Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Productive people have one thing in common: they've found the keys to defeat distraction and procrastination. They excel at focusing and getting through to-do lists–which clearly takes some mental aptitude and strength. Good mental health translates to better productivity, so Reddit user Moist_Apartment5474 polled productive people in r/Productivitycafe by posing the question, "For your mental health what is something or things you avoid?"

Whether you're trying to implement a new habit, break old ones, or finally stick to your New Year's resolution–we can all take some mental health pointers from productive people. They shared a bevy of people, places and things that they have removed or cut from their lives to improve their mental health.


So get ready to take notes–here are 22 of the best responses to the question: "For your mental health what is something or things you avoid?"

1. "Toxic people. Don't try to impress others or make friends with those that don't show interest in you, or make you feel like you don't belong in a group. Sometimes it's better to be alone, then be in a group of people that exclude you." – Jellybean_Pumpkin

2. "Following celebrities/influencers on Instagram. Their highlight reel of constant vacations and buying whatever their heart desires is not good for my mental health. I deleted everyone who I didn’t know personally on instagram during 2020 and it really improved my mental health." – Alybank

3. "If I'm feeling really depressed, I try and avoid sad stories, or social media and the news. It just cements how I feel. Now I try and surround myself with positive stuff rather than the negative." – iambecomeslep

4. "Alcohol. It’s desperate and insidiously harmful for mental health beyond a hangover." – baxterstrangelove

"This is also the number one substance I avoid. I drank heavily for years and when I stopped my mental health improved so dramatically. My physical health through routine medical tests also improved dramatically." – Zipstser257

5. "Rushing. For context, I leave to go to appointments or work with plenty of time to commute. If there’s an accident or traffic jam, I’m still going to be on time. If I’m super early, there is usually a coffee shop or cafe nearby to pass time." – epicenter69

RushingOn The Way Running GIFGiphy

6. "Multiplayer/online/competitive games (Valorant, Overwatch, League of Legends, CS:GO, Apex Legends, PUBG, Warzone) are filled with the most egotistical and toxic people and make it not fun. I have been switching to single-player games like RDR2, and I enjoy them so much." – Specific_Charge_3297

7. "American football. Checking work email out of hours. TV news." – SeveralButterfly8560

8. "Crowded places." – Fuzzteam7

9. "Weight loss posts, apps, 'inspo'. Never has this done anything for me except make me hate my body. I’ve struggled with EDs my entire life and even at my heaviest those apps and posts only served to make me hate myself more, which made it easier to continue to live unhealthily. I think they can be good for some people in moderation, but they’re also so very destructive."– speltbread12

10. "Weed. It wasn't clear to me how much it was damaging my mental health until I removed it from my life." – Voodoo_Jack

11. "Avoid thinking about what hurts me. These are called intrusive thoughts and are past patterns of co ING. When these thoughts intruded what I personally do is change my thinking. I often pray for myself, I forgive myself. It's not that hard anymore. I have become aware of my thoughts. These thoughts do not incl5 self reflection. I often think of the past and often it can hurt. It is healing at the same time. I also consider any "bad feelings or hurt I have karma. I hurt others and now it is my turn. I am 68 and have been in therapy on and off for 50 years. Hope this helps." – Rosespetetal

12. "News & Politics for sure. It's impossible to 100% tune them out/avoid them, but you can reduce what you see/hear by about 90-95% which goes a long way." – rubix44

13. "Replacing doomscrolling with reading has helped tremendously." – royalfunkstar

Doomscroll.Add Hasan Minhaj GIF by MOODMANGiphy

14. "Professionalism. I'm not going to make up an entirely new identity just to do a job. It's bad enough I have to work. I'm not going to cosplay as a middle aged Caucasian from suburbia just to make someone else happy." – Pyredditt

15. "Overwork. I used to be the guy who never really minded when I worked more than 8 hours a day. Then it got to the point where it was threatening my marriage and causing a lot of stress with my wife. I quit that job and quit putting in extra long days for no reward. I might not be 'CEO material' or what have you but I value my family WAY more. I make enough money to be comfortable, I don't want to be the rich guy who alienated his family to get to that point." – Long-Tradition6399

16. "Comparing yourself to others. Be grateful for what you do have instead of what you don't." – truthhurts2222222

17. "The radio.. I don't know why I am like this. Places I've worked where the radio is on constantly all day every day.. the music that is supposedly popular, the presenters, the adverts, the jingles. I have literally left places of employment because of the radio lol.... and yes, I have asked for it to be switched off or even the volume to be lowered for a while. But no, that is out of the question. 'It's always been this way' or 'we've always listened to this station' or 'The day passes quicker'. I don't understand how people do it." – DarthMidnight87

Radio.Animation Chilling GIF by Gabriela SibilskaGiphy

18. "Having a gut reaction to click bait before researching. I find that I am now more likely to stop and quickly google something than immediately react on the spot." – MirMurMer

19. "Seeing my family too much." – RlyVSS

20. "Compulsive clothing purchases...result, financial problems which further increase stress..." – Mysterious_Leave_971

21. "I avoid people that complain and/or gossip. I have 0 interest in talking shit about other people." – SaffronSpecs

22. "Being productive all the time kills my mental health." – trippingbilly0304

More For You

“You make people want to live longer”—Jennifer Coolidge’s tribute left viewers sobbing
Image Source: NBC News

“You make people want to live longer”—Jennifer Coolidge’s tribute left viewers sobbing

Jennifer Coolidge remains a memorable figure not only for her role as Tanya in HBO's acclaimed series "White Lotus," but also for her emotionally stirring acceptance speech at the 2023 Golden Globes. Coolidge earned the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series/Anthology or Motion Picture, a recognition that marked a significant career turning point.

Winning the award wasn't Coolidge's only standout moment at the event; her heartfelt speech profoundly touched both audiences and peers, even bringing creator Mike White to tears, as reported by The Vulture. Reflecting candidly on her personal journey, Coolidge stated, "It really means a lot. Thank you. Wow. I just want to say, some of the people in this room, there were like five people that kept me going for, you know, 20 years with these little jobs. And Ryan Murphy, you were one of them. It’s these little jobs that kept me going."

Keep ReadingShow less
Identical twins separated at birth had dramatically different IQs in Korea and US
Representative photo by Canva

Identical twins separated at birth had dramatically different IQs in Korea and US

Twins typically fascinate us because of their incredible similarities. But sometimes, what makes identical twins truly intriguing are their surprising differences. A recent study in Science Direct highlighted exactly this, following the astonishing reunion of identical twin sisters separated as toddlers and raised in completely different cultures.


Keep ReadingShow less
Husband supported his wife for decades. Then she inherited a fortune and left him empty-handed.
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | RDNE Stock project

Husband supported his wife for decades. Then she inherited a fortune and left him empty-handed.

After more than two decades of marriage, one man found himself questioning everything when his wife inherited a large sum of money—but refused to share any of it. Reddit user u/IrishRoller shared his story, revealing how he had spent years financially and emotionally supporting his wife, even using his own inheritance to save their home. But when she came into a six-figure sum, her response left him stunned—and reconsidering their entire relationship.

media1.tenor.com

Keep ReadingShow less
Bride and groom sharing a dance

You won't believe some of these.

Gen X couples share 31 weird, wild, and wonderful wedding songs

Few things in life are more sentimental than *the* wedding song. Not only does it mark the first dance as partners for life, but it's usually a song that you hold special between you for the rest of your lives.

And for Gen-Xers (those born between 1965 and 1980), their wedding song choices were bold, to say the least. Most are throwbacks, but you still hear a few of them at weddings today.

Keep ReadingShow less
She ditched dating apps for Home Depot. Now her love story is going viral.

Love in the hardware ailse

Canva

She ditched dating apps for Home Depot. Now her love story is going viral.

Dating is not getting any easier these days, even with the plethora of dating apps available. With one in ten couples reporting they met their significant other on dating apps, the statistics for success aren't great.

Which is why a TikTok challenge went viral among women who decided to ditch dating apps and try to meet their future partner "in the wild"–specifically at Home Depot. (The trend allegedly began in 2021.)The reason? With the goal to connect with hard-working, handy, self-sufficient men. And it's a dating strategy that *actually* worked for TikToker Katelyn Ansari (@katelynnansari).

Keep ReadingShow less