The structure of modern society damages both the physical and psychological health of people, specifically where people are forced to work jobs that require them to get up extremely early or stay extremely late and thus can create sleep deprivation along with other kinds of problems. For me personally, it's most comfortable for me to wake up in the afternoons (like going to bed at 4AM and waking up at 2PM) but I question if this is healthy in the long run even if I feel fine now and prefer such a lifestyle, and assuming the reason I stay up late is due to screen time.

Is there a certain time interval where it's the healthiest time to go to sleep and to wake up in the long-run? And should I adjust myself to such a schedule even if it may feel uncomfortable in the short run?

October 2nd

Hello TrueGritters,

Happy Friday, and welcome to October. The start of a new month is a good time to pause, notice where we are, and think about what we want to carry forward.
This week, we shared a few community guidelines and conversations around how we approach everyday life.

The sub isn’t anti-work. We’re about the everyday work of getting through life and becoming stronger along the way.

It was a lighter week for new threads, but the conversations we had touched on some of the everyday questions many of us navigate. Take a moment to read, share your experience, and add to the conversation. Your perspective could help someone else.

As always welcome to all our new members. We’re glad you’re here.

Threads We Recommend

🍽️ Do you ever feel tired of having to think about food all the time? What helps you make eating easier & more enjoyable?⁠ — A conversation about reducing decision fatigue around food, from meal prep and simple staples to finding a way of eating that works for you.

💪 How do people not fall apart when they get royally screwed over?⁠ — A conversation about getting through difficult setbacks and finding a way to keep moving forward.

🇯🇵 Japan⁠ — A community discussion sparked by Japan, opening up a broader conversation about culture, everyday life, and different ways of approaching things.

🛌 Does resting go against the grit?⁠ — A timely conversation about whether rest is part of resilience, especially when we’re trying to keep moving toward our goals.

Hi TrueGritters,

Welcome to Gratitude Sunday, our weekly space to pause and reflect on what we’re grateful for.

Gratitude doesn’t mean everything went perfectly. It’s simply a chance to recognize what or who supported you, encouraged you, or gave you something to appreciate this week.

Share one thing you’re grateful for, big or small:

• A good family
• A habit or routine you stayed consistent with
• Something you accomplished
• A lesson or insight you’re taking forward
• A place or community you’re grateful to be part of

What’s one thing you’re grateful for this week?

Not looking for huge life-altering events more like a small mindset shift, a tiny habit change, or an oh moment that seemed minor at the time but ended up reshaping how you live, work, or relate to people. What was that small tweak for you, and how did it change things?

Basically the title.
I was at a point in my life where I was finalizing my masters degree where my mental health and everything with it went downhill.
For years I’ve been just in survival mode, sometimes in part time low paying jobs sometimes not working and focusing on my health.
Now I don’t know where to start and feel an immense sadness. Anyone was able to turn their life around after wasting nearly a decade of their life?

Edit: I just wanted to thank everyone who has shared their experiences and words of encouragement. As you can probably tell from my post I was feeling a bit overwhelmed today and I’m finding it hard to reply to each comment individually. I am really inspired by many people’s resilience here, your comments have been very helpful and have given me a better perspective on things.
Wishing everyone here all the best <3

So a bit of context, I've been suffering with a lack of sleep for pretty much a year now, where I would sleep for 4-5 hours only and wake up alert and well rested even though it wasn't enough (for example I would sleep at 12:am and wake up at 4:am) and I tried multiple fixes over time and none worked.

Here is what I tried,

chamomile tea: didn't really do anything except make me a bit calmer

Melatonin pills: helped me fall asleep faster but still only got 4-5 hours

Daily sunlight in eyes at the same time every morning to help with rhythm: didn't help on its own.

Eye mask: helped but didn't work on its own

Drinking magnesium pills: definitely did not work

What really helped me was eating kiwis before bed, I did some research and found out that they tested kiwis in a few studies and they found out that they help you fall asleep for longer, so I ate one every night an hour before bed and it worked greatly, instead of only 4-5 hours a sleep, I get boosted to 7-8 hours! I don't get any interrupted sleep anymore and I buy kiwis in bulk now to eat them every night and i did this for weeks and it still rings true now, this may not help everyone because everybody is different but it's how it fixed me.

September 11th

Hey TrueGritters,

Hope you had a good week. As we move into the cooler months, our routines often shift with us. It’s a good time to reflect on what’s working, what needs adjusting, and what we want to carry into the new season.

Thank you to everyone who shared a neighborly advice, helpful tip or relatable experience. Your contributions keeps the Sub going. We’d love to hear from more people too. If you’ve experienced something, working through a challenge, or have a simple question, start a thread. Your experience could help someone else.

Our weekly polls are up too.Take a moment to vote. The results help us see what most people experience and where the community stands on different topics.

We added new routines to Gritte inspired by traditions around the world. The collection explores Ikigai from Japan, Sisu from Finland, and Hygge from Denmark. Each offers a different way of thinking about everyday life, from finding purpose to building resilience and creating comfort on ordinary days.

Lastly, If you’re new here, welcome. We’re glad you joined us.

Top Post & Highlights

What is your most impressive achievement or skill? Don’t be humble.

u/New_Discipline_1069I have a wife, two children, a house and a paid off car. In this economy.

u/ContributionBroad433Keeping to a routine consistently. There’s was a period in life where I was fairly disciplined. I’ve slipped now but I’m getting back into it.

u/gunitnekoI may or may not have done a job so well it influenced a nation wide policy for a company.

u/Getmoney_T Laid-off from a job about 2 years ago due to shady management. Landed an entry role with valuable skills but took a pay cut. Received a better offer than both roles with a higher position.

u/davegold135I have a wife, daughter, two dogs, a house, two cars and a good paying union job. I’m not rich by any stretch of the imagination. It’s not always easy. Rarely. But I’ve learned to be grateful and appreciate what I do have. I think thats a bigger flex than a mansion/yacht/whatever.

u/Leionz I've lost about 40kg (90lbs) over the past 13 months.

u/owera1211 I came to US speaking next to no english. I put myself through high school and college living on my own with no help from anyone.

u/SnorblatzI saved someone’s life with quick and decisive action. They would have died if I hadn’t.

u/Autistic_homo Made my first million before 30.

Threads We Recommend

💪 Grit isn’t about the heroic moments. It’s about… A thoughtful look at how grit shows up in the ordinary moments and choices we make every day.

🍽️ Is eating out more affordable than cooking at home? A practical conversation about food costs, convenience, and what makes sense in everyday life.

💰 What’s something you never hesitate to spend money on? A conversation about the things people consider worth spending on and why

Audiobook as self-care Members share how audiobooks can create space to slow down, learn, or simply enjoy some quiet time.

🎨 What hobby lets you create something instead of consume something? A conversation about hobbies that encourage us to make, build, and create rather than simply consume.

If you’ve mostly been reading, we’d love to hear from you. Share a question, routine, lesson, or small win, the community grows stronger when more people contribute.

 

We’ve debated this a lot in individual threads, but now let’s put it to a vote. When you’re cooking for one, how do you think the costs compare?

View Poll

Im a 29 year old MLE (Machine learning engineer) at Meta and my life has been quite dark for the past 18 months. I work on developing AI models daily and i see where this going which is removing the need for human labor and i see how successful it is. Im living in a zombie state where I don't know what to do with my life as there is no plan b and i feel so guilty to do anything remotely costly such as vacation, some nice dinner, upgrading my car because I don't know when i will be out of job and if i can get a new job. My experience in this industry and how the tech giants spending their money is telling me any intellectual job will be replaced even with the current ai models or at best we will see a drastic reduction in human labor. I know every person will try to justify that their job involves things that can't be automated or making up excuses as how AI sucks because it made a mistake in one task. We all are coping. People between 25-35 where still haven't fully financially established themselves and have a long way to retirement, how are u dealing with this inevitable death of need for human intellect? Want to know if people have ways to combat this feeling other than " you can't control it so let it go" answer. Yes i can't control it but its my life and youth that is being taken from me.

This week’s poll.

Both track health without a traditional smartwatch screen, but they’re built around different priorities. WHOOP emphasizes recovery and performance data, while Fitbit Air focuses more on everyday health tracking. They also differ in areas like durability, subscription requirements, and price.

What’s your experience with either one been like?

View Poll