Deep breathing. Seriously I can’t emphasize how much it has helped me throughout the years to recognize when I’m stressed and need to stop, breathe for 5-10 mins, and clear my head.
Deep breathing.
Seriously I can’t emphasize how much it has helped me throughout the years to recognize when I’m stressed and need to stop, breathe for 5-10 mins, and clear my head.
I don't use them much anymore but there was a time in my life when i was depressed/stressed to the point that I had to go to a class for stress management and they showed us a ton of breathing...
I don't use them much anymore but there was a time in my life when i was depressed/stressed to the point that I had to go to a class for stress management and they showed us a ton of breathing exercises you can do to decompress for 5-10 minutes and it truly did help.
Pretty much just search for controlled breathing exercises on youtube where they just play soothing tones and a soft voice talks you through the next 5-10 minutes and do what they say. It helped me through some times more than I ever thought they would.
4-4-8 breathing I've found to be very good for anxiety and takes nearly no time to learn. Breath in for a 4 count, hold for a 4 count, and breath out for an 8 count. There's other variations like...
4-4-8 breathing I've found to be very good for anxiety and takes nearly no time to learn. Breath in for a 4 count, hold for a 4 count, and breath out for an 8 count. There's other variations like 3-3-6 and so on but the point is to breath slowly, deeply, and in a consistent, intentional pattern.
If you practice this for awhile in combination with meditation you might be able to put yourself in a relaxed state in a few breaths. I’m pretty close to getting there. If I’m feeling offbase, I’m...
If you practice this for awhile in combination with meditation you might be able to put yourself in a relaxed state in a few breaths.
I’m pretty close to getting there. If I’m feeling offbase, I’m able to take a few deep breaths and center myself again. It tends to help when emotions try to overcome rational thought.
Something similar, i suggest researching the Wim Hof method. It is a basically breathing exercise(paired with cold showers). Since i started doing it every day, my mood has improved drastically...
Something similar, i suggest researching the Wim Hof method.
It is a basically breathing exercise(paired with cold showers). Since i started doing it every day, my mood has improved drastically and i feel amazing.
Much of the stuff he claims his method does is overblown, but it is definitely worth a try
Deep breathing helped me so much. I used to get panic attacks from stress at night, and woke up feeling like I couldn't breathe. Deep breathing techniques helped literally the first time I tried...
Deep breathing helped me so much. I used to get panic attacks from stress at night, and woke up feeling like I couldn't breathe. Deep breathing techniques helped literally the first time I tried them. (Stress itself didn't go away though, so this is not a cure, but still a super useful tool.)
The NATO Phonetic Alphabet shouldn't take very long, and will make spelling things over the phone much less painful. Also here's a fun youtube channel of a guy who learns things as quick as he can.
The NATO Phonetic Alphabet shouldn't take very long, and will make spelling things over the phone much less painful.
Also here's a fun youtube channel of a guy who learns things as quick as he can.
Oh, this looks super useful. I know some of the NATO alphabet because of having to spell my postcode/address out over the phone, but for a lot of the letters I just draw a blank and then make up...
Oh, this looks super useful. I know some of the NATO alphabet because of having to spell my postcode/address out over the phone, but for a lot of the letters I just draw a blank and then make up my own. Shout out to every customer service rep who bore with me through my v for victor, m for maybe, x for uhhhh etc.
basic sewing, doing some small things takes maybe an hour and it's a hard skill to forget. hemming is an incredibly useful skill to have and patch sewing is great if you like to accessorize.
basic sewing, doing some small things takes maybe an hour and it's a hard skill to forget. hemming is an incredibly useful skill to have and patch sewing is great if you like to accessorize.
I’d add into this knitting and/or crochet. Both help build different types of hand strength, which can help combat carpal tunnel symptoms; and both can be incredibly meditative. Plus, with...
I’d add into this knitting and/or crochet. Both help build different types of hand strength, which can help combat carpal tunnel symptoms; and both can be incredibly meditative. Plus, with practice, you can seamlessly fix just about any moth hole you encounter.
It's fun and (I think) worthwhile to read through a load of Wikipedia pages on a topic which you know little or nothing about. Some pages which have triggered enjoyable Wikipedia binges for me:...
It's fun and (I think) worthwhile to read through a load of Wikipedia pages on a topic which you know little or nothing about. Some pages which have triggered enjoyable Wikipedia binges for me:
I love doing this so much. It’s so fun to start with some random thing that you find cool and end up learning about that plus 20 other interesting, tangentially related subjects.
I love doing this so much. It’s so fun to start with some random thing that you find cool and end up learning about that plus 20 other interesting, tangentially related subjects.
Do you think that's something you can learn by yourself? I don't think I'd be comfortable doing this kind of stuff without someone knowledgeable to check what I'm doing.
Do you think that's something you can learn by yourself? I don't think I'd be comfortable doing this kind of stuff without someone knowledgeable to check what I'm doing.
As someone that learned them by myself with the stuff off a couple YouTube videos I can unequivocally say yes. These are pretty fool proof and straight forward. Once you're confident I've even go...
As someone that learned them by myself with the stuff off a couple YouTube videos I can unequivocally say yes. These are pretty fool proof and straight forward. Once you're confident I've even go so far to recommend learning to change my breakpads and shock absorbers (though the latter is so tedious without a car lift I would never do it myself again).
I really highly recommend ChrisFix's and EricTheCarGuy's youtube channels. I went from barely being able to change my oil to doing loads of maintenance on my old car (96 corolla @ 258k miles). So...
I really highly recommend ChrisFix's and EricTheCarGuy's youtube channels. I went from barely being able to change my oil to doing loads of maintenance on my old car (96 corolla @ 258k miles). So far I've done my brakes (front caliper pads and back drum brake rebuild), swapped out 3 of 4 of my engine mounts, new exhaust manifold, cleaned out my throttle body and air intake, along with diagnosing and repairing my EGR system to pass smog, patched my leaky gas tank, and some other minor stuff. Wouldn't have had the first idea how to go about doing any of that before watching their stuff. BleepinJeep is also pretty damn entertaining, and EngineeringExplained is really awesome at describing some of the more technical stuff (i.e. how differentials work, different types of AWD, the difference between a V6 and a boxer 6, how automatic transmissions work, stuff like that).
Origami. There are only really a few basic folds and bases. You could learn to fold a basic pattern in an afternoon. Simple to learn, a lifetime to master. Edit: I just reread the title. I don't...
Origami. There are only really a few basic folds and bases. You could learn to fold a basic pattern in an afternoon. Simple to learn, a lifetime to master.
Edit: I just reread the title. I don't know if it's useful, but it's relaxing and fun!
You can visit Pinterest. You can also search in your phones app store for "tie knot" - there are good apps for this. After some time you dare to experiment with knots yourself and can make knots...
You can visit Pinterest. You can also search in your phones app store for "tie knot" - there are good apps for this. After some time you dare to experiment with knots yourself and can make knots for your mood.
My favourite knot is Prince Albert - it's simple, elegant and nice.
Tying knots in general is super handy too. Not too hard to learn how to tie a bowline, and not much harder to learn to do it one handed. That skill has come in handy, and since it becomes mostly...
Tying knots in general is super handy too. Not too hard to learn how to tie a bowline, and not much harder to learn to do it one handed. That skill has come in handy, and since it becomes mostly muscle memory after a certain point it's not something that needs much practice after you learn it. My most used knot is a variation of the trucker's hitch using quick-release loops. It's a really awesome way to get great mechanical advantage (like with a block-and-tackle) for stuff like tying down truck loads, stringing up a hammock, or lifting things that would be too heavy. And still be able to untie it!! Argh, I love it.
I thought of another answer to this question. Lockpicking. I was shocked to learn how easy it is to pick most locks. Definitely can learn how to pick standard hardware store locks in an afternoon....
I thought of another answer to this question. Lockpicking. I was shocked to learn how easy it is to pick most locks. Definitely can learn how to pick standard hardware store locks in an afternoon. You might think this doesn't have legitimate use, but it has saved me from calling a locksmith a few times after being locked out of my house and after losing the key to my shed.
You can buy a cheap pin and tumbler (standard keyed lock) from any hardware store or maybe from a second hand store or Habitat for Humaity if you’re in the USA. There are instruction videos all...
You can buy a cheap pin and tumbler (standard keyed lock) from any hardware store or maybe from a second hand store or Habitat for Humaity if you’re in the USA. There are instruction videos all over that explain the process and the tools you’d want.
I learned from this artofmanliness page. It came in handy when this one lady I’m married to forgot to leave me the keys to our house...
Surprisingly once you figure out the way combination Master locks (spinning ones) work you realize that there are only a couple combinations that it could be, and it only takes a few minutes to...
Surprisingly once you figure out the way combination Master locks (spinning ones) work you realize that there are only a couple combinations that it could be, and it only takes a few minutes to find the correct one through the process of elimination.
I think you can do a lot more than just Hello World in a few hours. Languages like Javascript and Go have such a low barrier to entry now that I reckon something far more impressive is possible in...
I think you can do a lot more than just Hello World in a few hours. Languages like Javascript and Go have such a low barrier to entry now that I reckon something far more impressive is possible in a few hours. For example, I personally feel that knowing a little Javascript and how the browser inspector works is the Internet equivalent of street smarts. I've personally fixed so many crappy forms or removed parts of a website while browsing it in order to improve my own experience - and this is the sort of stuff I was referring to!
That actually makes me feel good. I am currently learning eb development, and i'm pretty confident in my html/css skill, but i just started JS and it seems scary at first. But oh well, i'll get...
That actually makes me feel good. I am currently learning eb development, and i'm pretty confident in my html/css skill, but i just started JS and it seems scary at first.
But oh well, i'll get there i suppose.
Sorry if i sounded rude in my previous comment, wasn't my intetion.
How to bake a pie or some other easy treat for yourself or to bring to parties. Scones and cookies are also good choices, since they can take less than 30mins to actually make.
How to bake a pie or some other easy treat for yourself or to bring to parties. Scones and cookies are also good choices, since they can take less than 30mins to actually make.
Creating your investment portfolio. It seems complex, but for most people it's as simple as 1.) learning a few principles: the difference between stocks (equity) and bonds (debt), the relationship...
Creating your investment portfolio. It seems complex, but for most people it's as simple as
1.) learning a few principles: the difference between stocks (equity) and bonds (debt), the relationship between risk and reward, the power of compounding interest, and importance of diversification.
2.) Putting these principles to action in the form of a globally diversified, low cost mutual fund portfolio. Holding 3 funds -- a Domestic stock fund, foreign stock fund, and bond fund, are all you need for your entire life.
I've got already got some investments going but I feel like I need a better way to check if I'm doing it right. Don't suppose you know of any tools or resources for investment maintenance?
I've got already got some investments going but I feel like I need a better way to check if I'm doing it right. Don't suppose you know of any tools or resources for investment maintenance?
Personally, I use a portfolio tracking spreadsheet that I made. I shared it on Reddit a year or so ago. Let me upload a copy to Google docs and I'll send you the link. It's designed for a mutual...
Personally, I use a portfolio tracking spreadsheet that I made. I shared it on Reddit a year or so ago. Let me upload a copy to Google docs and I'll send you the link. It's designed for a mutual fund / ETF portfolio. You enter all your holdings, their characteristics, and your desired asset allocation, and it gives you an overview across all your accounts.
Also, I'm an advocate for the Bogleheads.org philosophy. This is a community started in the spirit of John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard. Check their wiki for a comprehensive resource. Can't recommend it highly enough. https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Getting_started
I learned how to tie a bow tie in a couple of minutes, not even an afternoon. I guess you could take a half an hour or so and learn how to tie a tie as well as a bow tie. It's not a large skill or...
I learned how to tie a bow tie in a couple of minutes, not even an afternoon. I guess you could take a half an hour or so and learn how to tie a tie as well as a bow tie.
It's not a large skill or really takes an afternoon but it's pretty helpful.
Obviously not something you can do by yourself, but I took an afternoon class once that was about glassblowing. I liked it so much I eventually took enough over a summer to fill an art credit :D...
Obviously not something you can do by yourself, but I took an afternoon class once that was about glassblowing. I liked it so much I eventually took enough over a summer to fill an art credit :D it's very rewarding. Even if they don't offer it where you live, see if museums, karate places, yoga, a hiking group, really anything that sounds remotely interesting offers an afternoon or weekend class, you might discover something you like. And even if not, it gives you a new experience to talk about.
You could learn to crochet and work up at least one simple dishcloth in cotton yarn in an afternoon! In the same vein, darning is useful if you don't know how, to fix things that rip, sew back on...
You could learn to crochet and work up at least one simple dishcloth in cotton yarn in an afternoon! In the same vein, darning is useful if you don't know how, to fix things that rip, sew back on buttons, etc.
practicing knife skills in cooking is always valuable - buy a big bag of carrots and make a carrot ginger soup with your choppings, then you're not just wasting your practice veg!
I have had being able to say "I don't understand, sorry, I only speak english" in a few languages come in pretty handy a few times, though I'm not sure that counts as a skill.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
I know basic programming was mentioned but if use Excel frequently, you can learn the Record Macro feature in an afternoon pretty easily. That's like 25% of VBA programming.
I know basic programming was mentioned but if use Excel frequently, you can learn the Record Macro feature in an afternoon pretty easily. That's like 25% of VBA programming.
Deep breathing.
Seriously I can’t emphasize how much it has helped me throughout the years to recognize when I’m stressed and need to stop, breathe for 5-10 mins, and clear my head.
This is so worth learning. I also find it helps insomnia / restlessness.
I don't use them much anymore but there was a time in my life when i was depressed/stressed to the point that I had to go to a class for stress management and they showed us a ton of breathing exercises you can do to decompress for 5-10 minutes and it truly did help.
Pretty much just search for controlled breathing exercises on youtube where they just play soothing tones and a soft voice talks you through the next 5-10 minutes and do what they say. It helped me through some times more than I ever thought they would.
4-4-8 breathing I've found to be very good for anxiety and takes nearly no time to learn. Breath in for a 4 count, hold for a 4 count, and breath out for an 8 count. There's other variations like 3-3-6 and so on but the point is to breath slowly, deeply, and in a consistent, intentional pattern.
Love this. I might try out a few intro breathing programs.
If you practice this for awhile in combination with meditation you might be able to put yourself in a relaxed state in a few breaths.
I’m pretty close to getting there. If I’m feeling offbase, I’m able to take a few deep breaths and center myself again. It tends to help when emotions try to overcome rational thought.
Something similar, i suggest researching the Wim Hof method.
It is a basically breathing exercise(paired with cold showers). Since i started doing it every day, my mood has improved drastically and i feel amazing.
Much of the stuff he claims his method does is overblown, but it is definitely worth a try
Deep breathing helped me so much. I used to get panic attacks from stress at night, and woke up feeling like I couldn't breathe. Deep breathing techniques helped literally the first time I tried them. (Stress itself didn't go away though, so this is not a cure, but still a super useful tool.)
The NATO Phonetic Alphabet shouldn't take very long, and will make spelling things over the phone much less painful.
Also here's a fun youtube channel of a guy who learns things as quick as he can.
Looks like a cool channel!
Oh, this looks super useful. I know some of the NATO alphabet because of having to spell my postcode/address out over the phone, but for a lot of the letters I just draw a blank and then make up my own. Shout out to every customer service rep who bore with me through my v for victor, m for maybe, x for uhhhh etc.
basic sewing, doing some small things takes maybe an hour and it's a hard skill to forget. hemming is an incredibly useful skill to have and patch sewing is great if you like to accessorize.
I’d add into this knitting and/or crochet. Both help build different types of hand strength, which can help combat carpal tunnel symptoms; and both can be incredibly meditative. Plus, with practice, you can seamlessly fix just about any moth hole you encounter.
Even just taking a needle and thread to seam that came apart can be incredibly easy and incredibly useful.
It's fun and (I think) worthwhile to read through a load of Wikipedia pages on a topic which you know little or nothing about. Some pages which have triggered enjoyable Wikipedia binges for me:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_I
I love doing this so much. It’s so fun to start with some random thing that you find cool and end up learning about that plus 20 other interesting, tangentially related subjects.
How to install linux. Much easier than in the old days, probably could learn mint or ubuntu in an afternoon.
Some simple vehicle maintenance like changing your oil, replacing/tightening an alternator belt, changing/rotating tires.
Do you think that's something you can learn by yourself? I don't think I'd be comfortable doing this kind of stuff without someone knowledgeable to check what I'm doing.
As someone that learned them by myself with the stuff off a couple YouTube videos I can unequivocally say yes. These are pretty fool proof and straight forward. Once you're confident I've even go so far to recommend learning to change my breakpads and shock absorbers (though the latter is so tedious without a car lift I would never do it myself again).
I really highly recommend ChrisFix's and EricTheCarGuy's youtube channels. I went from barely being able to change my oil to doing loads of maintenance on my old car (96 corolla @ 258k miles). So far I've done my brakes (front caliper pads and back drum brake rebuild), swapped out 3 of 4 of my engine mounts, new exhaust manifold, cleaned out my throttle body and air intake, along with diagnosing and repairing my EGR system to pass smog, patched my leaky gas tank, and some other minor stuff. Wouldn't have had the first idea how to go about doing any of that before watching their stuff. BleepinJeep is also pretty damn entertaining, and EngineeringExplained is really awesome at describing some of the more technical stuff (i.e. how differentials work, different types of AWD, the difference between a V6 and a boxer 6, how automatic transmissions work, stuff like that).
This is awesome. Thanks! I just realized that we need a "Save comment" link here...
I've always tinkered with small things, but when it comes to cars I'm intimidated, maybe it's just due to the size of the potential consequences?
Origami. There are only really a few basic folds and bases. You could learn to fold a basic pattern in an afternoon. Simple to learn, a lifetime to master.
Edit: I just reread the title. I don't know if it's useful, but it's relaxing and fun!
For people wearing ties: Tying different kinds of tie knots. It's nice to be able to dress up and down using different knots.
Do you have any good resources for learning different knots? I’d be really interested in learning some fancier ones than the basics I know now.
You can visit Pinterest. You can also search in your phones app store for "tie knot" - there are good apps for this. After some time you dare to experiment with knots yourself and can make knots for your mood.
My favourite knot is Prince Albert - it's simple, elegant and nice.
The Prince Albert is pretty nice. Thanks for the info!
You're welcome :)
Tying knots in general is super handy too. Not too hard to learn how to tie a bowline, and not much harder to learn to do it one handed. That skill has come in handy, and since it becomes mostly muscle memory after a certain point it's not something that needs much practice after you learn it. My most used knot is a variation of the trucker's hitch using quick-release loops. It's a really awesome way to get great mechanical advantage (like with a block-and-tackle) for stuff like tying down truck loads, stringing up a hammock, or lifting things that would be too heavy. And still be able to untie it!! Argh, I love it.
I thought of another answer to this question. Lockpicking. I was shocked to learn how easy it is to pick most locks. Definitely can learn how to pick standard hardware store locks in an afternoon. You might think this doesn't have legitimate use, but it has saved me from calling a locksmith a few times after being locked out of my house and after losing the key to my shed.
What's the best way to learn to do this? Trial and error on my door?
You can buy a cheap pin and tumbler (standard keyed lock) from any hardware store or maybe from a second hand store or Habitat for Humaity if you’re in the USA. There are instruction videos all over that explain the process and the tools you’d want.
I learned from this artofmanliness page. It came in handy when this one lady I’m married to forgot to leave me the keys to our house...
Surprisingly once you figure out the way combination Master locks (spinning ones) work you realize that there are only a couple combinations that it could be, and it only takes a few minutes to find the correct one through the process of elimination.
Basic programming is achievable in a few hours I reckon, and a very rewarding skill!
I mean, programming may be a rewarding skill, but i doubt learning how to print "Hello World" would be of much use.
I think you can do a lot more than just Hello World in a few hours. Languages like Javascript and Go have such a low barrier to entry now that I reckon something far more impressive is possible in a few hours. For example, I personally feel that knowing a little Javascript and how the browser inspector works is the Internet equivalent of street smarts. I've personally fixed so many crappy forms or removed parts of a website while browsing it in order to improve my own experience - and this is the sort of stuff I was referring to!
That actually makes me feel good. I am currently learning eb development, and i'm pretty confident in my html/css skill, but i just started JS and it seems scary at first.
But oh well, i'll get there i suppose.
Sorry if i sounded rude in my previous comment, wasn't my intetion.
There are lots of things that can be accomplished once the basics of programming are understood... think Tasker for Android.
A fun way to learn the basics: http://lightbot.com/
In this vein, I'm a big fan of https://open.kattis.com/
How to bake a pie or some other easy treat for yourself or to bring to parties. Scones and cookies are also good choices, since they can take less than 30mins to actually make.
Have to second cookies. Super easy to make, and a bunch of cheap ingredients make dozens of cookies in one batch. Both a good and bad thing.
Have to second cookies. Super easy to make, and a bunch of cheap ingredients make dozens of cookies in one batch. Both a good and bad thing.
Creating your investment portfolio. It seems complex, but for most people it's as simple as
1.) learning a few principles: the difference between stocks (equity) and bonds (debt), the relationship between risk and reward, the power of compounding interest, and importance of diversification.
2.) Putting these principles to action in the form of a globally diversified, low cost mutual fund portfolio. Holding 3 funds -- a Domestic stock fund, foreign stock fund, and bond fund, are all you need for your entire life.
I've got already got some investments going but I feel like I need a better way to check if I'm doing it right. Don't suppose you know of any tools or resources for investment maintenance?
Personally, I use a portfolio tracking spreadsheet that I made. I shared it on Reddit a year or so ago. Let me upload a copy to Google docs and I'll send you the link. It's designed for a mutual fund / ETF portfolio. You enter all your holdings, their characteristics, and your desired asset allocation, and it gives you an overview across all your accounts.
Also, I'm an advocate for the Bogleheads.org philosophy. This is a community started in the spirit of John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard. Check their wiki for a comprehensive resource. Can't recommend it highly enough. https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Getting_started
This is great, thanks!
I learned how to tie a bow tie in a couple of minutes, not even an afternoon. I guess you could take a half an hour or so and learn how to tie a tie as well as a bow tie.
It's not a large skill or really takes an afternoon but it's pretty helpful.
This is a good one..I really struggled the last time I went to a wedding haha
Obviously not something you can do by yourself, but I took an afternoon class once that was about glassblowing. I liked it so much I eventually took enough over a summer to fill an art credit :D it's very rewarding. Even if they don't offer it where you live, see if museums, karate places, yoga, a hiking group, really anything that sounds remotely interesting offers an afternoon or weekend class, you might discover something you like. And even if not, it gives you a new experience to talk about.
You could learn to crochet and work up at least one simple dishcloth in cotton yarn in an afternoon! In the same vein, darning is useful if you don't know how, to fix things that rip, sew back on buttons, etc.
practicing knife skills in cooking is always valuable - buy a big bag of carrots and make a carrot ginger soup with your choppings, then you're not just wasting your practice veg!
I have had being able to say "I don't understand, sorry, I only speak english" in a few languages come in pretty handy a few times, though I'm not sure that counts as a skill.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
I’m going to be a father in a few months, and me and my wife are trying to learn how to crochet for our baby boy. It’s... not that simple hahaha, but it’s a fun endeavor.
Lol we're reddit now.
Well, it's a good question. The difference is, hopefully this post will get some less predictable and more discussion provoking answers.
That's not a bad thing. There's a lot of good at reddit.
...but we are more civil. :)
Obligatory xkcd
https://m.xkcd.com/519/
Yeah, we definitely reddit now ^^
I know basic programming was mentioned but if use Excel frequently, you can learn the Record Macro feature in an afternoon pretty easily. That's like 25% of VBA programming.