‘I don’t need to change myself for others’: Singaporeans share what they wish they had quit sooner

SINGAPORE: A simple question on Reddit got people reflecting on the habits, behaviours and mindsets they wish they had left behind sooner.

Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit, one user asked: “What’s something you wish you had stopped doing earlier, and what happened after you quit?”

The question quickly drew responses from people sharing everything from unhealthy habits to personal struggles that had affected their lives for years.

One user said they stopped trying to fit into friend groups simply for the sake of belonging.

“I don’t need to change myself for others,” they wrote.

Others pointed to habits that affected their physical well-being. Some said they wished they had quit smoking earlier, while others mentioned not drinking enough water or continuing with supplements and medications that did not suit them.

One commenter shared, “Stopped taking multivitamins. It was giving unexplained headaches.”

Several responses centred on people-pleasing and the need for external validation. Some said they became happier after caring less about what others thought of them, while others realised they had spent years being unnecessarily hard on themselves.

A number of users also spoke about learning to trust themselves more and letting go of self-doubt.

While the answers varied, many reflected on the same idea: certain habits can feel normal until you stop and realise how much they were affecting your life.