19 People Just Got Real About What Improved Their Quality Of Life So Much They Wish They Did It Sooner

Life only gets better from here.

Sometimes all it takes is doing one thing different to make things run a little more smoothly.

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When Reddit user u/Henna recently asked, "What improved your quality of life so much, you wish you did it sooner?" the thread went viral thanks to the amount of responses that came in.

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I've rounded up the most memorable answers that you might want to consider incorporating into your own daily routine. Take a look:

1. To start, learning how to cook a decent meal:

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"Cooking for myself, rather than relying on microwave meals. Eating better, healthier, and cheaper at the same time."

—u/SYLOH

2. Parting ways with toxic people in your life:

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"Cutting out toxic family, followed by friends and acquaintances. Life is too short to let people drain you. I'm always polite, but that doesn't mean you own my time or attention with your negativity. It's amazing how much happier I am decades later."

—u/WilliamStonerock

"Cutting off a toxic friend. After having cut off said friend, I felt that I could finally breathe without the stress of setting them off or getting into fights with them. I don’t regret my decision at all."

—u/UnknownL_13

3. Having a work-life balance that makes sense for you:

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"Switched to a job where I have a consistent, balanced schedule. It has let me exercise again, socialize more, and spend time on other hobbies."

—u/dullchristmas

4. Becoming a better listener:

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"Actually listening instead of waiting for your turn to speak. You understand so much more, and people have so many nice things to say about you when you just listen."

—u/runesplease

5. Changing your view on cleaning and other chores around the house:

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"I started thinking of cleaning as 'resetting' an area. After I cook, I have to 'reset' the kitchen. The little shift in perspective made me a much more neat person."

—u/bubblebobble_of

6. Focusing on having a little more empathy:

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"Consciously practicing empathy. It's crazy how much lighter you can feel when you're not center stage. I learned that most things have very little to do with me, and that's a huge burden off my shoulders."

—u/Shhshhshhshhnow

7. Figuring out not everyone is always out to get you:

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"Realizing that not everyone is judging me."

—u/posifour11

8. Putting yourself first instead of last:

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"I stopped putting other people and their needs before my own well-being and sanity. Pouring from an empty pitcher is exhausting, and when I finally put myself first I felt free."

—u/No-Dragonfruit-6970

9. Flexing those green thumb skills:

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"Planting a vegetable garden."

—u/BaldyCarrotTop

10. Sipping on more H2O to stay hydrated throughout the day:

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"Drinking way more water."

—u/MrBirb_

11. Paying off debt — even if it's just a small amount here and there:

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"Getting out of debt. Debt just feels like a prison."

—u/DesertSweat

12. Swapping out your toothbrush for an electric one:

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"Buying an electric toothbrush! Haven't gotten a new cavity since, and my dentist said I shrunk the start of one."

—u/PeppermintFrapp

13. Getting a better night's sleep regularly:

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"Trying to get eight hours of good sleep every night."

—u/fattymcassface

14. Investing in a dishwasher:

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"Everybody here writes something amazing, but the first thing I thought of was my dishwasher..."

—u/Ise-Beach1021

15. Starting the day with a relaxing stroll:

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"Taking a 30-minute walk first thing every single morning."

—u/vizjual

16. Getting the right pair of prescription glasses:

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"Getting glasses. I put it off for way too long and only got around to seeing an optometrist when I failed the vision test at the DMV as I was trying to get my driver's license renewed a while back.

I really didn't appreciate how much my vision had deteriorated or how much I was straining to focus on things until I got them. It was like going from an old CRT TV from the '90s directly to a top of the line UHD display. I must have spent about an hour just walking around outside and staring at s--t on that first day."

—u/Prank_Owl

17. Taking the time to meditate once in awhile:

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"Meditation. The hardest thing you will ever do is sit still and have a quiet mind."

—u/Limp_Distribution

18. Investing in a better mattress and pillow to improve your sleep habits:

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"A good mattress, followed by a good pillow. We went down the rabbit hole of mattress reviews on YouTube, but settling on our new one, we made the right choice. A good pillow was soon to follow, as once the rest of your body is comfortable you know fast if your pillow is right. The combo of the two is great though."

—u/dudecheckthis

19. Finally, making an effort to focus on the good things in life:

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"Optimism. I stopped recently moping over everything wrong with my life and focused on the positives, highly recommend."

—u/Bayou-Moon

What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

Don’t miss Sam Claflin in the new rom-com Book of Love from BuzzFeed Studios, coming to Amazon Prime Video February 4 and Sky Cinema February 12.

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