These aren't the kind of tips you'll find on a motivational poster. Some of them are hard. Some of them go against everything you've been told. And honestly? I haven't followed all of them myself. But that doesn't make them any less true — especially the last one.
Stay single
Seriously. Stay single. Research consistently shows that marriage increases life expectancy for men — and reduces it for women. Why would you want a "partner" you cook, clean, and do laundry for, only to have them ruin your morning before you've even had coffee?
If you don't want to grow old alone, that's completely fair. But stay single until you actually know who you are and what you want in a partner — and don't settle. The right relationship is worth waiting for. The wrong one will cost you years.
Always have something to aim for
A person without a goal is rarely a happy person. It doesn't have to be grand or life-changing — it just has to be yours. Having direction, even a small one, changes everything about how you move through the day.
Screens are a drug — treat them like one
Cut screens out of your daily life as much as you can. The TV, the laptop, and especially social media on your phone. These platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive, to dull your thinking, and to keep you scrolling instead of living.
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook — they exist to make you feel worse about yourself, scatter your focus, and consume so much of your time that you have none left for anything else. Especially thinking.
Unlearn what you were taught
Forget the script. You don't have to get married. You don't have to have kids, work a nine-to-five, own a house, or drive a car. You don't owe society the life it mapped out for you — you owe yourself the life that actually makes you happy.
Maybe at some point you'll genuinely want a partner, a home, a family. That's wonderful — but only if it comes from inside you, when you feel ready, not because you're ticking boxes on a checklist someone else wrote for you.
Stop caring what people think
This one is hard. It might be the hardest on this list. But it's also the most liberating: other people's opinions of you are not your business.
There's an old Arabic saying: as long as an insult can hurt you or a compliment can lift you, you are someone else's prisoner. Think about that.
Walk every single day
At least thirty minutes. No excuses. Doctors are increasingly relying on technology to do their jobs — which means your health is more in your own hands than ever. Walking is free, effective, and underrated. Make it non-negotiable.
Give yourself permission to be negative
Drop the forced positivity. Yes, really — be negative sometimes. Take off the rose-tinted glasses and see the world as it actually is.
The world can be brutal. People can be disappointing. And that's okay to acknowledge. If you keep chasing a relentlessly positive mindset and pretending everything is fine, you're just feeding the very systems that don't care about you. Seeing clearly — even when it's uncomfortable — is a form of self-respect.
Speak up
Talk back. Say the thing. Stop being the person who "knows better" and stays quiet — that habit is a direct line to anxiety, depression, and stress-related illness.
If something bothers you, say so. If you disagree, say so. There is nothing wrong with voicing your displeasure or standing your ground. Have a backbone — just don't become the person who picks a fight over everything. There's a difference between speaking your truth and going to war with the world.
Don't have children
This one is going to make people angry. Good. Ask yourself honestly: what does having a child actually mean for your life right now? Your body takes a hit. Your relationship takes a hit. Your sex life changes — or disappears. You age a decade overnight.
And financially? Children are extraordinarily expensive. Before bringing a new life into the world, make sure you're not doing it because it's expected of you. Focus on your own unfinished work first — and we both know there's plenty of it.
Get out of the lukewarm bath
Here's a metaphor that hits: you're lying in a bath that's slowly gone cold. Instead of getting out, you keep adding a little hot water, telling yourself you'll get out when it cools down again. But you never do.
Face what isn't working. A relationship that's making you miserable. A job you dread. A compromise you made years ago and never revisited. Don't keep distracting yourself from what you've needed to confront for a long time.
Getting out of the lukewarm water is uncomfortable. But staying in it is worse — and you already know it. The only question is how long you'll keep pretending the water is still warm.
Is it really possible to live by these rules?
Not all at once, and probably not perfectly. But even applying one or two of these honestly can shift the direction of your life. The discomfort you feel reading them is worth paying attention to.
Why is forced positivity harmful?
As the article explains, relentlessly positive thinking can keep you in denial — feeding systems and situations that don't serve you, while you avoid seeing them clearly. A grounded, realistic outlook is healthier in the long run.
Does staying single really improve your health?
According to the research referenced in the article, marriage tends to increase life expectancy for men but can reduce it for women. Staying single until you know exactly what you want — and refusing to settle — is framed here as a form of self-care, not a consolation prize.
What does "get out of the lukewarm bath" mean?
It's a metaphor for staying in a situation that isn't working — a bad relationship, a draining job, an unfulfilling life — by making small adjustments that delay real change. The advice is to stop adding hot water and actually get out.
