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Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

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Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#301

Post by mimimihaha »

ddtaylor wrote: post #77
antocv wrote: post #23

Turn off all notifications on smart-phone, every single notification which pops up, a led blinks, a "notification" appears, if its not emergency from my wife - this has to be blocked. Side effect, no need to check my phone, there is nothing there anymore. Feeds like reddit, HN, email, all settings and username is only on work-laptop with its own instance of browser - browsing these feeds on any other web-browser mean…

Have you tried any of the "focus" related Chrome or Firefox extensions or apps?

For me, I've actually used the self control app for a similar experience to Focus. https://selfcontrolapp.com/

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#302

Post by yakshaving_jgt »

majewsky wrote: post #63
MrQuincle wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Working out! With a 7 minute app. I started in Nov. + People notice the difference. + It's a good way to cope with bad times. + You feel accomplished afterwards. + It's a perfect start of the day. + If you're dating and she is watching, it's a turn on. + You can go on for longer. + It's good for your confidence. + Other people who are working on themselves can be interesting people to meet. + It's good for your healt…

I have a question regarding that. I'm not particularly fat (185cm / 6'0'' tall and weighing 85kg / 187lb), but I'm quite unfit (you wouldn't be able to see any muscles on my body). When I try to do something like a 7-minute or 9-minute workout, I'm usually unable to continue after 3 minutes because of sheer exhaustion, and I'll have aching muscles for the next few days after that. Any recommendations how to overcome…

There's no trick to this. You need just the most basic training. Go running a few nights a week, and actually track your run. Stick RunKeeper or something on your phone, and you will notice a pretty drastic difference in a few weeks.

I started doing this about four years ago, as I felt similar to how you describe. Trying to run 3km just about killed me. But you keep at it. A couple of months later, I managed my first 10km run, which I did in just under an hour, and somehow I felt great afterwards.

Then do strength training. Nothing weird; nothing complicated. Just do squats with a barbell. Start with just the bar — it's 20kg alone.

And don't fall into the same trap that everyone does of being self conscious at a gym. Nobody cares about you in a gym, unless you try something stupid and dangerous like trying to bench more than you can manage.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#303

Post by ilkan »

jumbopapa wrote: post #159
kieckerjan wrote: post #140

A cold shower in the morning. It is quick, cheap, easy on the skin, wakes you up and makes you feel like a champion.

A warm shower seems like such a big luxury to abandon.. don't know if I could do this.

I finish my warm shower with 10 seconds of cold. It's energizing and you won't need coffee.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#304

Post by OldSchoolJohnny »

camtarn wrote: post #179
billybatson wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't mind me asking, what are some examples of the gentle questions that indicates you are open?

A few examples: Chatting to somebody about the side effects of the antidepressants we're both on, namely decreased 'filter' when talking. Amusingly, said decreased filter might be one of the contributing factors behind this increased openness :) Asking a friend who was obviously going through a hard time - "You don't owe me any answers, of course, but I wondered if you'd mind me asking whether you're okay, and what's…

You sound like you might have recently read Nonviolent Communication by Rosenberg. If you haven't you sound like you're in a place where you might really enjoy it and find it useful.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#305

Post by barleymash »

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #253
barleymash wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been trying the opposite lately -- a high carb diet. I've mostly been modeling my eating style after Dr. McDougall's "Starch Solution" plan. He basically believes that humans are designed to eat starchy foods (potatoes, whole grains, etc), and that fats are bad (healthy fats -- like from avocados -- aren't necessarily unhealthy, but aren't great if you are trying to lose weight). So one of the core tenets of thi…

I hope you'll update this post in a few weeks / months. It sounds very counter-intuitive based on prevailing wisdom. It might also be a good idea to have your physician check your blood glucose levels, other markers of pre-diabetes, and liver-function enzymes.

Totally, I actually had a physical scheduled for last week, before realizing I scheduled it for a date I was going to be out of town. So unfortunately I had to reschedule for August. But anyway, there is a decent amount of people who are following this plan, and if you are interested, you can find a lot of anecdotal experiences (including people reporting on their blood testing, etc) by googling "Starch Solution" or "Dr McDougall Starch Solution". There is also an active Facebook group.

There is a book called "The Starch Solution" which I haven't read yet, nor have I done a whole of reading of research studies yet. But, I do know that McDougall and some of his colleagues believe that diabetes is actually caused by higher fat intake, and that this plan has been used by lots of people to cure their diabetes. Sounds so counterintuitive, and like I said, I haven't read/understood the science behind that claim yet.

Edit: here is a resource where Dr. McDougall explains his stance on diabetes and blood glucose. https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/dec/diabetes.htm

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#306

Post by yakshaving_jgt »

One mental burden I often suffer from is an inbox full of administrative tasks, i.e., not programming, that I have no desire to do yet they are obligatory.

The way I fixed this was by just thinking of always putting the ball in the other person's court.

Important messages comes in. I reply, then archive their message.

Not my problem any more.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#307

Post by theWheez »

abhiminator wrote: post #270

I started meditating recently after having been carpet-bombed by its potential benefits for years across various media and platforms, and now, after a few weeks of regular practice, I must say this -- I was pleasantly surprised by how much my outlook toward life changed since I started practicing 'mindfulness' -- a type of meditation involving focusing on the present moment with the understanding that buzzing thought…

I've noticed that even doing it one or two times a week can have a sizable impact on my day to day. I probably should do it every day, like you, but it's fascinating how much our brains will rationalize how "busy" we think we are.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#308

Post by yoz-y »

Ftuuky wrote: post #242

I stopped drinking sodas and eating candy. Almost no carbs as well. I want to work out more but I lack the discipline to leave the house once I come back from work, either too lazy or too tired and I start inventing excuses to miss the workout ("better clean this, fix that, send one more email..."). I also stopped watching TV and porn, both were huge time sinks with almost no RoI. edit: typos

If you can try exercise in the morning.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#309

Post by momentmaker »

else42 wrote: post #283
ponderatul wrote: post #207

Quit Facebook( which really means just access it 2mins per week on a Sunday, just because I'm on a few groups ). Close down Instafart. Quit watching porn, after realising the health risks are not worth the benefits. Quit buying sweets of any kind, especially sugary ones, for myself. I still buy chips for everyone when meeting with friends. I still eat sweets as long as they are made at home. And yes, I have cheat day…

Watching porn has health risks?

Dopamine overload. Less intimacy when it comes to real sex. There is a generation of young men who can't ejaculate without the use of porn suffering from an early ED.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a new habit you cultivated recently that is really paying off?

#310

Post by GiuseppaAcciaio »

My wife and I deep cleaned the house then made a visual task board with different small (less than 30m) chores assigned to one or the other, on rotation, on a weekly basis. The house has never been less than acceptably clean (to a mother-in-law standard) since :)

Also, decluttering and reorganizing all storage spaces using the Marie Kondo method (where it made sense) helped a lot and once done it's hard to relapse.

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