When you need to solve a problem, don’t necessarily go for the most obvious first; try and see if there could be an even simpler solution.

The longer you wait to act on something you want or have to do, the heavier the task becomes.

I found why I was happier as a kid : I was disassembling a ton of stuff around the house to see how it worked. I miss that.

Yesterday, I disassembled a broken air fryer and a washing machine. It took a long time but it gives me a great insight on how these work. It’s not super complex but it’s still an interesting setup.

Every little part has its place and use: like a good working team.

Seriously, the air fryer was the most interesting as I already fixed the washing machine too many times so it wasn’t as mesmerizing.

I think I’ll disassemble more appliances for fun (and eventually sell parts or rebuild something)

Creating/building and understanding how something works are probably one of my greatest joys in life.

#dobetter #creativity #fun #joy #becomebetter

@zackery that’s amazing :)

@patrickcmiller ah man that reminds me of those old hardware cache servers … nice :)

I know it sounds obvious but I never thought shutting off most #notifications on my phone would make me happier THAT FAST!!!

Seriously, at the end of the first day I was already calmer. Now, it’s been 2 weeks and I don’t think I wanna go back the way it was.

The calming effect of not feeding #fomo every day is rewarding.

Also, I listen to very aggressive #heavymetal all day lately and, to me, it has a calming effect as well and whenever I feel like yelling, the song is already there for me for that so I can feel supported (not necessarily validated but heard in a way). It is there to help me process certain emotions instead of lashing out and I like it better that way.

Maybe at some point I won’t need all this to help me during the day but at least I know I have a system that helps.

What’s your “system”?

#selfhelp #becomebetter #dobetter #help #music #stress #anxiety

I understand better now why we say that to help resolve this and that problem, we’re told many times we should go on #therapy , we need to talk through the issues and do so to someone actively listening.

We don’t necessarily have someone like that near us so it makes trying to help ourselves way harder for that matter, I think.

At least, that’s the way I understand this 😉 what do you think?

#activelistening #dobetter #becomebetter #dothework

The day didn’t go as planned and as I was contemplating this fact, I went and picked up my son from work.

As we entered a roundabout, a driver, who clearly didn’t understand how this works, almost hit me.

At that point, I was about to yell and be angrier and my son just suddenly said out loud “it’s a beautiful sunny day today!”.

Immediately, I felt disarmed and thought how foolish it was to just ruminate further on what went wrong today and simply focus on what was right instead.

It’s alright to be angry of course but not necessarily all day 😉 especially if it’s sunny outside.

#emotions #dobetter #bebetter #bebettereveryday #dothework #day #anger

When you have an idea and put it out there, there’s a high chance it’ll be criticized or ridiculed.

What’s important to me (because I don’t know all of you 😉) is to get it known, especially if it’s a good one, because regardless of the opinions of others trying to shut you up for whatever reason (jealousy, a bad day, not feeling well), there might be one person who needs to hear it and maybe benefit from it.

Judging your idea by the first opinion you get of it isn’t enough: you need a sample and ideally a good discussion that goes with it and not simply a “it will never work” or “that’s just stupid”.

The limited knowledge others have of or about that idea can be caused by many things: maybe you didn’t explain well enough or maybe they just don’t know enough about the subject.

Not every interaction is out of malice (although some will be). You can’t/shouldn’t just stop after one comment.

And if your idea turns out to be crap? Well, at least you tried and found something that didn’t work after all and now you know more so you still win.

Feeling down and depressed can be easily triggered by this kind of situation so that’s why I hope someone can find some positivity in that message.

#feelingdown #depression #depressed #ideas #comments #dobetter #becomebetter #mentalhealth #yougotthis

When you’re trying to convince yourself about something, be sure it’s for the right reason.

For example, if you’re not helping someone to get up in the morning, is it because you want them to be able to help themselves or is it because you want to be able to point a finger at them afterwards?

The line is pretty thin and we too often justify our actions with noble gestures but we’re likely just in it for our personal gain.

#askyourself #becomebetter #dobetter #dothework #ego #help #helpothers #mindset

@AGTMADCAT lol sure why not :) I always shaved against the grain and hated the experience as I would get all red because of the irritation from the blade. Just thought I had sensitive skin so used multiple blades razors and along with electric one.

This worked for a while but I still wasn’t a fan.

I just decided to buy a safety razor as I was curious and frankly, a bit scared. That semi-fear was the driving force behind the change.

Since I wanted to try and do this the right way, I read the instructions (I rarely do) and it mentioned it wasn’t a good idea to shave against the grain so then I was intrigued: for so long, I did so and “fine” so to speak but I wanted to try nonetheless.

So comes today, I just said why not and proceeded. Sure, I’m no expert but I believe it worked out quite well. And my face isn’t as irritated so that’s great 😉

All in all, I read that it doesn’t really change anything other than reducing risk of redness caused by razor burns but I also saw it could help against ingrown hair so why not try, right?

Time will tell but right now, I see this is way easier and doesn’t feel like pulling my face off 😉

What do you think?

TIL: after nearly 30y of shaving my freaking face, now I apparently do it the right way and NOW it makes the whole experience more enjoyable…

Weird, I know … but that simply proves it’s never too late to unlearn and relearn something 😉

#habit #habits #learn #unlearn #relearn #shaving #til

@simplenomad you’re braver than me :) I didn’t face the “clean the box of swags from cons” yet … one day maybe

We all know that sleep is important and now, I must say it’s CRUCIAL.

Getting enough sleep helps against being more easily irritable (that’s a big one I’ve been battling against for years without admitting lack of sleep was the cause) and also focus.

This week has been a bit hectic with calls at all hours of the day and nights to fix stuff so it disrupted my sleep pattern in a profound way.

Normally I’d just brush it off as the usual routine and simply drink more coffee but now I see even more why I need my sleep.

With my ADHD, I’ve had issues focusing at anything really for years. Now it’s better but if I’m not cautious, it can be worse by unhealthy habits.

This morning, I had a good amount of sleep (finally) and I feel like my brain is “organized” so it’s not chaotic and noisy with all the ideas bouncing around, all wanting attention, regardless of priorities and importance.

Please don’t trade some hours of perceived productivity for the sleep you probably need: I failed to understand this for so long that now I actually wasted valuable time thinking I was accomplishing more when in fact I was just slowing my growth (literally).

Health is so important and we don’t normally think about it until we don’t have it.

#health #attention #life #dobetter #dothework #adhd #sleep #coffee #goodhabits #dowhatsright

This one might sound trivial to some but to me it’s a trip outside the comfort zone.

I went to get my son at work like I normally would but this time I went earlier than usual. Nothing too crazy so far.

I normally park closer of the entrance and this time there’s no available spot so I park a bit further. Again, nothing unusual, just normal.

I tend to just park forward but this time I decided to just back in the parking spot because I was using my truck. I don’t like to park that way but it’s simpler since I’ll see my son going out the door. Again, just pratical, right?

Now comes the interesting part and why I started with this introduction: there’s someone parked on my left and this person just backed away and went for gas in front of where I am. I notice the hood of the car seems open or maybe not properly locked. Normally, I’d just let it go as maybe it’s just broken or the person might not like to be approached by a stranger or whatever reason I tell myself so I don’t have to get out of the truck and go talk to this person.

I decide to just go because this could be dangerous and if this person is annoyed or blows me off or finds me ridiculous, it doesn’t matter. I put my anxiety aside and go. I politely say I think the hood might be unlocked and sure enough it was.

All this to say that if I have been late to pickup my son or parked the other way or in the usual spot or I didn’t decide to go talk to this person, this might’ve turned out differently.

I don’t say this for glory or pats on the back. No.

The crucial part to remember in all of this is I decided to go and talk even when anxiety and pure laziness told me otherwise: just by talking to someone, you might be able to prevent something bad to happen.

Act when you see something wrong instead of simply think it’s not your job. Safety is the job of everyone.

#safety #security #anxiety #overthink #overthinking #dothework #becomebetter

@clipperchip I wonder what they mean by “positive diversions”

@lmgenealogy that is very good :) and when you’re close enough to your kids so they’re able to be themselves around you, that’s a blessing :)

And in the event they need help, they’ll be more likely to tell you and ask. That again is wonderful. So many families are disconnected because nobody has time for anything.

I think that listening is key. I’m still learning to listen more than speaking though 😉 work in progress I guess …

@lmgenealogy YES! A lot of unlearning involved indeed :) I never thought of myself as being quick to learn but at least I’m extremely eager to understand 😉

I really enjoy this new journey so far :D

After a month of being diagnosed with adhd, I’ve seen so many things change around and in my life.

I already mentioned a few of them but to add to that, lately I’ve seen my weeks go by a bit slower than it used to and I can complete more projects as well which helps.

I still don’t have more motivation to do stuff and that’s alright as I’m not looking for that exactly: I’m more focused on taking the first step.

One strange thing is I’m not seeking more and more wisdom outside by the way of books or seminars or online videos about self-help. This feels strange as I’ve been reading and listening to various content for over a decade now. I know it’s not because I don’t have anything else to change but I think I’m not seeking this “ideal” self I idolized for so long and I’m just trying to do my best instead. I think I’m really comparing myself to myself now and that’s what I always needed.

I think I’m making more progress now and THAT is a great step forward.

#adhd #becomebetter #dobetter #perfectionism #selfhelp #bebetter #takethestep #dothework #procrastination