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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   1314 thread views

Wellness Wednesday for April 1, 2026

The Wednesday Wellness threads are meant to encourage users to ask for and provide advice and motivation to improve their lives. It isn't intended as a 'containment thread' and any content which could go here could instead be posted in its own thread. You could post:

  • Requests for advice and / or encouragement. On basically any topic and for any scale of problem.

  • Updates to let us know how you are doing. This provides valuable feedback on past advice / encouragement and will hopefully make people feel a little more motivated to follow through. If you want to be reminded to post your update, see the post titled 'update reminders', below.

  • Advice. This can be in response to a request for advice or just something that you think could be generally useful for many people here.

  • Encouragement. Probably best directed at specific users, but if you feel like just encouraging people in general I don't think anyone is going to object. I don't think I really need to say this, but just to be clear; encouragement should have a generally positive tone and not shame people (if people feel that shame might be an effective tool for motivating people, please discuss this so we can form a group consensus on how to use it rather than just trying it).

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New year's resolutions check-in:

  • Posted my eighth blog post of the year on Sunday, a review of the worst book I read last year, Nell Zink's Doxology. Expanded from a comment I posted here.
  • Went to the gym three times last week. Came down with a cold on Sunday which I'm only just getting over, so haven't been to the gym yet this week. Can deadlift 1.8x my bodyweight for 3 reps, squat 1.05x for 8 reps and bench press .85x for 6 reps.
  • Have not consumed any pornography since waking up on January 1st.

How goes it, @thejdizzler, @birb_cromble, @falling-star, @Tollund_Man4 and @self_made_human? (For the latter – any progress on that task you were completing for me?)

Nicotine pouches are now banned in France so that's one vice down, even if I try to order some online (not sure if that's legal anymore) I'll be over the worst of the withdrawals by the time the delivery comes. The timing isn't bad - the restaurant I work in is closing and they may not even open this weekend so I've got a few days off work to get over the nicotine before I start working at a new place on Monday.

I did drink a lot more in the past week, but I made some friends and I worked out the details of the new job over some whiskey. A Moroccan guy is getting fired to get me the job, he recently refused to take orders from women or anyone younger than him (he's 38) because he has 2 wives (to paraphrase). French law makes it hard to fire people but the head chef says he knows how to get rid of people quickly.

Gaming, I did stay up late two nights playing Menace but once I start the new job I won't have time for that.

  1. Work: Need to get some projects off my plate, as I feel like I'm juggling too many balls right now. Still on track to graduate next May, if not sooner.
  2. Fitness: 11 hours last week again. Amazing workout again this morning: 40 min tempo at 5:40 pace, which is around 15-20 sec/mile faster than my planned Boston pace! Nearly bonked at the end, which means that I'm not fueling as well as I could be.
  3. Intellectual Stuff: Pacific trilogy is done, and working on finishing Italian book. After this is done I'll be working through Game of Thrones (in Spanish) and trying to finish Indigenous continent. Also starting After Virtue by MacIntyre for philosophy book club, which should make for some good discussion.
  4. Finances: Over spending targets last month by about $220, but still had a 7% savings rate because it was an excellent month for dividends. First part of parents' transfer(120k) came through and I liquidated it a few days ago and am keeping it in a 3.5% MM fund until I decide what to do with it. Have already put ~8k of it into my IRA. This coming month expenses should be under 3.2k, even if I do end up signing up for a 70.3 in Madison in September.
  5. Dating: Had a date with the Saudi girl on Saturday, which was fun for about 2 hours, but not so much for the other 3! Will not be seeing her again.
  6. Tarot: No session this week.
  7. Socializing: Went back to Spanish happy hour and silent book club this week. Also stopped by a furry convention in downtown Baltimore and had a good laugh.
  8. Screen time: 1.2 hours again.
  9. Mental health: think anxiety is probably screen time and nutrition related! The anxiety is often accompanied by hunger. Will continue to observe and hopefully get to the bottom of this.

Had a date with the Saudi girl on Saturday, which was fun for about 2 hours, but not so much for the other 3!

So you enjoyed the first two hours, then stuck around for three hours even though you were no longer enjoying yourself?

We went to an art activity (really fun) and then dinner (not as fun) and then I walked her home. Art activity was 2 hours, we had an hour before dinner reservation, then dinner was like 80 min, then walked her home.

The dental work has erased all of my progress so far. Spending is now $531.14 higher than it was at the same time last year. Time to get back on the horse and resume the effort, I guess.

I did got to the gym twice last week, so I breathe a sigh of relief.

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