SELF IMPROVEMENT THREAD: Fuck Sup Forums I might be doing life wrong for the goals I have edition

youtube.com/watch?v=kj7VgBnQNUc

Just watched this and realized that for the goals of being a good family man... I've been focused so much on getting to a financial pinnacle that it's become an integral part of me and I'm at a point where if i continue I'm going to become a type of man that makes my goals impossible.

I had felt that in 5 years I needed to be making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year so I could have a family and provide the type of life that I feel would have made my life more prone to success (the irony is not lost on me that if I attained that then the relatively impoverished life I was given would have been the successful one). That I would have to be that guy to attract the caliber of woman that has similar ideals so we could create and raise the absolutely best children possible... But if I'm running a business and expanding it and starting other ones and doing all the shit I planned, I can never put the time into a family that is necessary in my mind. I had already been working 80+ hour weeks for the last couple years and that sort of life had become ingrained as "this is what I've gotta do to get where I need to be, keep going" but holy shit it's just toxic. I can't have a relationship like this. this is probably what killed my last relationship. this is why I've been single over a year now, there's literally no time. This isn't going to get better as I go and suddenly I'll have all the time to be a father, it's just gonna get worse. Holy shit.

Self improvement and introspection thread Sup Forums what are you trying to attain? What are you doing to get there? What are you maybe doing that seems to be the right choice but ultimately will kill your goals?

Self improvement thread. What are you trying to

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=uv_2x6JmuaE
youtube.com/watch?v=RI4lkqYzJvM
youtube.com/watch?v=Dlr90NLDp-0
youtube.com/watch?v=HxjYWvF5ttc
youtube.com/watch?v=WhP654dN3Ww
youtube.com/watch?v=4ych_dTX8G0
youtube.com/watch?v=pGgB0bf2PHU
youtube.com/watch?v=oX9xVnHYFAM
youtube.com/watch?v=cX9bYNK5oC0
youtube.com/watch?v=C_gaT-tnpKk
youtube.com/watch?v=n-5mx5o8YYs
youtube.com/watch?v=70YDpSo2MRI
youtube.com/watch?v=g3Ekot38tV8
youtube.com/watch?v=2IxYXGfdGcQ
youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3scPRLGFE
youtube.com/watch?v=AKpexxzR4Ak
youtube.com/watch?v=o6JJCaf9e7c
youtube.com/watch?v=mNMQu5LXaeI
youtube.com/watch?v=_dV5b8AuLHg
youtube.com/watch?v=YRhRzdiCk7s
youtube.com/watch?v=1_8Nrx-67EY
youtube.com/watch?v=74d3gWJOV-4
youtube.com/watch?v=GkdtYIPN9ic
youtube.com/watch?v=noetoc2W4Pc
youtube.com/watch?v=sieHX3tPeRw&t=123s
youtube.com/watch?v=PU4ycRzwqDc
youtube.com/watch?v=WPQ4F9Xd45w
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

>what are you trying to do
Run more than 2 miles a day without collapsing like I'm having a heart attack

I'm trying to kick alcoholism.

Everything in my life currently is going fairly well. I developed this habit through University and my first job to deal with the hopelessness of dealing with life here.

You sound like me in 5 years time. It's worrying.

I'm about to move into my own place with my partner, so that I can better focus on my job in the tech industry. Already I'm starting to lose sight of how from here I can start and raise a family before the age of 25, without completely destroying the relationship with overwork.

I think the issue is with timeframes: ideally men shouldn't engage in relationship/flings before they have reached the "peak" of their career, or before they can self-impose a trough that lasts half a decade or so (to raise kids and be a family). This is not achievable for 95% of men in current western society, due to the poor economic conditions we have been thrust into and have been programmed by.

What am I trying to do about it? Readjust the degree at which I desire wealth, so that I can switch off the work hyper-drive before 25 and take a few years off to have a family.

>kick alcoholism
I wish I had better advice than just do it. I stopped drinking heavily about 2ish years ago. think I've had 2 margaritas since at lunch with people. part of it was getting rid of some toxic people.

same for smoking cigarettes. just stop is really the only advice I have.

IMO any sort of half measures will only make it harder. trying to cut down gradually on drinking, using nicotine gum/patches/vaping only means that you're substituting your source of nicotine.

it also helps to have an overarching purpose or create an overarching goal for yourself that is at odds with the common bad habits in todays society. Is there something you really want that you will not be able to get if you continue drinking? if not it might help to find something.

Stuck to a routine.
Make lists on a Sunday night to help you prioritize your week ahead.
Curb drink, soda and junk food.
If you can't lift at least set aside time to walk around your local park 20 times.

It just takes focus, determination and vision. Some weeks you'll do and few great, others you'll wonder why you are even bothering. When that happens don't lose hope, its only natural and a further test of your commitment. Just persevere those flat weeks will become less and less.

>Readjust the degree at which I desire wealth, so that I can switch off the work hyper-drive
IT'S A TRAP
it becomes a part of you. it's addicting.

My current list

>not using self-depreciating humor
it invites others to make me the butt of the joke. Makes for shit relationships
>speaking ill of no man behind their back
unless seeking advice on how to handle a difficult person, or warning someone about an actually dangerous person
>3 days of lifting a week
>2 days of cardio a week
>standing up to the peer-pressure hazing environment at work
(I work at a college's Summer camp, and they act like a fucking frat party.) This year I'm going to refuse to be a part of it / provide an example for others to see that they don't have to tolerate the sexual harassment that goes on there.
>Not getting drunk anymore
>Not cursing around females

I got talked to by my senior ops last night at work, same conversation I've had at every job I've ever worked and many times outside of work.

To paraphrase "it doesn't matter how hard you work or how good of a job you do, you need to be that person everyone wants to work with"

Really crushes my soul when I get reminded that I don't belong. I try my best to remember to smile and say hello and all this, having to force myself to be a people physically hurts me.

Not sure how to proceed

>is there something you really want which you will not be able to get if you continue drinking

Well, it's not so bad as it used to be. I can go weeks without drinking but when I drink I go back to old behaviour.

Nice to know that other people have dealt with this issue. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person in the world that deals with this shit.

>speaking I'll of no man behind their back

I like this one, I try to do the same.

Also keep your secrets, don't engage in gossip.

Hard to do but been doing well at it

also

>Not being a manwhore anymore
I'm gonna stop hooking up with chicks that I haven't first become friends with. Never fuck a chick you're not genuinely interested in, lads. I'm gonna pay closer attention to redflags as well, as I'm too lax with women.

Go full celibate....try to kick the porn as well.

Haven't engaged in fucking since August, denied a few girls. The porn thing though.....struggling with that one

I've realized it usually leads to people resenting you. Even if they agree with the criticisms you are telling them, a part of them will wonder if you say similar things about them. It breaks down trust, and will make people less likely to open up to you.

If you never talk shit, people will also be more uncomfortable talking shit about you.

Abstaining from gossip / shit talk is a good thing to make habit. Even Marcus Aurelius agreed.

I agree, and always try to never complain no matter the circumstance.

Know the difference between complaining and legitimate grievance.

I say a prayer all day usually when I'm working because it keeps me sane and mostly on level.

"Dear Lord give me the serenity to accept things I cannot change , the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference between them. Amen"

The most practical advice I've been given about living a good life, and being happy, is to have a clear conscience.

my answer to this is I need to get a gf. I've been working so hard that there hasn't been time but that's gotta change. Bit I find when I'm in a relationship I lose all interest in porn.

Easier said then done, we can't turn back time.

The book of Ecclesiastes for me is the best advice for a happy life, that and stoic philosophy.

No you don't need to find a girls friend. First you need to love yourself completely and be your best friend, then you need to find someone to share that love and joy with.

Do your best son.

new goals
>relocate north cause why the fuck did I ever decide to live in a hot humid state
>leverage experience for a good paying job with normal hours
>really get back into a workout regimen with new time I'm in shape cause of work but I'm not satisfied
>get /mygirl/
>build house
>start family by like 32ish or so.

i bet those trannies want to kill themselves now

>First you need to love yourself completely and be your best friend
been done.

Read Allan carrs book on quitting drinking.

Shit works man.

Been sober for 5 years.

That's some good advice you can give to user

What EXACTLY is the fucking problem?

Quit being so vague

Glad for you.

Still working on that one.

Current goal right now is not going home from work and chewing on a bullet.

In fact I'm laying in bed right now, should go into work late. Hard to put on that mask for 13 hours every day

That's a long one.

I'm extremely introverted, I work extremely hard but have trouble relating to people and come off as an asshole whenever I open my mouth, which isn't often. When I see things that are wrong and I can fix I really want to fix them, but I resist because I know other people will be upset because it's their job.

It causes me actual physical pain to be around people, so much so that recently I developed multiple ulcers in my guts and the lining of my throat is dissolving.

I forget sometimes yo say good morning to people, and have been caught a few times talking to myself.

People take my hard work as aggression since I move very quickly.

Recently at work I brought up to my direct managers a particular issue that was cossting us $ due to missing shipments (I work for Amazon at one of their fulfilment centers)

I never used anyone's names and only said "associate" I pointed out the particular issue and simply asked why we do it this way when there are people here willing to work very hard for y'all and people that want to prove themselves and would not and do not push blame , use others as lackeys.

This started a chain reaction , which ended up in that information getting out to everyone due to a particular manager whom is a female, young and rather talkative with lowers. So this manager and the associate in question also female, whom almost every male associate wants to be around ( she looks really good) basically decided to make me work with her. And had me running multiple roles for a day, at the end of the day we failed our task. I dropped my mask for about 10 seconds and told thee associate that I'm not going to pick up her slack and one day she may need to get the work done herself and not have someone do it for you

Cont.

Trying to not be so bitter when it comes to women. I've been single for nearly 1 year and I still can't bring myself to give a shit about them. My last relationship was incredibly shitty with an abusive woman. I honestly believe that 90% aren't worth my time. I judge women harshly now. My blood boils whenever a friend of mine says that he can't do something because of his girlfriend/wife or that he needs to check with her before doing something.

I'm trying to not be such a hateful cunt so I can meet some new women and not judge them unfairly.

kind of a hard thing to admit but I was suicidal from about 7-17, haven't had the best life, wasn't handed a good start. best advice I can give you is just keep moving and don't ever let things going wrong completely stop you. it doesn't matter if it feels like your just moving one toe toward your goals, every bit of momentum will build from that. but it takes a lot of effort to get moving again if you stop. I think of it like that mythbusters episode where they see if you can walk across that starch mix non newtonian fluid. you keep moving and you don't sink, you stop, it's gonna be a bitch to get going again.

some other basic things
>fuck suicide. if it comes down to it sell everything and go sit on a beach somewhere. either you'll start feeling better and restart your life doing something else, or, well, I guess you learn if suicide denies you entry to whatever lies beyond.
>spite. if you're doing something and life is kicking your ass and making it impossible, get spiteful and work harder.
>get creative to solve problems. fuck feeling bad about how shit things are. if you're feeling bad about it and thinking about how bad it is then you're blowing the opportunity to think about how to fix it.

Following day , very early in the morning one of my managers calls me, says that I'm part of leadership and we really need to boost moral and get our team back together . The managers have used me to great effect to build a team and encourage people.

I said I'll try my best and went into work with the intent to do so regardless of personal bias.

2200 is rolling up on us and we need to get these orders out, I recognize this independently ( I was working another job, cross training someone on a different process) so I decide to start getting these shipments out the door myself, and get them all done.

After the break we come back for our "stand up" basically a quarterly meeting. The manager. Young girl I mention, starts making call outs to all the people whom helped get those orders out the door. Leaves my name out while her and the female associate smirk at me.

It was whatever to me, I tried my best and did what my manager asked, played as a team.

Few hours later senior ops had that talk with me and basically the info they were given was a one sided story of my fuck ups by the two females.

So basically they told me to capitulate to whatever these women ask of me, and since I've been then only one to go to the managers about this (I'm not the only one that sees it as a problem though) I got hammered for it.

Boiled down to "Be like everyone else" I haven't found a way to do that yet..

Ya I'm 25 now, at 5 I attempted suicide, was handed a rough start but I can't blame anyone.

From 15-20 I was "homeless " never had any addiction problems or whatever, and been working my ass off just to keep my brain occupied.

I honestly believe that happiness comes from hard work, my mind is always occupied on how to fix things. It gets me in trouble a lot.

Self improvement in this reality is hard. But I'm trying making gains in some places loses in others

youtube.com/watch?v=uv_2x6JmuaE
youtube.com/watch?v=RI4lkqYzJvM
youtube.com/watch?v=Dlr90NLDp-0
youtube.com/watch?v=HxjYWvF5ttc
youtube.com/watch?v=WhP654dN3Ww
youtube.com/watch?v=4ych_dTX8G0
youtube.com/watch?v=pGgB0bf2PHU
youtube.com/watch?v=oX9xVnHYFAM
youtube.com/watch?v=cX9bYNK5oC0
youtube.com/watch?v=C_gaT-tnpKk
youtube.com/watch?v=n-5mx5o8YYs
youtube.com/watch?v=70YDpSo2MRI
youtube.com/watch?v=g3Ekot38tV8
youtube.com/watch?v=2IxYXGfdGcQ
youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3scPRLGFE
youtube.com/watch?v=AKpexxzR4Ak
youtube.com/watch?v=o6JJCaf9e7c
youtube.com/watch?v=mNMQu5LXaeI
youtube.com/watch?v=_dV5b8AuLHg
youtube.com/watch?v=YRhRzdiCk7s
youtube.com/watch?v=1_8Nrx-67EY
youtube.com/watch?v=74d3gWJOV-4
youtube.com/watch?v=GkdtYIPN9ic
youtube.com/watch?v=noetoc2W4Pc - 1.5x speed is recomended by user.
youtube.com/watch?v=sieHX3tPeRw&t=123s
youtube.com/watch?v=PU4ycRzwqDc
youtube.com/watch?v=WPQ4F9Xd45w


Instead of improving yourself, like a stoic heatn I ask that you all ask God to forgive you in faith,

Light of God burns far in the distance for some of us.

We will make our way there guided by faith , God willing.

sounds like you're at the point where you need to leverage your experience there into a higher position elsewhere. I'll tell you right now, that isn't going to work out well and that bitch is going to try to fuck everything up for you now.

cap this so if you're still there in 6 months you'll know you were warned. I hope you have been there for at least a year and can use the experience to get somewhere better.

t. I have been in that position many times.

you are about to get fucked. you are making people feel insecure by being good at your job and they have chosen, instead of stepping up, to expend a ton of energy making your life hell. you can either expend a bunch of energy doing the same to them while you're up against uneven numbers, or you can find a better job before it becomes a problem. do not wait to apply elsewhere.

get diagnosed with a disorder, then when they fire you sue them for discrimination

I know.... this is why I avoid people like this, I avoid them like the plague.

I higher position is a few months out, I just got a promotion. A shift transfer maybe.

I've got a small number of people behind me but we have not the numbers or the influence to shake that cabal up.

And unfortunately for me I can't people. Aside from other psychological stigmas I have , I can only keep my mask on for so long and it's slipped once or twice. I can't not work hard.

For now I'm stuck, I just need to find a way to be invisible until I can find a way out.

You know that scene in zoolander where mugato goes "I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!"

That's me every day

hey there

I am sort of in a similar situation to you. I went through college without socializing with anyone and I've been working at my current job for about 10 months now

Thing is my annual review is coming up and I am worried that I will be fired. My manager says that I am doing great.. BUT I need to socialize more. I fear that he will be against me during the performance review as he also dislikes me.

I'm wondering what is it about being around other people that causes you physical discomfort? I have a similar issue and that is the main reason why I have difficulty socializing with others.

I've been diagnosed with PBA, sociopathic, ADD, manic depressive, borderline personality, and "transient scizo" disorder.

It's all bullshit. It's just the a survival mechanism for your body and soul.

But I can't morally get someone "fired" to take away someone livelihood and means to exist in this reality. A harsh judgement, it's been done to me and I don't wish that on anyone.

I can't relate, the things they do and how they behave confuses me.

Also the severe social anxiety I have gets to me.

Let me ask you this, so you get depressed after having socialized or "hanging out" with people ??

Amen

One of the main things I've noticed is my brain can only do one thing at a time. I can find a way to add multiple things into one command line for example but cannot multitask.

Hence socialising is not in that constant running script, I find myself poorly prepared for socialising.

I'm extremely judgemental of myself, every word I say, step I make, breath i take, proximity to people, eye contact, length of conversation, speaking at the right time. Etc etc

I feel as if eyes are always on me, and indeed mine are. But I feel theirs as well, so I will get a physical response (heat flash , heart beating, sometimes building tears, that awful throb in your chest, blushing) if/when I flag any of those things my eyes are on, more so if I believe someone saw me

Cont.

>Self improvement
Running a business is though business in a globalist world.
I was focused on education, wanting to be the best in my field, the requirements kept going up as EU broke its own borders and billions of professional workers seeped into the country. I hope that I can one day start a family or even find work, but you never know these days.

To add on to this, I have this perception that my "essence " or part of me is left with the people i interact with, and they spend time dwelling on that thinking about all those aforementioned "flags" and then I spend time over analyzing everything I did to even the words that left my mouth and the volume at which I spoke them. This causes me to become massively depressed , so i don't really hang out with people.

At my core I'm a perfectionist.

My solution is an act, a mask. If you have empathy start to focus on that and learn to feel what you believe others will feel and what they want/need. Take these things that you mediate on and start to create a personality that you can attempt to blend with your work. Wear this mask as best you can.

As you learn to act you'll realize most people just want small talk, a small joke, pointing out something silly. It's not so much the content but it's the fact that you are stimulating that part of their brain that they need to have active.

Don't overdue do it, if they are working ask them how they do "X" so fast or just kinda mention something a tad annoying about the job in a playful way.

You'll fuck this up a lot at first probably....i did

But wearing the mask, putting up the act causes me additional physical pain as I have to repress who i actually am.

Welcome to existing on the outside. Get comfortable with the idea that YOU DON'T BELONG

To tell you the truth, I haven't "hung out" with people for such a long time that I don't have an answer to that question :/

Basically, I become physically uncomfortable around people because I literally have trouble breathing normally around them. For whatever reason, I seem to be incapable of unconsciously breathing around people so I have to constantly manually breathe. This causes a lot of side effects, like headaches and fogginess in thinking, but I persevere and get my work done (sometimes have to work weekends because I can't focus properly while working in the office around other people).

I think the root of my issue is that I have an (illogical) fear that people can hear my breathing, which bothers them and causes them to physically react negatively. Closest I've come to finding other people with similar issues is the PATM community (which may or may not be a real disease)

The more I think about this issue, the more I think that me isolating myself for most of my life has been the problem. I've been living by myself, but I am going to try to move in with roommates just so that I can be more exposed (and hopefully get comfortable) around other people

yeah... you guys are gonna have the same situation we've got in the states. another reason I'm relocating north is all the fucking illegal immigrants make it damn near impossible to live a decent life here. it's literally just like mexico down here. same infrastructure, same people, same shitty run down feel with all the homeless people around, some fucking retarded third world status drivers on the road.

the EU is going to have a massive wake up call in a few years. you can either wait until you people inevitably vote for your trump or you can do something about it now. I'd recommend doing something about it now.

you could have prevented this.

and in response to
>Running a business is though
yeah it's... a thing. it's a complicated mess of a thing and i chose a complicated mess of a field in a complicated mess of a market but it was the one of my ideas I could do at the time. I'm not saying I'll never have another business, but if i continue the way I am I'll find myself in a situation where I'll be at the finish line looking at my goals at the end of a different lane and I'll be in the wrong lane, in a wrong life, and without the time to fix it.

Ya read my other post. You are extremely self critical. And because you desire to work hard you focus on the "flaw" and hence enter into a vicious cycle.

Practice breathing in rhythm, I had to do this with both breathing and eye contact. I do both on a 3 count, breath in on 2, look at person for full count and avert eyes until 2. It makes conversation hard at first because it's so hard to count and talk but it comes easy after a bit.

I would say also to have moree distance between the person so they are less likely to notice.

I feel for you man...i know how it feels

Oh ya also, rehearse the day in your head every morning.

Practice saying good morning with a slight smile and good voice. And remember to say it to people.

>I think the root of my issue is that I have an (illogical) fear that people can hear my breathing
you gotta stop giving a shit for other people being comfortable with you, at least to a reasonable extent. you need to care more about you being comfortable, and anyone with a problem can get fucked.

t. used to give /adv/ice all the time and half the time anxiety problems are giving too much of a fuck about strangers.

Charity is another word for love

SIG is vainity your deeds are vain.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish aw For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

You realize some people cannot do this right?? Our brains are not wired like that

>beareth all things

I needed that today. Thank you

yup

...

Your welcome. And Amen

I think I get what you mean by feeling like a part of you remains on another person after a conversation; I too over-analyze all the details after an encounter with another person (which often leaves me feeling bad because most of these encounters are uncomfortable and awkward due to my lack of sociability).

How do you practice your social skills with other people, outside of work? If I have a 'mask' it's not a very good one as conversations with people are still very awkward.

A random thing I noticed: deepening my voice when talking seems to improve interactions with other people, for whatever reason.

I will try. The reason why this never seemed to work for me is that the reason I have trouble not manually breathing is because I interpret the actions of other people around me as reactions to hearing me breathe.

For example: I am sitting in an otherwise quiet office, and I hear the person next to me coughing or exhaling loudly. My brain interprets this as them being in discomfort because they can hear me breathe; which causes me to breathe manually because I am now thinking about breathing. This "symptom" is very similar to other disorders like Trimethylaminuria or PATM, where the issue is not that you are unhealthy, but rather that other people are reacting negatively to you.

I am at a loss as to how to convince my brain that other people's reactions (coughing, sneezing, sighing) aren't because of me.

there was a time I thought that too. you can. you have no other choice long term. where you stand is not feasibly defensible from the onslaught of life. you must move.

I am in the middle of a personal dilemma; I never had a real life relationship. I only dated online. Just like the OP (albeit on my school years) I worked hard when I was a student thinking that my good grades would get me somewhere in life. As result I would avoid partying and going out with friends and focus on studying/doing my homework. I didn’t surrender at the ridicule I received for that but as I grew older school seemed more and more pointless to the point I started caring less and I stopped studying at around the age of 19. But due my reclusive nature the only girls I ever dated were online (Same country and all) but lived considerably far away. I did manage to meet one of them but in a nutshell these experiences were truly hurtful –But in the end I became a better man in a lot of aspects- however the worst of all is that I didn’t learn my lesson and I am going through a third online relationship and I am constantly considering breaking up with her because all of this shit is getting to me. Is not to say I have a hard time socializing, people love me IRL and I tend to be the spirit anywhere I go so I would not have a hard time finding me someone in real life. But this girl seems very attached to me now and I’d feel guilty if I were to harm her; at the same time I want to get out, socialize more, spend less time on a computer and engage in physical contact with someone but she insists if we wait it’ll be worth the trouble. And I hardly doubt it. She has treated me fairly well and is very supportive but I feel like nothing has changed. She might be a different girl, but she has similar problems compared to previous experiences and I don’t want to be hurt the same way I was before.

This is arguably my biggest problem right now so I am thankful my life is simple to say the least.

>Trimethylaminuria or PATM
stop looking up anything medical or psychological on the internet. it's all garbage. it's all stemming from an overpopulated field where publishing is a requirement but the number of people and the papers that must be written to remain in the field outstrips legitimate discoveries.

>I am at a loss as to how to convince my brain that other people's reactions (coughing, sneezing, sighing) aren't because of me.
you're in a weird position where you obviously have low self esteem but also think everyone gives a shit about you. there's people that would diagnose this as narcissism but the reality is that someone somewhere in your life in your formative years that did pay attention to you paid you a lot of negative attention.

realize this. 99% of the people around you don't give a shit for you or what you do. you could raucously fart and most of them will be too involved in their phone, work, have headphones in to even begin to notice.

Well for me I recreate people in my head and project them into my space and I will walk around my apartment doing things and attempting to talk with them. It usually ends poorly but I've made progress.

Sometimes I just make a mash up of people and talk with all them, I imagine them in my apartment doing something like cleaning while I'm cleaning and I'll try to talk...

I'll embarrass myself sometimes and have a response.

Most days though I just end up seeing other versions of me drifting about my apartment doing things , we talk but since it's just iterations of me no progress is made with socialising, healthy though for introspection.

You have to concentrate on deepening your voice hence less time to consider breathing

I don't really have much to add but I'm finding this fascinating reading. Wishing all you guys the best

I get your point. I will try. First step is to take off my headphones at work. I wear them 90% of the time because they help block out sounds from other people (which I may interpret as reactions to me) so that I can focus on work better. Perhaps what I should be doing is to breathe freely, even if my brain is telling me that other people are reacting to me.

I've tried having imaginary conversations; it's better than not saying anything for an entire day but I am not sure if it's helped much. Something I've thought about doing is recording myself playing games Let's Play style, so that I can practice talking naturally.

But I think the most important thing for both of us is to just keep practicing on other people. We have to wear a 'mask' at work (i.e. pretend to be normal) because we need to work to eat. So people at work can't be our only source of interaction because we should not be "practicing" on these people, unless we want to risk hurting our job performance. That's why I've decided to move in with roommates once my lease is up, because I am not beholden to them and they are readily accessible people that I can interact with.

I've had this problem for almost 8 years now (I'm 24). I hope you and I can get out of this mess

>Go full celibate

I mean I'll bang a girl I'm involved with until the cows come home. My point is that I need to be choosier about who I get involved with, and I need to dump casual relationships completely. The next girl I bed will have been friends with me for a while, and I will have made damn sure she doesn't have any red flag. I'll also be sure to make it clear I'm not looking for a one time lay, and take it from there.

That means you're pushing too much. Also, I don't think it's good to be doing 2 miles everyday for you. Try doing it every other day, or else your muscles and blood pressure won't have the time necessary to cool down.

I need to lose weight this year. Literally the only thing I want in life is a family, and I need to look a little less disgusting for that to be possible. Hopefully this summer will be good for me, but I'm spending the next month at home with my parents and it'sreally hard to eat healthily there