Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of January! bonfire One more week to go, there is still time to make some progress and finish the first month strong.


How was your week?

Do you have any plans for next week?


Good luck with your goals! unity

  • DragonBallZinn [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    10 days ago

    Almost done with dry January, a whole month alcohol free!

    I now want to start on a bigger challenge: reclaiming my attention span. Not only do I want to be able to have the attention span to handle larger workloads that might actually benefit me like learning a new skill/hobby, or applying to more jobs, but I also want to become better at dealing with boredom.

    I spend WAY too much time here and it’s not healthy (nor good opsec) to use this website as a personal diary.

    What are some good ways to start getting my attention span back? I’m thinking of reading some of the physical books I have just to start and I hope to also figure out what I want to do in life to the point I’m taking classes again.

    • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      8 days ago

      I spend WAY too much time here and it’s not healthy (nor good opsec) to use this website as a personal diary.

      Communism is built through being with the homies online, but also doing stuff offline. Totally undestandable.

    • moonlake [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 days ago

      Hell yeah, congratulations on the sober streak! skeleton-motorcycle

      I spend WAY too much time here and it’s not healthy (nor good opsec) to use this website as a personal diary.

      I do journaling and it’s the best habit I’ve ever developed. I highly recommend it.

      What are some good ways to start getting my attention span back? I’m thinking of reading some of the physical books I have just to start and I hope to also figure out what I want to do in life to the point I’m taking classes again.

      I agree, reading physical books is a great idea to improve your attention span. I think mindfulness and meditation are also good. Mindfulness just means paying full attention to whatever you’re doing. I like to listen to podcasts every day but I make sure to have some mindful activities where I’m just focusing on the thing I’m doing. Especially when I’m eating food or going for a walk. For meditation, I recommend installing any free meditation app (I use Insight Timer) and listening to guided meditations.

  • MoonElf [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    10 days ago

    ahoy comrades!!! I had a pretty good week this week. I was able to abstain from eating any meat and i’m happy about this. I also stuck to my physical therapy exercises and my legs and butt feel terrific. I was able to give myself a fifth injection and while it didn’t go perfectly i think it’s getting easier. I would like to have even less hesitation with it.

    I did not abstain from alcohol and cannabis so that’s my main focus this week, still keeping up with the other things but also no drinking and no smoking. I can do it i have everything else on lock down and now this effort can receive my full focus so no excuses this is happening.

  • Skeleton_Erisma [they/them, any]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    10 days ago

    I have found a way to resume my workout regimen with bus driving.

    Since I started, I’ve not only stopped going to the gym consistently but I’ve also gained weight. Another issue was me picking up junk food while in training. Our training buses always stopped at shopping centers with fast food or in front of convenience stores packed silly with processed junk.

    Now that the dust has settled and I’m in revenue service I can balance out work with a routine and cut back on junk food.

  • LocalOaf [they/them, ze/hir]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    10 days ago
    pros; general life competency stuff, pets, car stuff

    January has probably been the most productive (and stressfulcatgirl-flop) month I’ve had in years and it still isn’t over lol

    Took care of financial shit I’d been putting off for a long time, got a nice used car, working on my resumé and thinking of finishing a degree. Cats are getting their first vet visits and vaccines and chips (2 down, 2 to go. They’ve been really good.) meow-bounce

    cons; alcohol/nicotine addiction, mental health, injury, broken bone

    Been super stressed and irritable and busy and drinking like a fish and smoking like a chimney

    Managed to stop myself yesterday from buying more booze and smokes after I ran out and have switched back to vaping and zyn for the nicotine, gonna try to make it through the rest of the week alcohol free

    Broke my fuckin’ hand lmao

    Had a meltdown after getting locked out due to someone else’s stupidity and ineptitude and it was just the last straw and I snapped and just started pummeling the door as hard as I could until my hand gave out

    Put a about an ⅛" dent in a metal door and broke my fifth metacarpal

    First ever broken bone, surprisingly

    This shit sucks ass lmao

    At least people have been surprisingly nice to me


    • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      8 days ago

      cons; alcohol/nicotine addiction, mental health, injury, broken bone

      I want Communism to happen exactly for all those reasons. You should have systems of social support that exist to help you when life comes at you too fast.

      • LocalOaf [they/them, ze/hir]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 days ago

        Update on the cons, swelling has gone down on the hand and I’m not watching the clock waiting for pain meds. Have an appointment tomorrow with the orthopedic place to hopefully set it correct and get a long term cast.

        addiction

        Relapsed again on both, AND got my first ever speeding ticket last night, AND my dad had a fall and is going to the hospital and it doesn’t look good

        FUCK YOU, IT’S JANUARY

        catgirl-flop

      • LocalOaf [they/them, ze/hir]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 days ago

        Update on the pros, got the other 2 kitties in yesterday for their shots and microchips. Curly didn’t wanna get in the carrier, then didn’t wanna leave it, then didn’t wanna get back into it when it was over. Felix complained (gently) the whole time but was well behaved. Not as good of a trip as Rosie and Goggles had, but still surprisingly good for their first trips. catgirl-heart

  • CommunistBear [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    9 days ago

    I’m back and I’m back on the wagon. I’m up to 38 days with no alcohol. I’m California sober though so I still smoke weed. It’s wild to me how quickly my alcohol cravings basically disappear as soon as I start smoking weed again. I know it’s not great for me but considering how much I was drinking before, any way of reducing that is good imo.

    I need to start being more physical in my day to day life. My weight is hovering around 200 lbs rn after peaking out at around 210 over the holidays. For the longest time I wasn’t able to eat dairy so saying no to various desserts was easy for me but ever since fixing my lactose intolerance I’ve been making up for lost time. I really should go back to biking to work everyday as a form of latent exercise but riding my motorcycle is just more fun and easier. On top of that, I really need to start doing stuff to get stronger. I want to start rock climbing again but the cost is making it way less appealing.

    I’ll add more next time, as of now my plans are to keep on keeping on.

    • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      8 days ago

      . I’m up to 38 days with no alcohol. I’m California sober though so I still smoke weed. It’s wild to me how quickly my alcohol cravings basically disappear as soon as I start smoking weed again. I know it’s not great for me but considering how much I was drinking before, any way of reducing that is good imo.

      Hell yeah. kim-salute

      You’re making progress and that’s worth celebrating. Weed as a buffer to keep the alcohol at bay doesn’t sound too bad to me! Keep it up

      I want to start rock climbing again but the cost is making it way less appealing.

      Hell yeah, get strong and touch grass at the same time!

  • Rojo27 [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    10 days ago

    Whole month has been a bit of a disaster. Gym/workout routine completely broken. I could count with one hand the number of times I’ve worked out during the entire month. I’ve had a lot of work to deal with as well as helping with my dad’s care at home.

  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.netM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    8 days ago

    I relapsed today and bought a vape :/ I really need to figure out how to handle my emotions when things blow up that isn’t me reaching for the vape. With this news about medicaid getting slashed had me really dreading the future and I was being so positive and upbeat then the rug just got pulled from under me.

  • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    8 days ago

    I’m doing good. Making moves, trying to get myself ahead in the techno-dork-verse as I try to advance my career in computers. Still running, still reading, still staying active, still trying to improve myself for myself that I may be better for others. All is pretty good in the realm of LGOrcStreetSamurai