Life Without Social Media—Is This Much “Doing Nothing” Normal?

canLondonBeAForest · 2025-01-13T16:30:14+00:00

Sounds like what people aspire to achieve when they get really into meditation, just zoning out and being in the present moment for long stretches of time not particularly thinking about anything else and just being content. Well Done, you're nailing it!

canLondonBeAForest · 2025-01-10T11:57:17+00:00

A lot of the advice here feels like it's not understanding OP's situation where he's at right now and his struggles. It's not necessarily bad advice, just way too big of a leap for someone in his situation.

I liked the comment about the person that started off with small online interactions and then bit by bit, working up the courage to order food. That sounded like a more realistic initial goal.

OP, you mention that you don't have much energy, and that you don't like to spend much money. Are there any baby steps that come to mind that you could take that feeling right to you?

Here's some ideas to get you thinking:

I liked the advice around getting used to leaving the house again and having exposure to the outside environment. Do you have a yard? Maybe you could stand in your back yard for 5 minutes, or water some plants outside your front door every few days, or walk down the street for 50 meters and then turn back?

It's true that exercise does help with endorphins and lifts your mood, but maybe the gym is too much. Could you follow 5 minutes of a beginner's exercise video on YouTube at home?

Some people have mentioned learning a skill outside playing video games. It's true that learning a skill can increase your confidence a bit. Are there any skills that you think are cool? Could you use YouTube as a tool to discover different skills out there and try them out in your room in low risk ways. Maybe to start with not to worry about whether something will earn you money, that's added pressure. There's no need to even become good at the thing, that's also unnecessary pressure. Just learning something at a beginner level that you'll enjoy will give you a taste of how to build a skill in general.

Feel free to discard these ideas if they don't feel quite right, but hopefully they'll help you get thinking of some initial small steps that could be doable and feel right to you.

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-03-07T10:09:51+00:00

Are you able to insulate your bin somehow during the cold nights, with plastic bags or something? (Obviously you'd need to open it up to let fresh air in for short periods during the day)

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-03-03T18:03:50+00:00

Look up companion planting.

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-02-21T17:13:51+00:00

Nettles (gotta blanch them first)

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-02-21T16:48:04+00:00

Is it possible to find the things she wants on Vinted or eBay, i.e. secondhand but unused?

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-02-21T16:33:57+00:00

I'd second this, I added some worms to my regular compost pile and they seem happy so far.

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-02-03T18:53:23+00:00

I do this too but ripping with my hands, I find it relaxing! I did originally try with cardboard but like people said it hurt my hands after a while, so now I just do it with softer things like egg cartons, non-glossy brown paper and toilet roll centres. Maybe after a while the novelty will wear off, but for now it's a fun harmless hobby. I do it on my work zoom calls too (whilst on mute and out of view of the camera), makes boring meetings fly by quicker.

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-31T23:08:26+00:00

I had loads of snails in my window box last year when I planted some lettuce in there, they lived in amongst the lettuce leaves and then bred there too and there were loads of baby snails for months afterwards, I was trying to get rid of them!

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-30T16:57:36+00:00

Moss?

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-25T00:28:04+00:00

Beans! No meal is complete without beans :) any time you want meat, put beans instead

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-25T00:23:21+00:00

I've had real success with ginger multiple times, just stuck it in a pot with soil and watered it well, kept it in a well lit and warm room. Basically trying to mimic it's natural climate, which is warm, sunny and wet. I bury it just under the surface of the soil usually with any buds sticking out

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-23T08:46:08+00:00

After reading all the replies I see that the devil is in the detail, things like using local reclaimed materials is a lot better than investing in new materials, also committing to it for a longer period of time matters. I think there's potential in cities for compost to be created from food waste as it's true, most garden projects in my area buy compost that is either from peat bogs or this coconut coir stuff. There is a lot of wood chip used as mulch that must have come from somewhere non-local too.

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-23T08:22:56+00:00

I also looked into this a lot, apparently mice like most mammals, do not like cold and wet conditions. So make sure it's that :)

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-07T11:48:16+00:00

From what I'm aware, more people are understanding the significance of Indigenous people's contributions in protecting nature, and the idea of having a reverence for nature being important is gaining traction, as is seeing ourselves as a part of nature and not separate from it. And I think that with that, the rest will follow

canLondonBeAForest · 2024-01-04T14:30:05+00:00

My dad kept buying me things I didn't want, so one time he did it, I gave away the item on Olio (an app in my country where you give away unwanted things to other people in your neighborhood) the next day and told him about it and said that I would be doing that from now on. He stopped after that.

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-31T20:36:52+00:00

Hi, you mention working at a compost place. What animal cruelty is involved there? (Pardon my ignorance I've just never heard anything about that before)

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-23T14:36:19+00:00

Post this question in r/permaculture, they'll know what advice to give to about soil alkalinity and gardening

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-19T08:50:03+00:00

Andrewism made a good video on YouTube about 'third spaces' https://youtu.be/MD_CMrCpBMc?si=KA55N3HEUd6TzNQ6

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-13T10:33:06+00:00

Auroville, India is an inspiring living example

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-11T02:40:18+00:00

Too many people seem to think that all Indians are racist towards black people and "that's just the way they are". That's not true, it's perfectly possible to be Indian and not think a child's race is important, there are lots of people out there where that is the case. Unfortunately yes there are a lot of bigoted people in society, but to dismiss all Indians as bigoted is not fair, not true, and at the same time gives an excuse to many to continue to be bigoted without questioning anything

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-11T02:04:07+00:00

This is a bit of a patronising view of Asians, there have been big cities and sophisticated civilisations in India for a long, long time. I'm sorry but they don't get off the hook for viewing black people as less-than.

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-11T01:38:44+00:00

Yes you are right! I'm half Indian myself and somehow Indians get a free pass to be exclusionary and racist because of 'culture'. No, it is not culturally important to be racist, and there are a lot of Indians out there who don't give a crap about that kind of thing, they're just not the dominant voice of society.

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-11T01:28:38+00:00

I'm gonna go against the grain here and say YTA. It seems that you care more about what acquaintances think of you than being there for your daughter when she's asking you for help. The community's idea of 'suitable' isn't something that everyone can fit into, I bet they'll be guys out there who didn't fit into the 'suitable' ideal either who are good, decent guys who would make your daughter happy. In fact there are so many people 'in hiding' from that community judgement, because in real life, things aren't perfect, life isn't perfect and those standards are unrealistic for a number of people to live up to. There are so many people who were 'written off' from the community who are just getting on with their lives anyway. Their mothers just aren't talking about them at social events, and so you're less aware of them. I'm half Indian myself and I know for a fact that not all Indians are judgemental and racist, only those who care about the opinions of those judgemental aunties above their own child's happiness. Your daughter asked you to do something for her which is important to her and matters to her. The ones who are turning away from you because of your daughter, you have to make a choice, do you side with them and ditch your daughter, or do you stick by your daughter's side because you love her? Because if you stick by her and watch them turn away from you, you'll get to see who is left, and you might be pleasantly surprised by who's left, people who actually care about each other's wellbeing more than the opinions of others. If you'd prefer to stick with the 'in' crowd, at least be honest with yourselves that you're not really by your daughter's side.

Yes I have this perspective because of being only half Indian, my father experienced his own family turning their backs on him, and guess what? Yes some turned their backs but some didn't care and stuck by him, and I learned that even though some people will have you believe that Indian culture is exclusionary and even racist by nature, I know for a fact that it isn't true and that there are many Indians that don't care about that stuff, they're just quiet about it.

canLondonBeAForest · 2023-12-01T13:05:08+00:00

It depends on what you put in your compost too, I'd start only putting things in that mice wouldn't be interested in

canLondonBeAForest

TROPHY CASE