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Mental Health · by Noé Petit · 2026-10-05

How do you get better at selfcare without burning out in real life?

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it

202 sparks · 41 comments

Comments

Hamza Malik · 57 likes

Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. Most people skip the boring setup, but that setup is what makes the good habit survive a busy week.

- Start small and make the next step obvious.
- Keep notes so you can compare what worked.
- Ask someone with recent experience, not just strong opinions.

Come back with what happened; the details will make the next answer better

Olena Shevchenko · 10 likes

@hamza-40 I am curious what changed your mind

Noé Petit · 20 likes

could be regional too

Siti Lestari · 5 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Cedar Baker · 1 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Noé Petit · 8 likes

@cedar-83 This. Exactly this

Bianca Santos · 6 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Noé Petit · 6 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

Faisal Al Saud · 1 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn

Rizky Pratama · 5 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating

Bianca Santos · 4 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Hugo Martin · 30 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. I would test it for 10 days before deciding

Ananya Rao · 8 likes

I think both things can be true

Sleepy Fern · 14 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. The the library detail changes the whole answer

Midnight Fern · 14 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Laura Gómez · 11 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Theo Bennett · 7 likes

Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. Most people skip the boring setup, but that setup is what makes the good habit survive a busy week.

- Start small and make the next step obvious.
- Keep notes so you can compare what worked.
- Ask someone with recent experience, not just strong opinions.

Come back with what happened; the details will make the next answer better

Lotte Jansen · 5 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I noticed the same thing in Cairo

Maja Wiśniewska · 5 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I would test it for 8 days before deciding

Chiara Romano · 4 likes

Yes but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. The trap is trying to optimize before you have feedback.

- Start small and make the next step obvious.
- Keep notes so you can compare what worked.
- Ask someone with recent experience, not just strong opinions.

Hope this helps!

Noé Petit · 11 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Cian Kelly · 5 likes

I think both things can be true

Lucía García · 3 likes

I am curious what changed your mind

Irene López · 3 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Elsa Andersson · 3 likes

the middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete

Rohan Mehta · 3 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Avery Johnson · 3 likes

The middle path is probly best: try it cheaply keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. My only addition is to make teh first step visible

Bilal Raza · 3 likes

The middle path is probly best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the kitchen

Urban Otter · 3 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. I would test it for 2 days before deciding

Midnight Baker · 2 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Noé Petit · 4 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Hugo Martin · 2 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the train station

Martina Fernández · 2 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Nairobi? I learned that one the expensive way

Solar Marauder · 11 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Hamza Malik · 1 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. The weekend version is even more interesting

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I would test it for 5 days before deciding

Curious Rider · 1 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today

Curious Rider · 4 likes

helpful correction

Sofía Hernández · 0 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. A little friction removed goes a long way

Noé Petit · 0 likes

yep, the boring details matter