Last year, I realized I was mentally burned out from constant reaching for my phone, I was mindlessly scrolling or just cycling through the same apps without a reason at all. I couldn't handle my quite moments without peeping into the phone.

I decided to give dopamine reset a shot. not perfect but better than anything else i have tried so far. here is what worked for me:
30-Day Detox: Cut my screen time in half over two weeks. Didn’t go cold turkey but set strict limits for social media and distractions.

Redirect Habits: Replaced phone time with taking a walk outside. This was tough at first but effective.

Strict App Blocking: Made mornings and evenings completely avoiding my phone. This cleared my mind than i had thought.

Relearn Boredom: Realized boredom isn’t that much bad, it’s where the best ideas and calm moments come from. I do love this now.

After about 3 months later, I’m now more focused, calm, and present. I still slip sometimes, but overall, it’s about taking control of my mind.

I didn’t plan to write this, but something told me I should. Back in May, I was done. Not tired done. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus, and everything felt so heavy.

There were days I just stared at the ceiling wondering, “Is this it?” I didn’t see the point in anything. Not in talking to people. Not in getting better. I was seriously thinking of ending everything.

But one night I told myself: Give it one more week. No expectations, no pressure. Just survive.

That one week turned into another. And slowly… I started to breathe again. Started writing. Started sorting the mess in my head. And yesterday for the first time in years I laughed. Like, really laughed. No fake smile. No pretending.

I know Reddit isn’t therapy, but if this finds someone who’s in the same darkness: Please hold on. You don’t need to fix your life. Just stay for another week. You might be surprised what that week brings.

I need as many as insights Im so done with feeling all these negative emotions and thoughts all the time. im trying my best to get better but I go into the same loop. Ive been to doctors also, but idk. Im still trying and need some help. Tysm

It's literally so impossible to the positive in a world like this. Everything is just awful. I hate seeing news of people dying or suffering, it breaks my heart and ruins my day. I wanted to help people around the world so badly. I can't handle bad news in the slightest. But what can i do? Just ignore everything around me and just stay infinity bliss? People don't have that luxury, so why should I?

A friend has really let me down this year. He didn’t reply to me for two weeks when I told him my grandmother had died. He asked me for drinks one night with his friends and I answered and said sure I’ll join, 2 hours later he didn’t tell me which bar and so I called. He didn’t answer and said he still needed to shower and I said ok hope it’s before midnight then as I’m getting tired. No response even though he was online one hour later, he completely messed me around, never texted and never apologised.

After my birthday he said he needs to buy me a birthday coffee one evening. He was late to the meeting, changed the meeting place, brought two other random friends along and spent the entire evening on the phone to 3 different people about unimportant topics. When he was off the phone finally, he was just walking with one of the friends and not speaking to me. The only time he did speak was to take the mic out of me buying a chocolate bar and said “oh course you would buy the most sugary thing here” and laughed.

I felt hurt. He knew he had done wrong and sent me a text saying “hey was nice to see you sorry I got caught up in three phone calls ans we didn’t get chance to talk properly. We shall meet again soon!”

The apology felt poor and if you really wanted to make it up to your friend, you wouldn’t apologise like that or even behave like that after bailing on the drinks and poor reply after grandma died.

He texted me now whilst I’m on vacation saying “where are you on vacation then? I moved to your office so looking forward to lunches when you are back. Come back soon”

I never even suggested lunch or agreed to it and I am really angry and not in the mood to meet but don’t want to appear rude. I will answer but I don’t know how to sound polite without committing to a meeting.

It is indisputable, temperatures are climbing exponentially and our world leaders are asleep at the wheel in doing something about it. Protesters and climate worries aren't being taken seriously and I don't know how to cope with the impending collapse of everything happening in front of my very eyes before I have even managed to become comfortable with my own existence. This isn't like how things have looked bad in the past, this is worse so please do not try to convince me otherwise.

“No amount of anxiety makes any difference to anything that is going to happen.” – Alan Watts

This quote helped me realize that anxiety doesn’t change the future; it only takes away from the present. By focusing on what I could control and letting go of what I couldn’t, I found more peace. It worked for me, and I’m confident it can work for others, too.

I'm about 5 weeks into quitting nicotine after using it everyday for 10 years. This isn’t my first time trying to quit, but I really want it to stick this time. Thing is, I’m still getting cravings. Sometimes it’s a quick thought, sometimes it’s all consuming. It’s starting to feel like it’s getting in the way of really enjoying life again. For those of you who’ve been here, what helped you keep going? I would really appreciate any advice or even just knowing I’m not alone.

I stopped caring about results and started caring about showing up. Life got way better.

Okay so this is gonna sound weird but hear me out.

I used to be that person who would beat myself up over everything. Didn't get the job? I'm trash. Bombed a date? Clearly undateable. Gained 5 pounds? Time to hate myself for a week.

Then my therapist said something that broke my brain: "What if you stopped caring about whether you succeed and started caring about whether you try?"

At first I was like... that's the dumbest advice ever. Of course results matter, right?

But then I actually tried it and holy shit.

Instead of getting mad when I didn't lose weight, I started getting excited about going to the gym. Instead of stressing about whether people liked my Instagram posts, I got excited about taking cool photos. Instead of freaking out about my grades, I got excited about actually understanding the material.

Here's what I noticed:

When I praised myself for outcomes, I felt good maybe 30% of the time (when things went well). When I praised myself for effort, I felt good like 90% of the time because I could control that part.

My gym example: Before, I'd weigh myself every day and either feel amazing or terrible. Now I just check off whether I showed up. Some days I half-ass it, some days I crush it, but I always feel good about going.

The weirdest part? My results actually got better. Turns out when you're not constantly stressed about failing, you perform better. Who knew?

I'm not saying don't have goals. I'm saying celebrate the daily grind instead of just the finish line.

Like yesterday I spent 3 hours working on this project and it still looks like garbage. Old me would've been pissed. New me was like "damn, I put in 3 solid hours" and felt proud.

Anyone else notice this? Or am I just late to the party here?

Also if you try this and it doesn't work, don't blame me lol. Just sharing what helped me stop being so hard on myself all the time.

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I've been wondering about this for a while, because it honestly feels impossible to just stop and be in the moment.

My brain is constantly craving a change in activity. And if mindfulness is about noticing how water feels running over your hands while doing the dishes, or really being present in a conversation with a friend… well, my mind jumps from one thing to another every 10 seconds.

So how the hell are you supposed to make this work?

I’d genuinely love to hear from folks who’ve struggled with this and have found ways to build a mindfulness practice that actually sticks

No matter how real your pain is, someone will always call it fake. No matter how deeply you feel, someone will say you're being dramatic. And no matter how far you’ve come, someone will still question your story.

But they weren’t there in the silence when you almost gave up. They didn’t feel your breath tremble when you chose to stay. They don’t know the war you fought just to smile again.

Let them misunderstand. Let them whisper. Let them doubt.

You’re not here to impress them. You’re here to heal. You’re here to grow. You’re here to live.

And you’re doing better than you think.

Keep going. Quiet strength is still strength.

this was while driving. he didn't like something I did and spit in my face through the open window. I chased after him but I let him get away when we came to a school bus with the stop sign out. he drove through the stop sign.

I grew up being bullied my whole life, and developed a violent response to such behavior (coincidentally this helped the bullying stop). every strand of my body wants to hunt him down and punch him in the throat.

I want to calm down, not just for the moral aspect, but I fear this will affect my sleep and mental well-being :(

I am angry. I rent an apartment in one of these huge multi-unit buildings owned by a private equity firm. They don't fix things. I'm dealing with structural problems in my apartment. I've reported them. I'm angry and feel taken advantage of. How do I keep these angry thoughts from distracting me? I find myself ruminating and giving these people too much of my head space.

Update: Thank you all for your wonderful advice and thoughtful insights. I'm new here and I love this subreddit!!!

In all my life, mindfulness has been my biggest challenge. It's like my mind has endless loop of thoughts coming in. And I hear that “you need to separate yourself from the thoughts and just observe them from afar"- this is something ive never been able to implement.

I try all sorts of mindfulness meditations, they don't really seem to work and it's been getting frustrating lately.

Is there anyone who has had some trouble and were able to fix this?

Any advice, videos, books, resources anything works. Please help me out you guys.

Some days I thought, I’m failing at mindfulness. My mind wandered, I forgot to practice, or I didn’t feel calm at all. But here’s the thing: mindfulness isn’t about doing it “right.” It’s about showing up — even imperfectly.

If all you can do today is notice your breath once, or pay attention while drinking water, that is mindfulness.

So if you feel like you’re falling short, please remember: you’re not behind. You’re still on the path.

Honestly… i wrote down some prayers and affirmations that help when it gets too much. Just things i use when everything feels so overwhelming. it’s all free so if it helps you, feel free to claim it 💙 no pressure or anything, just sharing what’s helped me through check link below if you wanna Free Anxiety Prayers

Your brain has mastered the art of derailing your ambitions while giving you the illusion of being busy.

It fools you into thinking that studying equals doing. That organizing equals starting. That rehearsing equals performing.

Someone might spend weeks analyzing different diet plans without changing a single meal. Or browse through business tutorials for months without taking one concrete step. The setup becomes a stand-in for the actual work.

Here's what's really going on: Your brain is keeping you comfortably distant from potential disappointment by keeping you comfortably distant from genuine effort. It's protecting you from the discomfort of sucking at something brand new.

Every time you decide to learn more instead of act, you're reinforcing your habit of postponing. Every time you hold out for the right moment, you're practicing evasion.

This whole pattern of undermining yourself through "readiness" is something that gets thoroughly examined in an ebook called "What You Chose Instead" by Ryder Eubanks (you can find it on "ekselense"). I think it's the best way to understand this cycle right now since it's presented in such a clear, digestible format. It stands out compared to everything else I've encountered.

The tough truth is that most "readiness" is just fear dressed up as diligence.

You don't need more knowledge. You need to act with what you currently possess. You don't need perfect timing. You need to move while everything is messy.

The future version of yourself exists beyond the point of acting before you feel equipped. But your brain keeps telling you that being equipped is a necessity rather than an outcome.

Taking steps creates insight, not the opposite. Stop rehearsing for life and start living messily.

I used to think mindfulness meant meditating on a cushion for 30 minutes, eyes closed, breathing deeply.

Now I realize... it can be something much smaller.

• Putting my phone down while drinking water.
• Not checking the time when I walk.
• Letting a deep breath come naturally, without forcing it.
• Doing one thing… slowly.

No app. No perfect posture. Just me, learning how to be here, without trying to “fix” the moment.

It’s not dramatic. But it’s changing how I move through the day.

Just thought I’d share in case anyone else needed the reminder:
You don’t need to master mindfulness.
You need to practice not abandoning yourself in every little moment.

I’ve meditated and cold showered since like 16 or 17. Did yoga since i was 19.

But i feel like i had to learn this stuff because of generational trauma and result of sociological imagination, so basically duty.

Idk, I’m damn near 22 and i fucked up. I spent the past year drinking and doing weed because I didn’t wanna be responsible anymore and i could finally buy drugs. And none of that really healed me completely either.

I just don’t wanna live sometimes. None of this stuff helped.

The voice in my head never stops. Whether it’s repeating songs, going through fake scenarios, listing a dozen thoughts per second, etc. I have tried meditation/mindfulness and I understand the idea of letting thoughts come and go but it doesn’t help with the pure mental exhaustion I feel of a brain that never sleeps.

The only thing I have found that helps is writing or typing my thoughts onto a page but even that is short lived. I am just looking for advice from someone that was able to find some mental relief. I don’t think this is something I can get rid of. It’s more a case of me looking for a way to live with it more effectively.

I struggle with racing thoughts when I’m trying to fall asleep, and it often keeps me up for hours. What techniques or routines have helped you quiet your mind and get better sleep when anxiety hits at night?

It doesn’t always look like throwing away all the past or waking up one day completely "okay." Sometimes healing is just brushing your teeth even though you didn’t want to get out of bed. It’s replying to one message even if you left ten others on read. It’s going out in the sunlight for 10 minutes and telling yourself, “At least I tried today.” It’s sitting silently for hours and then whispering, “I’m tired, but I’m still here.”

Nobody claps for this kind of healing. There’s no medal for it. But I see you. If today all you did was survive quietly that’s still something.

You’re not behind. You’re just rebuilding at your own pace. And that’s more than enough.

And honestly, during this journey, writing in a journal and spending quiet time with a coloring book helped more than I expected. It gave my thoughts a place to go, and my hands something gentle to do when my mind felt too loud.

Just putting this out here in case someone else might need something like that too.