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Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

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21–30 of 51 posts

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#21

No cars above ground.

This would improve so many people's lives. Especially here, in South California, imagine if all car transportation theoretically moved underground. All the space for parking lots and roads could be converted to homes/businesses, and although increasing population density it would decrease rent prices and decrease travel time. Interesting thought.

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#22
I would say moving to Toronto where my work is. Right now my commute is ~4 hours everyday so I don't get time to do anything apart from gym once I get back home. Good news is I'm moving in 2 months, bad news is I barely know anyone in Toronto and have great friends where I live currently.

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#24
Exercise and Proper eating. Common sense, right? Yet, so many of us find it hard.

I've lost more than 8kgs in the last 3 months and I feel great. I was never overweight to begin with but still I feel so much happier overall. I don't think drugs can do what 1 hour of exercise daily does to your mood and energy.

Plus losing weight has it's own benefits. Once you shed those extra pounds you feel like you've been carrying a laptop bag or something on your back all the time before.

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#26
post #4

While we're considering things that won't happen - how about working less? I love my job in software, but I think I'd have a better QoL with a 32 hour work week. I feel like my productivity wouldn't go down by 20% (but it's hard to tell without trying it for an extended period.)

after nearly burning out on the last ~42 hour job, at the current company i tried 30 hours and i love it. they do want to convince me to go full time, but for now i refused (stating that i don't think i'd be as productive and just cost the company more money without delivering another 33% of work). a lot of my colleagues and even friends at other companies downgraded to 30 hours (or never upgraded after finishing university).

i earn enough to get by but don't save as much as others at my age (for reference, i'm 35). i work 6 hours a day, 5 days a week (others work 7.5 hours a day and just take friday off). i don't get paid overtime but be do have comp time.

the upsides, in my opinion:

* i'm better rested, more concentrated and productive so the company gets more bang for the buck

* i spend a lot of my free time in the gym (this hopefully means i'm reasonably healthy which would be a plus for the company due to less sick time off)

* the rest of my free time i spend programming interesting private non-commercial projects; i.e. free education and experience that benefits my employer (sometimes it also leads to open source libraries we can use at work)

* the other rest of my free time i spend reading about IT (things like HN), which, again, +experience

* when schedules get tight i tend to accumulate overtime, as soon as that passes i tend to take time off. this means the company doesn't have to pay me for twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the clock

in my opinion it's mostly a win-win situation for both me and my employer.

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#29
A sense of purpose and meaning. I grew up in poverty, managed to emigrate to the US and have struggled to get where I am and now am in a comfortable senior position in the industry.

I am good at what I do but it's the same thing over and over. I go to work each day, save most of my paycheck, then use the rest to buy expensive trinkets, go to nice restaurants and take trips.

I have a circle of acquaintances, hobbies, a great girlfriend and look outwardly successful and happy.

But is this cycle all there is for the next few decades until retirement/death? I feel like I am plateauing. There must be more to it than this.

I feel guilty even thinking such things as my life is fortunate in so many ways.

(Throwaway account)

Re: Ask HN: What addition or change would improve your quality of life?

#30
post #11

My upstairs neighbor is quite noisy after midnight. I would like an alternative to sleeping pills or ear plugs.

Try playing brown noise through a subwoofer (a good Bluetooth speaker, not your phone's speaker), the low frequencies can block bassy noises (footsteps, TV, etc) so your sleep isn't interrupted by a sudden sound from above.
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