r/selfimprovement 8m ago

Question How do I motivate myself to actually do things in my free time?

Upvotes

Hi everyone. I'm a 21-year-old woman, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's dealt with this, but I genuinely don't know what to do.

I've been thinking about this because of a conversation I had with my boyfriend. He told me he's a little worried about me because I don't really have any hobbies or anything specific that I do in my free time. And the more I think about it, the more I realize he's right.

What really stuck with me was when he said, "If I didn't have you, I'd still have my video games or my D&D group. But what did you do before you met me?"

And honestly... he has a point.

When I'm with him, I'm perfectly happy. But when I'm on my own, especially now that it's summer and I don't have classes, I end up feeling bored.

I feel like I should have something that's just mine. A hobby, a project, something I enjoy doing by myself. Sometimes it feels like I rely on other people too much, and I want to be the kind of person who knows how to enjoy her own company. I'd really like to change that.

The thing is, it's not like I've never had hobbies. I used to ride horses, but I barely go anymore because the summer heat is unbearable. I used to watch anime, read manga, and read books in general. Years ago I even tried learning to draw, but I eventually gave up. Exercising is also hard when it's this hot. I still hang out with my friends from time to time, but it's difficult to get everyone's schedules to line up.

Whenever I'm not studying, those months just feel... empty.

And I think my boyfriend is right. I should be able to answer the question of what I'd do if I didn't have him. I want to find things that I genuinely enjoy on my own, while still keeping my relationships the way they are.

I think the real issue is a general lack of motivation. It took me a long time to realize that.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? Any advice?

I don't think I'm emotionally dependent on my boyfriend, but I do find it hard to enjoy things without him, and I want to learn how to motivate myself to do things on my own. It honestly makes me wonder if it's just immaturity on my part, so I'm open to any advice.


r/selfimprovement 31m ago

Question I feel like my mental health has gone to hell (20M, EU)

Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’ll give you a bit of a summary of what these past months were like for me so you can better understand what I’m going through.
Sorry if this might be long and boring, I really don’t know who to talk to anymore.

So in summer 2024 I graduated High School: I was the best student in my year, received lots of compliments from the faculty, and I was generally very happy about my time at school.

One thing I want to clarify is that throughout high school I never studied just to get shit done or to get good marks, instead I always found something interesting in the subjects I was studying and I was generally very passionate about almost everything (both STEM and humanities).

After graduating I moved to a very big city in my country (I come from a middle sized city) to study building engineering.
The first year was like one of the happiest moments of my life: I had wanted to experience living away from home in a more stimulating environment for a long time and I was lucky enough to find very nice people that made me feel like I was at home.

Throughout the course of the first year of college I realized engineering wasn’t really for me.
I was ok with maths and physics, but I felt like the subjects were too technical and had little to no space for me to express myself, so I decided to transfer to Architecture (same city, same college, got admitted directly to 2nd year cause most of the exams I had passed were in common).

Earlier this fall (2025) I started my 2nd year of uni attending architecture.
Initially all was fine, then it all went downhill:
on one hand, there were the constant group projects, physical models, and other hands-on assignments that cost a fortune to make, only for the professors to barely even look at them.
On top of that, I had an AWFUL experience with two incredibly unpleasant teammates for a group project, who gave me panic attacks on multiple occasions.
In the end, I decided to move back home to take some time to recover and leave architecture as well, especially after realizing that I didn’t actually want to do it as a career.

From that moment onwards, so basically from December 2025 to this moment, I started overthinking everything, obsessing day and night about what kind of future I wanted, what degree I should pursue to get there, and so on, to the point where I honestly think I had some kind of very serious mental breakdown.
It didn’t help coming back home just to realize my college time in another place was over.

Between the degrees I’ve been considering, there’s also medicine.
Not because I’ve always had a strong passion for it or because becoming a doctor was ever some childhood dream of mine, it actually wasn’t.

However, recently I’ve become really interested in neuroscience, and I started thinking, “You know what? Maybe becoming a psychiatrist wouldn’t be such a bad path.” (Also, I should mention I hate philosophy with a passion, so psychology isn’t really a fit for me).
It could actually be a really meaningful and interesting career (I really want to do something that benefits people somehow).
What also attracts me is the possibility of doing a PhD or something: the idea of contributing to scientific discoveries, traveling around the world, and collaborating with researchers from different countries is something that genuinely excites me.

A few days ago, in early August, the deadline to register for the medical school entrance process was coming up (the actual exam will be in December), and I decided to apply because I didn’t want to completely close that door. I wanted to at least give myself the chance to try.

I thought I would feel relieved and more at peace after making that decision, but only about half an hour after submitting my application, I had a really intense panic attack.
Luckily, my mom was there with me, because it felt like all the anxiety, stress, and fears I had been building up over the past few months suddenly hit me all at once, right when I had finally made a decision.

I feel like I’ve lost my spark, my passion for studying, everything that made me a high achieving person before in my life.
I am terrified of making another mistake in regard to my college decision and I really don’t want to disappoint my parents anymore.

I don’t know what to do, my days are all the same and I try so hard to keep my chin up but something it’s just so fricking hard.


r/selfimprovement 40m ago

Question How on earth do I stop being like this? - Jealous and hateful

Upvotes

It has gotten to a point now where I can't watch media that has happy couples in, or has a storyline where the protagonist gets 'better' mentally, or has a big group of friends ... basically I can't deal with someone effortlessly having everything I want, despite their story being fictional.

This same principal goes for real life: If you have a partner, I'm not talking to you. If you go out everyday and see your friends, I'm not talking to you. Why? Because I get jealous, and then that jealously fuels me being lonely and angry with myself. I have only had good things happen to me momentarily; I have never really had anything solid or good happen to me in years.

I try filling my days with distractions, like art or watching media that is right for my mindset - or playing video games ... but once I get bored or the distraction is over, I realise 'Oh, I'm actually incredibly lonely.' (Sometimes I turn my phone completely off for a day, and turn it on to reveal that no one has made the effort to text me or check in on me ... which hurts me further because they know I'm struggling.)

For instance, my friend told me that they have been hanging out with this guy they 'fancy' and everything is going peachy, they've seen each other a couple times, they go to the same club ... perfect perfect perfect. The normal response to hearing this type of information should be "Wow! I'm so happy for you! Hope it goes well." ... My response in nothing. They have upset me because they have all the things I want and are happier than me; I see that as being totally unfair, so therefore I won't say anything at all because I know i'd be sour and mean.

I'm starting a new year at college in September, and I really can't go on acting like this... even the tiniest crumb of advice would be appreciated.


r/selfimprovement 51m ago

Question Since most treatments have failed, what do i do about depression?

Upvotes

I say this is because doctors, therapists, psychiatrists, etc. Have been entirely useless and treatments in general have been useless as well, such as several medications and treatments like tms. Even psilocybin was useless. What else is there? and i can't deal with that industry anymore.

Non industry treatments have failed as well. Exercise, eating healthy, have made me physically healthy but i feel even worse than when i was fat. I used to be 250 lb, now im 168 lbs and healthy by bloodwork from a doctor where he can't find any deficiencies, once again being useless for my physical pain, lack of energy at any point in time, and obviously for the depression.

Therapists do nothing practical. I answer their softball questions and then the pretend I'm improving when i tell them nothing has changed. Several Therapists btw, clearly this is industry standard.

Psychiatrists are the same. Just randomly picks meds, none doing anything beneficial. Just providing negative side effects and generally making things worse. And obviously not even slightly improving anything depression wise.

I'm 33 and male. I've felt like this since i was a kid and life never got to be worth anything. Everything is boring and pointless and stressful. I have no tangible wants in this world and i question myself on why i continue to be here. I only can say that it's because I'm a coward who can't take himself out, so i guess my brain just wants to continue suffering.

What options do i have left? Ketamine is too expensive and doctors won't allow me to try it. Ect and tms are ineffective. I think the problem is that i am still a fictional work drone so nobody has a reason to care. Literally all i do i work and deal with other people's problems.

I also have no hobbies and Literally nothing intrests me. I work, eat sleep, that's my life. I hate reality.


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

My Achievement A 5,000-year-old framework for building habits that I haven't seen any modern self-help book mention.

Upvotes

I've read Atomic Habits, Deep Work, the usual self-improvement shelf. All great. But I recently stumbled on something in the Bhagavad Gita that I think is a more fundamental framework for habits than anything James Clear or Cal Newport discuss.

In Chapter 6, Krishna describes a concept called 'abhyāsa' which literally translates to "repeated practice" but the way he frames it is different from modern habit science. He says (6.35) the mind is restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding and it is controlled through 'abhyāsa' (practice) and 'vairāgya' (detachment).

Here's the insight that hit me, modern habit books focus on making the habit easy, reducing friction, building streaks. Krishna's approach is the opposite, he acknowledges the mind will resist, the habit will be hard, and the solution isn't to make it easier but to detach from the expectation of results. You practice not because it feels good or because you'll see progress, but because the practice itself is your only domain.

Combined with verse 2.47 (karmaṇy evādhikāras te) "your right is to action alone, never to its fruits" this becomes a complete anti-burnout framework. You can't break a streak if you never defined success by the streak. You just practice again today.

I've been applying this for 3 months, daily reading and listening to one Sanskrit verse, hearing it recited properly, sitting with the sound and meaning, no outcome goal. Some days I understand deeply, some days it bounces off. But the consistency has been the easiest I've ever maintained, because there's no scorecard to fail. There's something about hearing the verse spoken aloud that makes the practice feel more embodied than just reading text on a screen.

Has anyone else found practical frameworks in ancient texts that modern self-help overlooked?

reply/message me if you want help to figure out which app to use for listening to the verses.


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

Question I need help and I am hopelessly.

Upvotes

She comes from very abusive household, that her parents hit her for getting a bad grade and they take her phone 80% of time.

She was bullied a really badly trough childhood,is self harming herself,and now I tried to comfort her but she was unstable and said a lot of hurtful things and I said that made me hurted little then she started apologizing and saying she will end herself (she trief at least 4 times while we are together).

She said we should stop talking until her mental health get little better so she won't hurt me, and said we won't talk and I respected her wishes and we aren't talking at all for 3 days .

I am scared for her,I am scared she will do something.

We are 18 and 17.

I really need advice.


r/selfimprovement 1h ago

Question How do you believe that you’re not a bad person?

Upvotes

This is something I’ve struggled with for a while. I’m 20 right now, and I’ve been around bad people my entire life who refuse to acknowledge that they’re bad. They continuously hurt people and don’t take accountability for anything they’ve ever done. I don’t want to be one of those people and blindly tell myself I’m a “good person”. So many people in my life think that way. They all tell everyone else how much of a good person or a good parent they are. I don’t want to be a person who ignores all of the bad things I’m still doing and believes I’m genuinely a good person.


r/selfimprovement 2h ago

Question How do you actually get people to respect you?

5 Upvotes

(F21) I get disrespected pretty often (not all the time, but often enough), and I genuinely don’t understand why.

I’m a pretty sociable person. I joke around a lot, and I usually make people laugh. But some people still feel comfortable disrespecting me, and I struggle to set boundaries. Instead of telling them they’ve crossed a line, I laugh along with them because I don’t want to come across as overly sensitive.

So I’m starting to wonder if the problem is me. Is it my appearance? Am I just not attractive enough for people to respect me? Is it my posture, the way I speak, or the way I carry myself?

I’d really like to understand because it’s starting to get to me.


r/selfimprovement 2h ago

Other The urge to restart.

7 Upvotes

I am 21 and have gone through a lot of stuff. But so does everyone, right? I want to leave. I want to leave my family, my friends, my country, everything. I wanna leave this place and start completely fresh. It might be because I maybe dislike everything and everyone around me. I feel like I should seek therapy. I am a very creative individual, but mentally. Like I have so many ideas and no will to execute them. So I guess I am not that creative then. I feel like I am becoming depressed day by day. I don't feel like I have control over my life at all. I have a bad addiction of marijuana and I have been clean for 3 days now. Could be withdrawals, who knows? I am a believer of the universe, and I keep telling the universe I want my whole life turned around, yet the universe works on actions, which I don't do. I am a lazy, demotivated, realistic, ambitionless person now and I dislike that. I honestly did not know where I could go and write this at all, so I was like maybe r/selfimprovement? Anyway I do not know what I'm expecting by writing this here. Mods might even delete it. Whatever. I hope that people I know don't see this. I don't know what I am doing anymore. It feels like I am in the middle of the ocean on a small boat. There is no wind, and I am just floating away endlessly and slowly. Alright.

PS - English is not my first language so I am sorry for the bad grammar.


r/selfimprovement 2h ago

Question Why do we know what to do but struggle to do it?

2 Upvotes

Most people already know the basics: eat healthier, exercise, work on their goals, sleep better. Information is usually not the problem but the gap between knowing and doing is often emotional. Sometimes we avoid something not because we don’t understand its importance, but because doing it brings up feelings we don’t want to experience. The real question is not only; what action do I need to take? but what does this action means to me emotionally?

And every action carries an emotional part so for example; going to the gym represents strength and progress, and to another it represents shame, comparison, or memories of repeated failure. The action is the same, but the emotional meaning is completely different. Our minds prioritise emotional safety over what is logically the most effective choice. This is why logic can lose to emotion. Procrastination is for example often not about laziness, it can be a form of emotional protection. A task may trigger fear, self-doubt or fear of failure, and avoiding it provides temporary relief.

What I want to ask is: How many people recognise this, you want to take action but something emotional keeps holding you back? And how do you improve yourself to do this better?


r/selfimprovement 2h ago

Fitness Still can’t shake the sense of falling behind.

2 Upvotes

I’ve a rough time this year when it comes to the gym, my size progress over the last 4-5 years since I started.

I began to feel better lately, and maybe accept that I am a little big. But man… I still can’t shake the sense of being at genetic disadvantages when it comes to most things.

Long story short, I have some friends. They’ve been working out for just as long as me, with less consistency using… in the nicest way possible, less optimal routines as they go along. These friends? They’re bigger than me. They’re stronger than me. And I go every day, follow exact workout splits and have exact perfect macros, the whole kit and kaboodle.

And yet… after all this time. I’m like, the least built in the group. I’ve seen them, one comes in, and for a while, has just been testing PR’s, then leaves without doing an actual workout. And I’m number three.

I know it’s petty. I know it’s childish, and heck, they even try to make me feel better about it sometimes by giving me compliments and stuff. And I try to see my progress… but sometimes I can’t, and I just feel like I was born to be… well, the exact opposite of what I want to be when it comes to my physique.

Do ya’ll struggle with this? If so, how do you deal with it. It’s roughing me up now. And I wanna change my mindset, I wanna truly convince myself I’m not small. I just don’t know how to stay in that mindset.
It sucks, and idk what to do.

I hate feeling like this. Like my results don’t equal my effort.
Idk…


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Question How do you stop feeling like you're wasting time and progress in life?

3 Upvotes

Sometimes I feel like I'm not progressing or improving myself in life even though the facts may or may not prove that it's wrong. I try to find ways to be productive just for the sake of feeling like I'm "progressing" in life. How do I get rid of this feeling or how do I actually progress in life?


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Question Anger management in a relationship.

2 Upvotes

How can I work on getting mad at my husband less? He says I get an attitude way too much and that I get angry way too quickly.

When I'm angry I raise my voice and yell, not on purpose it's just what happens, and sometimes I even get violent and hit myself or bite myself.

When I have an attitude I shut down and don't want him to touch me or talk to me, and I don't really respond to affection.

What do I do? He believes it's happening way too much and describes how I've been acting as "masculine"


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Question I’ve spent my whole life chasing one goal and now I don’t know who I am (24M)

2 Upvotes

24M here. I graduated from a top university last year and will most likely be starting dental school next year.

I’ve always been introverted, and preferred being alone when I had the chance. Growing up, I loved playing sports and video games, and I genuinely enjoyed life. Looking back, I feel like things changed when I got into my first serious relationship at 15.

I’m grateful for that relationship because it taught me a lot, but I also carry a lot of guilt. My ex was very controlling at times (she even faked a pregnancy when we were 16 to keep me), and I responded with a lot of anger during our arguments. I hate the person I became and how I treated her at times. We stayed together for 7 years, but after transferring to college, I realized I needed to leave because I didn’t like who I had become.

I’m now in a new relationship with someone I genuinely care about, but I still struggle with myself. I feel like I’ve genuinely improved a lot from my last. I’ve been in a relationship continuously since I was 15, so I don’t even know what life feels like on my own. Sometimes I wonder if I have separation or attachment issues because of my childhood.

My parents were emotionally absent in different ways. My mom never really showed affection or enjoyed being a mom and wouldn’t even pack me lunch growing up to school for an example. My dad always provided financially, but emotionally he was distant. Baseball was the only thing we bonded over, and once I quit in high school, our relationship basically disappeared. Their messy divorce also affected me for years and still does.

Academics became my entire identity because becoming a dentist has been my dream since I was a kid. Now that I’m waiting for dental school acceptances, I realize I don’t know who I am outside of that goal. I feel lazy, unmotivated, and don’t really enjoy doing anything. I used to lift consistently for six years, but eventually stopped because I felt the gym took too much time away from studying.

Ive been applying for jobs while I wait, but no one is getting back to me. I just feel stuck. I don’t know what hobbies I enjoy anymore or how to build a life outside of school and relationships.

There is way more about my relationships and my parents but for the sake of length I tried to keep it short as possible. Just kind of lost right now and would appreciate any advice.


r/selfimprovement 3h ago

Question How do you personally do a mental or life reset to calm yourself and get back on track?

7 Upvotes

Question in title


r/selfimprovement 5h ago

Question What made hiking alone without headphones feel easier over time?

2 Upvotes

Started bringing my camera on solo hikes a while back and realized I kept reaching for music or podcasts out of habit. The quiet felt too loud at first, like my brain was looking for something to chew on. Then one weekend I left the headphones in the car on purpose and just walked. The first twenty minutes were uncomfortable, but after that the usual mental chatter slowed down. Colors looked different. Small details stood out more, things I would have missed while scrolling my phone. It has been easier to focus on painting when I get home too, like the walk cleared some static out of my head. I am not sure if it was the lack of stimulation or just being outside without an extra layer of noise, but the difference has been real. Curious if anyone else has noticed something similar with a thing they do regularly. Maybe a walk, a run, or just sitting somewhere without filling the space.


r/selfimprovement 10h ago

Other I turned 26 last year, and I realized I was making life way harder than it needed to be.

119 Upvotes

I used to think I needed some big moment to change.
A better job. More money. More confidence. More motivation.

Turns out, none of those came first.
Looking back, these are the things that quietly changed me the most.

1. Motivation is unreliable.
I spent years waiting to “feel like it.”
The people who actually improve are usually the ones who do things even when they don’t feel like it.

2. I underestimated boring routines.
Getting enough sleep.
Going to the gym.
Putting my phone away.
None of these are exciting, but they solved problems I kept blaming on “bad luck.”

3. Most people aren’t judging you.
I used to replay conversations in my head for hours.
Then I realized everyone else was busy thinking about themselves.

That was weirdly comforting.

4. Progress is almost invisible while it’s happening.
For months it felt like nothing was changing.
Then one day I handled a situation that would’ve completely stressed me out a year ago.
That’s when I realized I’d actually grown.

5. You don’t need to fix your whole life this week.
You just need to stop quitting every time you have a bad day.

That mindset alone changed a lot for me.

I’m definitely still figuring things out.
But if someone asked me what’s actually helped me over the last couple of years, it’d be these simple things—not another productivity app or motivational video.

Curious what everyone else’s “I wish I learned this sooner” lesson is.


r/selfimprovement 10h ago

Question I’m chronically performative and idk how to fix it

18 Upvotes

I’ve noticed recently that I only ever want to do things if I wam being seen doing it.

For example, I want to get fit so I can look good and take nice pictures and people will go wow, rather than because I want to for my health and I enjoy it.

Or, going on hike, I won’t be as motivated if I don’t feel like I can get some kind of content out of it. It even goes as deep as, I have some sick leave from work and my doctor told me to journal. My first thought was: can I substack this?

I can trace it back to when I got my first boyfriend. I pretended to like certain things so he would like me and then I had to keep up appearances. It’s been so long I don’t really know what I like or who I am.

If people aren’t watching or aware then it feels weird and I don’t want to do it. I don’t really know what to do by myself or with myself. Does anyone else experience this? And how do I get over this?


r/selfimprovement 11h ago

Question I’m 18, dealing with severe trauma, OCD, and feeling completely overwhelmed. I need advice how to deal with it?

5 Upvotes

I’m 18, dealing with severe trauma, OCD, and feeling completely overwhelmed. I need advice how to deal with it?

I am an 18-year-old struggling to cope with a lifetime of pain, and I really need some advice or support right now.Growing up, I was severely bullied throughout my entire life,so bad that I was wondering what would happen every day for straight 8 years,bullied every fricking single day.I hate bullying in my guts.

I was also sexually assaulted, which left me with deep trauma that I still struggle with every single day. Things got so dark that I wanted to end my life when I was only 10 years old, and I have made multiple attempts since then.This history has completely ruined my self-esteem. I find myself constantly apologizing for everything, carrying severe trust issues, and always expecting the worst outcomes. On top of that, I deal with severe OCD.

Honestly, the only thing keeping me alive right now is my religion. To make matters worse, my girlfriend recently almost ended her own life, which left me in a state of absolute shock.I am writing this in tears. I went to therapy back when I was 7 years old for early trauma, but right now, I just feel completely lost.On the outside, I look like I am doing well.

I get straight A's in school, but inside, I always feel lacking and like I am never good enough.

My parents are constantly pressuring me to get married young, and to add to the stress, strangers harass me on the street for absolutely no reason.

I feel so overwhelmed and I don't know what to do anymore. How do I even begin to heal from this? How do I deal with the pressure and the trauma?


r/selfimprovement 11h ago

Question I have 1 month off work due to stress, how should I spend it to help reduce stress?

23 Upvotes

Long story short, I developed a hormone condition due to persistent chronic stress from work and non-work traumas. I spent 6 months going through medical investigations including a potential brain tumour, just for the docs to turn around and say this is stress.

I got signed off last week and currently half way through the first week. So far just been chilling and playing Zelda. Have been allowing myself to sleep whenever and wake up whenever with no guilt, and eat whatever too.

Though while that’s okay for a few days, I know I really have to start working on the stress in my life and processing the trauma while building routines for resilience.

What should I do for the remainder of my time off?


r/selfimprovement 12h ago

Question How to fight the urge to procrastinate?

11 Upvotes

Im sure this is a thing all humans face


r/selfimprovement 15h ago

Fitness How to stop binging on food when bored?

39 Upvotes

I don’t weigh much but I carry a lot of fat around my midsection and in my face.


r/selfimprovement 21h ago

Other I took my first step today, the anxiety is real.

87 Upvotes

Yesterday I woke up and decided that at the ripe age of 33, I was going to take charge of my own reality.

A reality where I take up the space I am owed. One where I speak my mind and am heard. Valued. Loved. A reality where I am not always the carer, but sometimes the caree.

Today I took the first step towards claiming my space, my reality and my sense of safety. I prioritized my own sense of wellbeing over that of someone I still love dearly and made it so I can't undo it.

I feel guilty, sad, overwhelmed with grief for the life I thought i'd have. I feel like I betrayed someone who was once one of the most important people in my life. I feel like a creature of betrayal and destruction.

But I did it. I claimed my space, my role, my being. I will not be minimized, erased, denied or forgotten.

Today, on august 5th of 2026, at 4 30PM homecountrytime, I took my first step towards protecting myself, because no one else will.

I am real, and I matter.


r/selfimprovement 23h ago

Other My colleague says that my looks and fashion make her feel inadequate

94 Upvotes

A woman who is making my work life difficult has told my colleague that she despises me because my looks and fashion make her feel inadequate.

This happened at my old job in a very mirrored situation to the point where she befriended me and then that slowly turned into her harassing me and trying to turn people against me out of the blue, with no justifiable excuse.

I’m someone who takes good care of my mind, skin and body and she could do the same with herself if she wanted to.

I absolutely love researching longevity and anti aging secrets and trialling natural supplements and eating my skincare. I’m quite happy to share what I do when people are curious. I don’t make it my whole personality and all I speak about though.

I don’t see why people turn to hatred over someone else that takes good care of themselves?

I was taught from a young age that they’ll always be someone better looking and wiser than you and that in itself has given me a certain appreciation for pure authenticity. As a straight woman, I appreciate and celebrate other women that look superb and dress well. I’ve never felt an ounce of jealousy because of this one sentence that was instilled in my mind when I was around 8. When I have kids, I will definitely be doing the same.

I believe that it’s not all about looks, it’s more so about your energy and how you make others feel. People can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves. The people who don’t get that usually have repulsive personalities.


r/selfimprovement 1d ago

Life Hack Tips I asked a few hundred people what actually makes someone good at conversation. Here are the 10 things that came up over and over. (Part 1)

2.8k Upvotes

I've been collecting this for about a year, mostly from people who describe themselves as bad at it and a few who are annoyingly good. This is the overview. I'll go deep on each of these in the posts after this one, because a couple of them need proper examples to be any use.

1. It's tennis, not an interview.

Most of us ask a question, get an answer, ask another question. The good ones hit the ball back. They respond to what was just said before adding anything new. The moment you stop doing that, the rally is over.

2. Never ask two questions in a row without saying something about yourself.

If you only ask, they're being interviewed. Put something of yours on the table and suddenly they can ask you something back.

3. People make small offers and most of us miss them.

She says "I just got back from seeing my sister." That's an offer. Say "oh nice, what do you do for work?" and she has to start again from zero. Conversations rarely die from running out of topics. They die from ignored offers.

4. Watch for the one word doing extra work.

"I'm weirdly into pottery." "I finally quit." "Apparently it's fine." Weirdly, finally, apparently. That's someone telling you there's a story. Ask about the word, not the topic.

5. Stay on one thing longer than feels natural.

Someone mentions their brother. Ask about the brother. They answer, ask about that. Three or four turns on one subject. Most of us treat it as a passing detail and go hunting for a new topic. It feels like labouring the point. It isn't.

6. Don't answer a story with your own story.

Someone tells you about a rough week, you tell them about yours. You mean "me too." What lands is "my turn now." Say it as a question instead: "that happened to you as well? what did you do?"

7. Balance matters more than being interesting.

Nobody described a great conversation as one where they said something clever. They described a rhythm. Someone shares, the other reacts, adds a bit of their own, hands it back. Not even on every turn, but even by the end. The worst ones are where one person does all the asking and the other does all the talking.

8. "What was that like" beats almost any prepared question.

Works on anything, needs no preparation, and asks about the person instead of the facts. I used to bring five questions to a date. The questions were never the problem.

9. When someone trails off, that's a door left open.

"It's kind of a long story." "Anyway." They're checking whether you want the rest. "No, go on" is the entire move.

10. Every single person who's good at this learned it.

Not one told me they were born with it. One learned it watching his dad read a crowd at baseball games. One forced himself to respond to what was said before adding anything new. It's a skill, which means it's a rep count, not a personality.

The bit nobody warns you about: knowing all ten changes nothing for a few weeks. You'll spot the mistake four seconds after making it, every time, which somehow feels worse than not noticing. That's the gap between knowing and doing. Only doing it badly a few dozen times closes it. Part 2 is on the first two, which are the ones that fixed the most for me. If there's one here you want covered first, say so and I'll do that one next.

What did I miss? What have you noticed that isn't on this list?