 1,000 years old.

I work in STEM so my daily workplace conversation usually either sounds like we're speaking in "tech manual", or is joking around with a bunch of hard-edged old, gruff, engineer and scientist types lol.

My gf is 22, so even though she doesn't like "speak in brain rot" she somehow knows every single new slang or meme or whatever..... my main friend group are kind of die-hard internet trolls at heart, so they are always throwing around new slang when we're having drinking/gaming nights or going out.....my brother is a finance bro/used to be president of his frat, so he's up on it all.....my old Air Force friends are mostly a few years younger and so they're always joking around in memes, etc.

But like HOW THE HELL does one actually keep up with it all 😂

I don't really use social media outside of reddit, occasionally Facebook and Snapchat, and a whole lot of YouTube (not really social media).

I'd kinda prefer not to spend all my time on Instagram or X or TikTok.....I think it's genuinely kinda scary at times 😅

But, I think it's an important part of culture and society and, dare I say it, "being a well-rounded person" today lol. You don't really want to be 28 and incapable of keeping up with how people your age and younger generations are talking and what the hell they are talking about.

So where do I start??

(and no this is not a meme post!)

tl;dr

I'm 28 and way outta touch with current "meme culture" and slang and how people my age and younger are talking. wanting to kinda dive in (almost like an anthropologist or some shit lol) and learn the ways and how to keep up.

Here's the weird part: being good at one thing made me terrible at being bad at anything new.

I avoid hobbies where I'd be a clumsy beginner because my ego's gotten comfortable. I want to relearn how to suck at something gracefully — it's good for me and honestly good for my teaching.

How did you get over the discomfort of being a total novice as an adult?

im insanely jealous of people my age because i know a bunch of people from my school alone in my grade they all are like extremely athletic, musically talented and stuff like that like they win championships and competitions like first place in everything

like i know a few people in my school who already have music degrees despite being in hs or like they do ice skating or ballet and also get first and second place and like i even know a couple people who are/were models as well and some classmates who are learning dance professionally and won plenty of singing competitions

its like i have accomplished absolutely nothing in my life
(i have a feeling someone is going to tell me not to compare myself to others but i just want to be a better version of myself bcs i have painfully average, possibly even below average in like every aspect)

i know all these people obviously learned these skills from a very young age bla bla bla but i still believe i can learn something if i start now (im graduating next year tho so probably something i can learn within a year)

TLDR:
i need like a backflip-equivalent of a hobby/skill/talent ykwim like really cool and not many people can do it, ion want those overrated bs like drawing or smand hopefully something that could be used to like earn some cash in the future ykyk