I never thought I’d be someone who could stick with a habit for this long, but here I am, 397 days of meditation in a row. It started small, just 2 minutes a day, but tracking it in Mainspring habit tracker app kept me motivated to keep going.

At first, it felt like a chore, but now it’s something I actually look forward to. It’s helped me feel calmer, more focused, and way less stressed. Honestly, I’m just proud of myself for showing up every day.

Anyone else crushing their habit goals? Let’s celebrate some wins!

I want to say it is since everyone else has someone there with them but being alone isn't that rare of a sight

Any ONCEs in the chat?

Not saying u cant be depressed, i mean in depressed asf... but like im just reading these posts and we as a generation are going thru it god damn 💀.

I remember when i was younger and id post or go on r/teenagers and it was just memes and weird shit but it was fun (dont kno what its like nowadays tbh) but yh i was expecting this sub to be kinda similar.

But yh sorry if this was a stupid post, and i just wana say to anyone who might be struggling that look were kinda in that awkward stage rn where weve been given alot of independence but were still not at our final stage and have limitations put on us 😤 theres still alot more work to do but alot of fun experiences to have and icl im looking forward to graduating and finally getting a real job so that i can get my money tf up, buy myself a car, get my own place and finally live life how i wana liv it. (Obviously i kno that isnt gona solve everyones problems but i hope it at least gives some ppl a bit of hope 🙂)

So for context Im a 20 years old guy' 3rd year of med school and unlike the vast majority of my peers I did not grow up in a rich household. I just had humble beginnings. Anyway' theres this girl Ive been talking to for a while now and at this point we just hang out regularly' talk to each other everyday' hangout on weekends' sit together in lectures etc.

Alright so this gets me to my point; I think I really like this girl idk if she feels the same about me' I get that feeling but idk Im basically romantically illiterate.

That being said Im actually really scared of going to the next step with her' see i cant help but feel a significant class difference between us and as a guy I feel like she'd probably have more fun had she dated a wealthier person. I just feel outmatched and going with the flow at this point with no clear direction. How should i proceed?

I have been telling myself that it's ok that i still haven't figured myself out, that i still have time, that i am still a young adult.
But last month i turned 24. I am still stuck in my country. I still haven't finished my degree (took 1 gap year and took 1 year long break, and in total i have to study for 5 years to get a bachelor's). And this degree is in TEACHING, and i regret not going for IT, but i've already put too much effort in this college.

It feels like i can't learn any new skills now. I tried learning coding on myself but i each time i just stop.

It helps a bit when i tell myself that i'm still young and i still have all time in the world. But the years come and go, and it feels like i no longer can excuse myself for being a young adult.

Like, i'm 24, next year i am going to be 25, at this point i should have already figured everything out, so i no longer have time to figure myself out.

Sorry, i was going to try to ask some meaningful question or lead to some conclusion at the end, but i ended up just venting lol

I guess, when is it still ok to calm yourself down by saying that you're still young?

Just in case, I don't mean to judge anyone or seek comfort with this post. Just curious. I am 20 years old btw.

You probably heard all those words from previous generations about how hard they had it and how much better young people were back in the days. Feels like those kinds of people are right in my case. Wonder if any of you feel the same?

I for one feel like all the time I've spent during formative years on the internet and computer games made me weaker and much more sorry as a person. I didn't develop social skills, I didn't build up self-discipline, I didn't make meaningful memories. Basically, my entire adolescence was about feeling sorry for myself or hating something for some reason.

It's not that it's all over at this point, but I do have to compensate for all those lost years at this point.

I made a Minecraft server and I’m looking for people who would like to join. Trying to get people around my age to join and not little kids lol.

Dm me for the ip

M, 20 years.

CONTEXT:

I was always very alone and reserved when I was younger, I always had friends, but I only started to make closer friends (with physical contact) at the end of high school, and I was still always afraid of being intimate with others

I've never had intimate contact with the opposite sex and I've never been interested in having it, the general idea of ​​sex is somewhat averse to me (lol), and that's where my problem begins

one of my closest friends is a girl my age, I'd be lying if I didn't say I think she's pretty and stuff, but it's 100% platonic, I like how we're friends and that's about it

However, my body doesn't seem to understand this properly, she is a very clingy person with everyone, including me, it is usual whenever we are together to cuddle, or for me to lie on her and things like that.

But all these occasions are horrible for me because in most of these cases I end up getting erect, completely against my will.

I don't see her that way and I don't want to. I'm scared to death that she'll notice and it will end up ruining our friendship.

I always thought that the more I got used to having this types of interactions, these things would reduce, but that doesn't seem to be the case, I don't know what to do, is this normal? What to do if she notices?

I know truama exists and not everybody has a nice life. trust me I know. I have dealt with starvation, severe mental illness, suicide attempts, addiction, self harm, psych stays, non sexual abuse and I've just in general witnessed bad things. I'm not ignorant to bad things that happen in the world.

but life isnt that bad. I feel like there is so much to be admired and appreciated in so many places. I think beauty can be found in so many little places. even the seemingly boring things. Humans arent all terrible evil people. the majority of people are empathetic. most people wont kill another person for money. most of the terrible things people do are out of fear or ignorance. not malice or psychopathy.

I dont understand how people can get through day to day life with such a cynical world view. I domt know the cause of it.

I know this sounds super lame, but hear me out. I (28F) graduated from undergrad in 2018, finished grad school in 2022 after taking a year off. I still pass for my early 20s; everyone thinks I’m younger than I am lol.

So, during my college years, I never actually went to big parties. I had a few friends, we hung out, and that was about it. I’m not the big party type, but I kinda regret not trying to go to a frat party even once. So now it’s on my bucket list of “do this before I look too old to get in”.

First, what do I wear? Second, is there anything that would give me away as being “too old” to be there, like not having a student ID? And I’m guessing the method of finding a party is just go to a school with frat houses on a Friday night and there’s bound to be some lol

i don’t want to come off as mean because i don’t think im a mean person, but it feels like a lot of people i met at work that i hang out with and would consider friends im starting to get bored of. some of them have kids, or are just a lot older than me. usually it doesn’t matter but i just still feel lonely. i feel like i should have friends my own age but even people my own age already have kids and lives and it makes it hard. hanging out with these friends i NEVER get them alone. they’re either with their kids or we’re at work. and i don’t want to complain because children come FIRST. but i just feel like we don’t have anything in common. before i moved away for college (before dropping out) i had lots of fun people who would go out and didn’t expect me to babysit or hangout with their kiddos. idk maybe it’s just the age group im around but i just feel so depressed about it. i want to be around people again who like to go out and listen to music and be spontaneous. (not to say that my mom friends don’t WANT to do these things). i think they’re great people but maybe we’re just at different stages of life.

do any of you have a job you catagorize as a REAL job? how did you get it? where do you go? what do you do? someone please give advice on how to find a big girl job that i won’t hate for the next 50 years

I'm after a small group of people that have not listened to nor have any real interest in death metal to listen to a short list of high intensity tracks by different bands to see how you feel. Preferably you'd be doing some sort of activity whilst listening like exercising, work or chores. For me the speed, aggression and technicality can be very motivational and energizing. It also works for any mood. Whether you're feeling on top of the world or down in the dumps, metal will always be there for you. You may not be able to understand what they're saying, but in this genre that doesn't matter. It's all about the musicianship. Would love to see what peoples reactions are

Living at home saving up to get my own place and my mom just informed me that she’s cancelling our internet and doing just cable. I cannot live without it since I use my PC almost everyday, can anyone tell me a good internet provider thats in the CT area. Nothing fancy!!! Just something that won’t take 600 yrs to load. Ty!

I might be homeless in few months if I don’t find a solution.. I’ve been living with my brother and his gf since October, pay 500$ month for room. They planning on selling the house soon.. I don’t know where I’m going to live.. I have other siblings but all boys and they all are in relationships so I can’t live with any of them.. I need to find a studio apartment but the city I live they rent it for 1500+ per month.. I’m a 20 year old F Credit is bad due to parents putting debt under my name.. I WFH make 2000$ a month I can’t afford a 1500 studio.. I have my car that if ever I don’t have nowhere I can sleep in.. trying not to cry while writing this.. never thought I’ll be in situations like this.. It’s my 21 bday in few weeks and I just feel like I have no direction.. I’ve never been in a relationship.. I believe I never had a man really loving me and it hurt more than I let it show.. In this 20 years of life I never had a valentine or birthday dinner organized by a partner always been single on my bday. The only gift I’m asking god this year it’s a roof for myself where I can lay my head and love ..

Thank you for y’all I needed a place to get this out🤍 appreciate all the support I’ll let yall know where I end up lol😉

No this not a CV check I just want to know for personal reasons- I’ve been working since I was 16 I started off in a charity shop for 3 months then had the following jobs:

Dessert place (almost 8 months), had to quit bc it wasn’t flexible with starting uni and the place shut down anyways 2 months after I left and the manager was toxic and awful at ever paying me on time and the correct amount.

Admin assistant & receptionist - at a salon and hairdressing/beauty academy started off full time then slowly to only Saturdays, job requires me to book clients in and out, cancel appointments, sell retail, make marketing content, design and write up manuals/instruction booklets for beauty/hair students, make social media content and promote both salon and academy, do inventory and stock, file invoices, bookkeeping. (This place is literally less than a minute from my house) started in march 2023

Trainee biomedical scientist - as part of my degree I took a 1 year placement contract in NHS laboratory being trained to become a BMS after I graduate, completed my IBMS portfolio so I’ll be HCPC registered after I graduate. This was Mon-Fri 9-5 (+2hr commute) and on Saturdays id do the admin job at the salon/academy. In the beginning I told my boss id be leaving the admin job but then times got tough and I had to move out and needed extra money so she kindly put me back in on Saturdays as that’s all I could manage while doing placement. The lab offered me NHS-P so I could do bank shifts but I didn’t take it because it was too far away and I hated a lot of people on my team so they left a sour taste for me in that lab.

Research Assistant - so in between these jobs sometimes there are short contract summer placements for students to help their professors with research and collecting data and organising studies - I’ve done 3 of these equalling 3 weeks in total in physiology department with stroke patients, microbiology in antibacterial/antimicrobial studies and also respiratory patients in cardio department. I know 1 week in each department is not much but they were paying 13 pound an hour and I’ll take any experience related to my field there’s nothing to lose 🤷🏽‍♀️

Barista - owner of the salon/academy opened a neighbouring coffee shop so im working there 3-4 days a week and admin 1 day a week while I do my last and final year of uni. Working there currently I quite like it. Just opened shop and started only 3 weeks ago. (Literally less than a minutes walk away from work)

I’ve noticed some of my family and friends don’t seem too happy for me about the barista job because they think im ‘meant for more’ but I know plenty of students working shitty jobs and mine could be a lot worse, surely they all know this isn’t what I plan on doing full time for the rest of my life im in university for fucks sake im in STEM !! I want to do way more . But for now while im studying is it SO wrong to be content with a small barista and admin job on the side for now ? I couldn’t even get a full time job in my field if I wanted to because im STILL STUDYING. Jfc someone tell me im not crazy.

I'm almost 25, and I just feel completely lost in life. Finished college 2 years ago and after my dad passed away I 've decided to travel for a little while after getting frustrated with my jobs. Had a great time traveling during these years, but right now I have the urge to put myself together and be an adult. Sometimes I think about going back to college and try something new, sometimes I think I'm too old to start something new. Any advice/similar stories to share?

A friend told me they’re going to change their name and we sat on the phone for hours brainstorming!!! It was sooooooo much fun! And I got to share my baby names with them. They didn’t like any of them for themself because they’re “too girly” but it was just such a blast. Plus idk if I’ll ever have kids because of life circumstances, so it was nice to be able to share the names and the joy. Also, they were gonna pick something boring like Charlie, but I was like “NO YOU GOTTA PICK SOMETHING WICKED!!!” So I convinced them to consider cooler names, it was my duty as a good friend!! Lowkey I have a cool ass name but if I could change it, I already know how I’d make it cooler.

The funniest part of the whole thing was when we came onto Reddit for name ideas and some of them were sooooo random. Like “razor” or “cloud” 😂

10/10 highly recommend getting involved in your friends name changes!!!!! 😎

Edit: wanted to add that Charlie is a slay name, I have a friend Charlie who is literally the coolest person in the whole wide world. No Charlie hate!!!! 💗💗💗

I turned 18 back in September and knew that more responsibilities would be added to my plate, but I'm not completely sure how to handle it.

Over the past month I've felt increasingly busy with tasks that overall don't feel all that productive. I do not have a job (yet), but some things I do on a regular basis include practicing guitar (an hour a day), excercising (an hour every other day), keeping up with class work, chores, and most recently doing facility tours for an apprenticeship I want.

Most of these tasks are not optional, and I'm not willing to take time off of the ones that are; I've always sacrificed my own hobbies for classwork and whatnot. I don't really like that I'm becoming an adult because there aren't really any upsides at this point. If anything some classmates may view me as "cool" due to my strange life experience at my age.

What do I need to do to cope with the loss of free time? I don't expect to have much free time in the coming months/years. As hinted at earlier I'm looking at getting a part time for this semester as I need to start making money to pay for gas and my own personal needs; this is not really optional.

I'm doing the things I love but it almost feels discouraging within the context of real world responsibilities.

I’m a 20 year old f who just started my first corporate job in September after college. It’s an hour drive from my parent’s house so I moved to be closer to work. The only downside is that I’m living on my own without my car. I got my drivers license earlier this year after 2 years of having a permit and practicing. However, my parents won’t allow me to drive the car that I pay insurance for and is under my name. So, they make the drive everyday to take me to and from work, which is taxing on them and the car itself. They’ll pick me up and let me drive home as “practice” and but I’m not sure when they’ll really consider me ready- it’s been 2 years. My job requires some travel, so paying for car insurance and Lyft is getting really expensive for me. On top of that, getting groceries delivered or trips to the grocery store. Not quite sure what to do in this situation, they’re really stubborn so I need as much advice as I can get.

After covid hit I lost all motivation in life. I didn't want to study anymore which caused my grades to slip and prevented me from getting into a decent College.

I've now been working and studying on my own for almost three years, and I feel ready for college.

I met some people my age who study and they tell me all of these amazing stories about the parties they went to, the friends they made, and the people they fell in love with.

The thing is that they are in their final year of their bachelor's, and I'm just starting. And I'm scared that I won't be able to do the things I've heard about. I'll seem too old or boring to have campfire parties by the beach with.

Am I insane in thinking this? Am I alone in thinking this?

I (21F) am doing my master’s, and there’s this guy (28M) in my class who’s been making me really uncomfortable. He joined late, and since our roll numbers are near each other, he started reaching out to me for help. At first, I felt bad for him because he seemed like a loner and he always sits alone and stay alone, so I tried to be kind and assist him. But his behavior quickly became creepy.

He would only call me late at night, around 10 or 10:30 PM, which already felt odd. Initially, he’d repeatedly ask me not to tell anyone that we were talking because he was afraid our classmates would make fun of him. He said this 4-5 times in a single call. I reassured him that we’re all adults, and with only 28 students in the class, everyone gets along like a small family.

Then after an exam, his calls got weirder. He kept asking me if the professor would show us our answer sheets. I told him I didn’t know, but he called me 2-3 more times with the same question. Later, he started asking when classes would begin. I explained that any updates would be shared in the official group, but he kept calling and asking me the same thing over and over.

One night, the conversation shifted. He started asking about my favorite movies, and when I gave vague answers, he began talking about himself. Suddenly, he asked if I’d like to hang out. I told him I’m not someone who likes going out (which is true), and I only go out 3-4 times a year. But he kept pressing me about why I don’t like going out. Then, out of nowhere, he asked if I’d go to a different city with him. I was completely shocked. Why would I travel to another city with someone I barely know, especially a classmate who rarely even attends class?

I tried to politely decline, but he kept pushing. He then asked if I’d at least go to a café with him. I kept dodging the question, but then he suddenly said, in a weird and aggressive tone, “YES OR NO?” I was so disturbed that I just said, “We’ll see,” and ended the call. That whole conversation left me feeling anxious.

After that, he kept calling at night about the same repetitive questions, like when classes would start, and when they finally did, he didn’t even show up for two weeks. The last time we spoke, I told him I don’t like taking calls and that he could ask anything in the unofficial group instead. He got defensive and told me I should pick up his calls. I explained that I don’t even talk to my best friend that often (which is true), but he responded in this strange voice saying, “You can pick up for me.”

I was firm and said no, and he sarcastically replied, “Okay, madam, whatever you say.” That was the last straw for me. I told him he couldn’t talk to me like that. Since then, I’ve been ignoring his calls and texts.

I honestly feel so disturbed by all of this. He’s barely my classmate, and his behavior has been so inappropriate and persistent. The fact that he only calls late at night and pressures me to talk or meet up makes it even worse. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting, but I just needed to share this.

As of rn I work part-time at Vans, have 2 years of experience working in the restaurant industry and even did construction for awhile but due to heart problems I had to leave those industries and focus on something lighter and less demanding, I currently split rent with my ma so we're living in a small apartment in the downtown side of Pomona where it ain't so pretty, we are in the process of moving to another city and possibly out of state, I however am not making enough income to support myself let alone my family and it's tough af out here, We don't live lavish lifestyles and alot of days barely have enough to get by so I'm asking how are y'all getting by?

First of all, I'm a throwaway account because I could be identified on my main, sorry for the lack of karma.

Hi everyone, I’m 26 and I’ve been struggling with this weird mix of curiosity, fear, and insecurity about finally having sex for the first time. I know there’s no “right” age or timeline, but honestly, the older I get, the more pressure I feel, mostly from myself, tbh.

So, recently, I actually had the chance to finally take that step. It was with someone I kinda trust and feel comfortable with., we even started playing truth or dare at a motel (it means something different in my country, its purpose is for couples to have sex, rented for a couple hours) to break the ice (btw, a friend came with me at the start so I wouldn’t feel too nervous being alone with him right away). During the game, he was in just his boxers, and I stayed fully dressed. Some of the dares made me touch him “accidentally,” like his penis, and while he’d pretend it was no big deal, I know it was intentional, he’s not exactly subtle lol.

Anyway, I really thought I was ready, but when it came down to actually doing it, I just froze. I couldn’t let myself get past that mental block, even though I wanted to. The only thing I managed to do was let him see one of my boobs and stimulate it for a bit (which didn’t feel like much, honestly), but that’s as far as it went.

He was super sweet and understanding about it, and I’m grateful for that. But now that I’m home, I’m feeling so conflicted. I’m frustrated with myself for not going through with it, but at the same time, I know deep down I maybe wasn’t 100% ready. I really want to know what sex feels like, both physically and emotionally, but my fears just took over in the moment.

I’ve explored my own body and I know what I like, but I’m scared that with someone else it’ll feel awkward or underwhelming. Plus, being 26 doesn’t help. It’s hard not to feel like I’m the only one my age who hasn’t done it yet. I try to remind myself it’s not a race, but sometimes it really feels like I’m behind or missing out.

So, I guess my question is: how do I get past this fear and finally feel ready? Is it normal to be so conflicted when I know I want this? Has anyone else been in this situation and eventually felt okay about it?

Thanks for reading all this. I’d really appreciate any advice or stories you’re willing to share, and also sorry if this isn't the place to talk about it 🙏

My girlfriend and I are both 23 year old orphans with a dog and 2 cats living in Wisconsin. We are sick of the cold and have no ties here anymore so we decided we want to move across the country to South Carolina. I recently inherited just north of $20,000 and I have no debt. Neither of us have degrees or set career paths so we just plan on getting jobs once we get down there.

Does anyone have any advice for us?

Anyone else feel like this? I’m 20 and the manager at my job but feel like I could do more whether that be gym or go back to school. I just feel like I’m not doing life fully I guess?

Hey guys, I really need some genuine advice. On my 18th birthday (august 2024) me and my older brother moved in with my dad. I do not go to school, but we both work everyday, providing our own food, and paying for our portion of the rent. My dad works out of town so he is rarely home, and when he does come home it’s always a “surprise”. As of recently, me and my dad have been constantly arguing about me not being in school (that is a whole other story, which I also have posted about on here.) But tonight really changed my view on a lot of things, and I’m just really clueless on what I am meant to do. Here’s what happened.

I woke up this morning not feeling well, i was throwing up off and on, my head was throbbing, and I was exhausted. I had the day off work, so I decided to have a “lazy day”. I ended up falling asleep after me and my brother ate dinner, and I woke up to my dad SCREAMING at us. He called me all the ignorant names in the book, telling me I was nothing but a failure to him. I tried apologizing to him, telling him I was working on bettering myself, in which he told me that that would not be good enough. He started telling me to leave, so I went to my room to start packing my stuff. He followed me into the room, telling me that I was not allowed to take MY belongings. I argued with him, saying that I was only taking the stuff I had paid for and that he couldn’t stop me from doing that. When I said that, he completely lost it. He grabbed my bag out of my hands and threw it across my room, he then grabbed me by my arm so hard to the point my arm is covered in bruises, and he attempted to drag me out of the house. I ended up getting away from him, and locking myself in the bathroom. I tried texting my mom asking her to pick me up, but my phone died before I sent the message. I knew I couldn’t just stay in the bathroom all night, so I decided I should just go out and try to plug my phone in so I could figure out a plan for the night. As I opened the bathroom door, my dad barged in. He grabbed me and threw my onto the ground. I smashed my head on the ground, and really hurt my arm. My dad continued to yell in my face while pushing me into the corner. When I tried getting away, he just got more physical (grabbing me, pushing me, etc). Finally, my brother came in and grabbed my dad off me, in which I grabbed my phone, and shoes, and left. It was -12, I had no coat, no wallet, and the only place I could think of going was to my little brothers dad (my mom lives in a different town then me). When he answered the door I immediately broke down crying, while telling him what just happened. He called my mom for me, and told her what happened while I tried calming myself down. My mom has been trying to tell me to call the cops and press charges, but I don’t know if that is the right thing to do. I am still so stuck, and don’t know what I am meant to do. Do I press charges, or do I just cut him out of my life on my own?

Sorry if this did not make much sense, all of this happened less then 3 hours ago so I’m still a bit shook up😅

My friend (Female 24) is dating this guy (Male 26) but his friend (Male 23) (now I find currently very annoying as does my friend) won’t stop acting clingy and kinda like a baby. My friend and her bf have been together a little less than a year and we’re long distance the first few months of their relationship before he moved to where me and my friend are. I’ve asked here before because I wanted to know the possible root issues of his friends clingyness bc it’s too much and how it can be resolved. Like I’m really out here thinking the man is secretly in love with his friend or something cuz if that’s the case i feel like that would be so toxic, but he’s usually out with other girls so I guess I don’t wanna assume. My friends boyfriends friend is single and his other friends have gfs and my friends bf is kinda his best friend but my friend overheard him whining to her bf on a few occasions about wanting to hang out with him instead. He’s also completely moved to their vicinity to be close by which made sense at first bc my friends bf met her in our town away from his home and they kinda went long distance before he pretty much moved here for months. I can get if that friend feels he has to make up lost time but he’s very clingy and feels like he should always be around them. Like im her friend and I have my own life but im concerned because it’s her first real relationship and this man I just get a bad feeling that he’s gonna wreck their relationship somehow.(thought I’d add more context to my last post, although writing every single thing would make my thumb go numb)

My 20th birthday is in less than 3 months and I’ve been trying to figure out how to celebrate it. I’m thinking about inviting a few close friends to celebrate. So far, I’ve thought of the following activities, which will all happen in 1 day:

• skeet shooting at a local range
• going to the movies
• dinner at a restaurant

Anyone have other suggestions? I don’t want to go anywhere expensive, and I’m inviting some people from out of town.