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PaperclipPerfector  6d ago (text post)   1013 thread views

Wellness Wednesday for April 8, 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:

  • Went to the gym three times last week, although I was getting over a cold so I only did cardio on two of those. Went again this evening, but was feeling a bit run down so only imagined deadlifting and some treadmill. Can deadlift 1.8x my bodyweight for 3 reps, squat 1.1x for 7 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?

Still off the nicotine. I don't really feel cravings anymore and my sleep is still improving.

I drank a lot this week. Saturday was the final night of the restaurant I was working in so we all went out to celebrate losing our jobs. Second time was the beginning heatwave in southwestern France so it was a good excuse for everyone to meet up and we ended up drinking Ricard. It was a lot of fun to be fair but I did waste 2 days being hungover. I started a new job yesterday so that should keep me more disciplined.

  1. Work: Lab meeting today. Working on only three things at a time which seems to be helping with the overwhelm.
  2. Fitness: 10.5 hours with a 23 mile run. Amazing repeat of the 40 min tempo (5:36 pace this time). Cooler temps and fueling helped loads.
  3. Intellectual Stuff: Knocked out a lot of books last week, but need to get back to substack writing!
  4. Finances: Put most of my parents money into 4% CDs. Maybe a conservative move, but I just don't know with all the geopolitical uncertainty. Spending is on track for this month so far.
  5. Dating. Porn free all week. Think my friend Bella may be interested in me, but I'm not sure about her because she's a Sanderson fan and that gives me the ick.
  6. Tarot no session.
  7. Socializing: Swing dancing and two brewery hangouts.
  8. Screen time: 1.2 hours again.
  9. Mental health: anxiety is 100% hunger related as eating more fixed it.

Sanderson has some good stuff though the quality has gone down lately. Just started his part of the WOT saga and like it so far. I have a couple friend's wives who read some Sanderson and are what I consider high-quality people.

I did hit the gym once, in the past week, so that meets the bare minimum obligation. I wish it had been twice, and I intend to go tomorrow.

I'm still recovering from the dental work, both physically and financially. Holiday family visits with $4/gallon gas didn't help either.

Spending is $331.51 higher than last year. Still working to get it down.

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