“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives

Ipsos recently conducted a survey across thirty countries to find out what makes people happy. The majority of respondents identified physical health (54%), mental well-being (53%), and their relationship with their partner (49%) as the key contributors.

To get a better understanding of what helps individuals achieve the things they need, we at Bored Panda asked our Facebook followers to share the various ways they have substantially improved their quality of life. Continue scrolling to check out what they told us!

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Getting dogs and cats! Had the absolute worst depression before and it has almost completely turned around because of them. They're such beautiful souls

Laura Aurand , Tomáš Jíra Report

Final score:

128points

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Lady Miss Pie Premium 5 months ago

Animals are healers

41points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Leaving an abusive relationship. No more walking on eggshells. Free, at last.

Celine LaGasse , Alex Green Report

Final score:

104points

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Judy Reynolds 5 months ago

You go!! No one needs to live that way!

18points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Getting clean and sober. It’s been 12 years and 7 months now.

Angela Marie , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

102points

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Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 months ago

Congratulations.

25points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives When I stopped caring about what others think--when I stopped being a people pleaser. I speak my mind, now, and I don't care who likes or dislikes me.

Kristen Dianne , Ksenia Kartasheva Report

Final score:

94points

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HTakeover 5 months ago

Careful.. there's a line between speaking your mind and being an insensitive a$s. Like how most people who say "sorry, I'm just an honest person" are just saying that to cover for being a bad person.

65points

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Turned off the News!

Karen Johnson Report

Final score:

86points

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FrogMan 5 months ago

I need to do this. Not just say I need to, actually DO it.

15points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Leaving a toxic work environment. I'm still rethinking what I want to do with my life, but at least I'm not having a panic attack every week

Elena Ramirez-Boehmke , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

74points

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DennyS (denzoren) 5 months ago

Yeah, I've seen and experienced this and it's not worth it.

16points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Dumb one but drinking water. I survived on solely caffeine products most of my life and slowly made the switch. Almost every single health issue I had must have been dehydration in one way or another and since drinking enough water everyday I feel amazing. Duh I know but I can't be the only one

Nichole Coffey , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

63points

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KimB 5 months ago

Like many working in healthcare I was a horrible caffeine addict. Start by decreasing slowly eliminating one at a time. My go to was coffee and Mountain Dew. Ironically I don't even like the taste of Mountain Dew but loved the caffeine and sugar boost. I quit those easily since I don't like it anyway. So I just had coffee to work on. I went from 2 pots a day to just 1-2 cups per day with artificial sweetener and almond milk. I drink about 84 ounces of water per day on average and occasionally treat myself to a zero sugar soda if I have a lot of physical activity to do such as yard work or heavy cleaning moving heavy furniture etc.

8points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Stop chasing people who wanted nothing to do with me unless they needed something. And, started to really focus on those who love me for me.

Chuck Peterson , Keira Burton Report

Final score:

58points

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DennyS (denzoren) 5 months ago

#FACTS too much time wasted.

13points

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“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Going back to work after being a SAHM. I am a way better parent when I have some space from the kids and a sense of purpose outside of the house.

Jessica Armato , Yan Krukau Report

Final score:

55points

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Bored something 5 months ago

This did so much for my mental health. I stopped having panic attacks and got off the antidepressants.

14points

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#10

“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Cutting out toxic people, paying off my house and retiring @ 59 yrs old! I’m poor but so grateful and happy! It’s been 10 years now and no regrets!

Victoria Shar , Yan Krukau Report

Final score:

54points

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Auntriarch 5 months ago

You may not have much money, but you're not poor.

19points

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#11

Learned I'm the most important person to take care of

Krista Burke Report

Final score:

52points

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FrogMan 5 months ago

At the end of the day, the only who is truly there for you is YOU.

19points

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#12

Accepting it's okay to ask for help

Malin Pettersson Report

Final score:

50points

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BigCityLady 5 months ago

That was a huge hurdle I had to overcome as I learned that I could not rely on anyone. When I started dating my husband, I would try to fix my house repairs myself and if I couldn’t I would hire someone. After a year of dating he put his foot down and told me that he could and would fix my repairs and would do it happily. Now he’s still my fix-it man after 31 years!!

9points

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#13

“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives My gastric sleeve surgery. At my highest I was at 296 and I am now at 187, about 7 months after surgery and still losing. I still maintain a good diet and started adding in more exercise. I feel amazing

Ashley Lynn Meadows , Andres Ayrton Report

Final score:

49points

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DennyS (denzoren) 5 months ago

I'm really trying to avoid surgery but gosh it's difficult to keep it off. I've tried all sorts of stuff.

9points

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#14

“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Finding the right medication combination to help stabilize my moods.

Chelsea Cirone , Darina Belonogova Report

Final score:

46points

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Sand Ers 5 months ago

It took two years of experimenting to find the right mix and dosages for me. I’m vastly more functional now than I was then.

12points

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#15

“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives Yoga. My neck and shoulders hurt all the time. Yoga has made them so much better! I’m not great at it yet but improving every time.

Karen Shipton Webb , Cliff Booth Report

Final score:

46points

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Timbob 5 months ago

Oops ! Though you said Yoda.

2points

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#16

I have horrible anxiety and I'm always holding stuff in. I never speak out. But lately I've been speaking my mind and forcing myself not to care as much and it's such an improvement in every aspect of my life!! I feel lighter. Still have a long way to go though!

Amanda Anderson Report

Final score:

45points

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Susie Elle 5 months ago

Especially the not caring so much part is liberating, I can imagine :)

10points

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#17

Not drinking all the time. I still drink at times but I used to drink everyday. This one change has improved my life tremendously and had a domino affect of happiness and self growth!!

Tracy Harris Report

Final score:

43points

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Judy Reynolds 5 months ago

Yay you!

9points

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#18

“Should Have Started Doing It Years Ago”: 30 Small Things That Drastically Improved People’s Lives realizing that i’d let family members disrespect me for far too long. once i grew that backbone & started believing that my feelings are valid & the only ones that matter to me and my children, my life got better and happier

The Pink Room Beauty & Aesthetics , Mental Health America (MHA) Report

Final score:

43points

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Regina Holt 5 months ago

I totally disconnected from my family of birth a looooong time ago. They just made the crazy worse.

11points

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What do you think ?

Mike m 5 months ago

I expected to see something about get off social media.

Yeah, on social media 😂

7points

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Giraffy Window 5 months ago (edited)

Carefully organized, packed up, and cleared out the "office" filled with feral computer parts, junk, and orphaned boxes of detritus my partner has turned loose in there over the years. One side of the room is a work station for the days my partner WFH, which he would literally clear a coffee-stained trail to get to before. The other half was boxes and garbage (not food garbage) climbing halfway up the wall. Once I cleaned it all out, I installed a wall unit on that side, and permanently set up all my sewing equipment. Before that, I'd had to haul out a folding table and everything I needed any time I had a sewing project to work on, and then pack it all away again. I'm so proud of my space and how tidy and organized I can keep everything now. My partner is fine with sharing the room, partly because we support each other's hobbies and interests... and partly because he was truly, unfathomably unbothered by the state of it beforehand, so didn't feel he was losing out on the extra floor space I'd created.

Rai Serl 5 months ago

Radical acceptance: People are going to do and think what they're going to do and think. The more I fight it and stress about it, the more I'm hurting myself. I don't have to LIKE what they are thinking or doing or saying or whatever, but I do have to accept it as what's happening and find a way to move forward with my life while that is true. So and so said I'm a b****? I don't like it. But instead of getting into a huge dramafest argument about it, I move on. Clearly they aren't meant to be in my life anymore, and I don't have to worry about sending them a Xmas card this year.

Thrillion 5 months ago

If everyone could be like this, the world would one big community

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