your big sis 💋

The $1 per hour rule. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. If I’m purchasing physical media, I consider it good value if I can expect to get at least one hour of enjoyment for every dollar I spend on it.

I don’t remember what I spent on BG3, but I know it was a good deal because I’ve logged 600 hours in it. Hades II costs $30, and I was more than happy to pay that because I know I’ll play it for at least 30 hours. When I add books to my library, I almost exclusively buy used books that cost under $5 because 5 hours is a good average estimate for how long it takes me to finish a novel.

Actively seek out things that inspire wonder

Look for the good parts. There are good parts. There are interesting parts. There will always be good and interesting parts.

Treat yourself kindly. This one is difficult.

Do things out of ridiculous whimsy.

Practice cog itive behavioural exercises to self-examine and address beliefs and behaviors that are causing suffering.

Don't argue when people compliment you.

Don't rush yourself, and don't assume it'll be like this forever when you have a backslide. These things happen. Over time, they happen less.

Be honest with the people you love and trust.

Tell people how much they mean to you and what you like about them.

Help others and find satisfaction in being the stranger that did something good

Consider speaking to a medical professional, my antidepressants and anti-anxiety medical took some time to figure out but life is WAY better.

Have a silly little craft or hobby.

Let yourself be bored sometimes. Stand outside in the rain and let yourself get wet. Go on a walk. Put your phone in a different room and wander off. Meet up with a friend and go on a long walk together to nowhere in particular

Start doing things because you want to and it feels good, not just because you think it's something you should say yes to.

Say yes to things.

Take a random day of the week and go into a store or a business you've never been in before.

Compliment strangers when something about them is striking.

Read books and watch movies that make you feel the exact right amount of ecstatic and embarrassed, and make all the silly noises about it.

Collect scraps of fabric and little trinkets and all the little textures and colours you love and stash them in a shoebox or something like a tiny dragon's hoard.

Start a collection of something small and inexpensive. Like corks.

Make food with ingredients you've never used before

Make long lists of all your favorite things- flowers, bugs, songs, foods, places

Start a trash-book to fill with scraps of neat wrappers and bits of paper and colored fabric from old ruined clothes

Imagine yourself as a alien from a dead and barren world who has just arrived on this planet for the very first time and imagine how excited you would be by every little thing

my comments on that post were (sorry for shamelessly copy-pasting them):

Hint – it's NOT because it makes your bedroom look like a frat boy's first apartment who spent all his money on a giant TV (also on the floor) and a ps5 and one sad mattress on the floor. (Although this is also a good reason, to avoid being that guy, it is not the actually important reason.)

The reason is this:

You will get mold or mildew under your mattress if the mattress doesn't have air circulation happening underneath it. Air circulation is possible when the mattress is lifted up off of the floor with a bed frame, or if you have a floor mattress, when you regularly roll the mattress back up off the floor.

Do not just dump a mattress on the floor and leave it there.

You are a warm sweaty body lying on a mattress at night and all the sweat, moisture, and oils will get trapped between the mattress and your floor if there's no circulation. If you have a floor/tatami style mattress, you actually have to be frequently rolling that back up and moving it for the same reason.

Traditional floor mattresses get put away (taken off the floor) after sleeping, which brings in the necessary air circulation!

don't give yourself a moldy or mildewy mattress – those things are expensive.

The cheapest options are:

buy the cheapest frame you can find when you buy a mattress

or buy the super basic frame that comes with the mattress as a bundle offer

find a used mattress frame somewhere for free or cheap. Facebook marketplace, buy nothing, used furniture stores, estate sales, moving giveaways, whatever.

DIY a mattress frame if you have the time, energy, knowledge, and can find supplie

Buy a floor mattress you are committed to regularly rolling or folding up to provide air circulation

you want to distance yourself from that friend and interact less frequently? get closer with other friends, and talk with them more.

you want to drink less gatorade/soda? start drinking more water or tea.

you want to play less video games? play more card or board games.

you want to eat less junk food? cook more home meals or go to better restaurants where you can.

This is one of the many reasons why authoritarian parenting doesn’t work.

The father here is clearly not authoritarian. He acknowledges that children deserve explanations for why their actions are wrong. He acknowledges that it's wrong to use your size against someone. And I'm going to guess that he leads by example. He was able to enforce a rule by explaining the reason for it instead of by demanding subservience to him.

meditate first thing in the morning

journal any thoughts to clear your mind

dance to your favorite songs

get lost in a book

take a walk

exercise + move your body

make home cooked meals

hot shower before bed

stretch with deep breathing

watch more sunrises + sunsets

play board + skill games on free time

watch comfort movies without your phone

sip tea while watching rain fall

morning sun on your face