How was your 2025?

[nakedfrog]

Could it be related to guitar, and posture? Long shot, but maybe try paying attention when you're standing, and see if things feel weird. If so, that would be lucky. It's easy to change guitar posture.

Fortunately there's not yet been pain associated with playing any of my instruments, more stuff like reaching overhead or behind me or other movements that are less common. My mom had frozen shoulder some time back, and I guess there's some potential hereditary factor for that, and a lot of other potential indicators line up. Probably doesn't help I took a dirt dive while trail-running at the end of November and that shoulder took some of the impact...

 

[Chaotic42]

2025 was pretty good, all things considering. On a micro level, since the macro level is so fucked. The whole fascism thing is a huge downer, so this is the time to focus on the smaller picture stuff basically. The way I put it on one of my dating profiles 'Practice responsible hedonism in order to fight fascism' - you can't let it drag you down into misery.

I have really tried to focus on relationships, whether friends or family, or sexual - and enjoying the ridiculously amazing amenities that I get access to right here next to NYC. The food, the art, the culture, the diversity. Time to enjoy what we have around us all the time, while it is still allowed to exist. I have always done this and consider myself so blessed for where I get to live, but am now really trying to focus even more so on that.

This could only happen if I reduced political news interactions. I totally cut off all social media access for myself early last year - as in deleted FB, Insta, Threads, and Bluesky. Twitter was already finished for me.

I stayed on reddit, I only browse and do not comment, and the only subreddits I put in my feed are purely non-political - I edited that list down quite a bit.

P&N I got banned from for a couple of months, and then I gave myself another two months off just for myself to take a step back. I have cut my reading of political news drastically, and tv related to politics to a very small amount. I do always keep up on current events but I do not read nearly as much copy as before - just getting in the key facts - and occasionally reading some longer analysis. But I did go to multiple protests, from small ones at the NYC Tesla dealership, to the big No Kings marches, in no way am I just totally tuned out and just focusing on pleasure.

I did have a shake up career wise mid-year, and at the time it was a bit scary but I made a move to a different group and it all ended up for the better. So nerve-wracking for a bit, but ended up being a positive thing which I have to take advantage of this year.

2025 did a family trip to Venice and the Dolomites, plus visted my best friend in Denver for a week, and saw two bucket list concerts at Red Rocks. Two trips that didn't just live up to the hype, but exceeded it.

This year is a 10-day family trip to Yosemite & Sequoia national parks plus King's Canyon, and planning to go back to Denver for another week.

Yep, I'm focusing on enjoying the day to day stuff too. Every time I read any sort of political discussion online I regret it, so I generally just avoid it. I'll check P&N from time to time to see if there are any funny memes in the image thread, but other than that I try to avoid anything besides hard news from sources I have some faith in.

 

[lxskllr]

I try to avoid anything besides hard news from sources I have some faith in.

I quit listening to NPR years ago, largely due to Trump1.0 with a helping of covid. The local classical station has AP news breaks in the mornings, and I'm still yelling FFUUUUCK! with those brief tidbits. Sometimes it's even out loud.

 

[Kaido]

My mom had frozen shoulder some time back

Literally one of the worst pain experiences I have ever had. Sneezing makes you cry involuntarily. 0/10 stars.

 

[snoopy7548]

I think I started having a midlife crisis. I'm burned out at work and am generally just mentally done with full-time work, just way too many hobbies/interests outside of work... and I think my mindset is shifting and no longer aligns with what I'm doing career-wise.

Good timing I guess, because my company is relocating, and I used it to ask for a part-time schedule. I'll be doing 10 hours a day, 3 days a week, which is the minimum to get health insurance. Hopefully this schedule gives me time to sort things out and gain some balance.

 

[lxskllr]

I think I started having a midlife crisis. I'm burned out at work and am generally just mentally done with full-time work, just way too many hobbies/interests outside of work... and I think my mindset is shifting and no longer aligns with what I'm doing career-wise.

Good timing I guess, because my company is relocating, and I used it to ask for a part-time schedule. I'll be doing 10 hours a day, 3 days a week, which is the minimum to get health insurance. Hopefully this schedule gives me time to sort things out and gain some balance.

That sounds great. Sometimes getting away entirely helps bring the joy back. Having a bit of money stocked up gives you room to try.

 

[NuclearNed]

eh. My father in law died - I loved him very much. My job stress/anxiety has increased significantly due to the actions of my employer; not sure I'll have a job at the end of 2026. My aging parents are starting to have serious age-related problems.

On the other hand, there were lots of good things too.

So I don't know - it def wasn't one of my favs.