~~Zoloft~~ Lexapro aka escitalopram. I thought everyone had the anxiety voices like I did. I told myself I was just a worrier. Then it got REALLY bad in my 30's and even I thought it was getting absurd. My doc asked me "how are you feeling" and I just broke down, spilled my guts. He said "let's try a small dose." and after a couple months adjustment, the crazy voices went from 4/5 to a 1/5. They're still there, but they're WAY more quiet. I had no idea that this is what normal people think like.

I guess these first three are kind of limited scope improvents.

Fountain pens. Got me writing notes for work which has helped me stay more organized and on the ball and able to remember more. And with the right pen it makes note taking enjoyable.

Cast iron skillets have improved my enjoyment of cooking.

Portable jump starter has saved the day multiple times since I got it (me, friends, etc)

ADHD diagnosis late in life prompted by career-limiting struggles with a type-A boss. The diagnosis explained so many things about me, my behavior, my struggles in work and relationships, my self image, etc. Therapy helped develop better coping mechanisms and the meds help a lot with focus and motivation. All told, things are better with relationships and other areas of life, I turned around the boss's opinion and got my career back on track.

we were picking up some free boots for my partner off of facebook marketplace when i asked about the weight bench that was also in the yard. the owner said "someone said they were coming for it, but they were supposed to be here 2 hours ago. you want it?" I disassembled it in the yard and ruined my folding knife trying to use it as a screwdriver, but it was the best decision I've ever made. Grabbed some adjustable dumbbells from amazon, have been hitting up marketplace for plates people aren't using ever since, and I've now got a full-body 5x/week workout routine that is 100% the key to my mental and physical health. Best thing I've ever done for myself, and getting every piece of equipment that I use today cost about $100 total.

Wheelchair :)

That and medication. The two changed my life completely.

Blackout curtains, they are the only reason I'm surviving working nightshift

CPAP

Glerups. Greatest slippers I have ever worn.

Very small quality of life increase, but I got the Scrub Daddy Soap Daddy. Makes life a bit easier and tidier for cleaning up in the kitchen.

A knee pillow. I have always struggled with the occasional back pain because I would sometimes twist my legs/back at night and be in pain the next day(s). A knee pillow has massively changed that for me. I pretty much never have issues with my back caused by sleeping weird now.

In a similar vein, nasal strips. My nose often gets obstructed at night and it caused a ton of sleepless nights because I had a hard time breathing. Finding the strong nasal strips I'm now using pretty much eliminated that problem.

Recently? A cordless stick vacuum. My wife has wanted one because ours was too heavy and she figured she would vacuum more often if she had a lighter one. Of course that turned out to not be the case and I am still doing the vacuuming but it is a heck of a lot easier to maneuver around and bring it to other areas of the house.

Previously? Wireless ear buds. Loved those. Unfortunately my dog ate my first pair and I left the second pair on a plane. My next pair will be cheap ones.

Baby Brezza formula machine.

Pre-heats the water and has a hopper for the powder. You can have a bottle of formula ready to go in about 10 seconds. Wifi with an app too.

A projector. Watching movies and playing games is now a cinematic experience.

Chef's knife. Mountain bike (a "real" mountainbike) Gaming Laptop

Bone conducting earphones, my stupid tiny ear canals mean I can't get any ear buds, to stay in my ears, the bone conducters have changed my life....

• my custom made silicon ear plugs are a close second, sweet sleep when I'm on night shifts

Slip-on shoes, these specific ones are so well designed I can put them on in a few seconds while standing. They basically have loops for fingers on the tongue and pull/heel tab, I wish there were better quality shoes with the same design though as these have very specific cleaning instructions.

Blundstones. I live in a coastal city that's wet (but rarely snowy) the vast majority of the year. Having rain-resistant shoes that are comfortable AND durable has been a game changer.

And if I can mention a second: A proper, long raincoat. Combined with good shoes, I'm able to tolerate the weather here much better than when I'd first moved to this city and relied on sneakers + regular jackets.

A foam/gel pillow that allows me to sleep with my neck at the proper angle so my degenerating disks don't keep me up all night. A literal lifesaver.

64 ounce Stanley water jug. I throw ice in it and I have something cold to drink all day. It's beautiful.

Bidet has been good though now it feels gross to shit at work and my politics demand I shit at work.

Contact grill, ie a GE brand George Foreman. I can't fuck up flippimg shit if I'm frying both sides simultaneously. And a food thermometer so my colorblind ass isn't relying on mom's shit advice to just cook it until it's brown.

This battery car starter / tire infator / phone charger. I have used it with some frequency, but more often I can just roll up and fix someone's car problem super quick. I even get out of work with it a lot when a customer needs someone to jump their car or fix a flat (also keep a tire patch kit obv).

All of this is bought from thrift stores. I can only assume most of my shit was originally shoplifted, it's fantastic. There is just so much good shit being sold for almost nothing, I am the KING of expired Chips Ahoy.

If we're talking about obvious things, getting a washing machine and kitchen with all that comes with it is a tremendous improvement in a new apartment.

If I had to pick something less obvious, I'd say for me it was an e-book. It's hard to measure the effect, but I mostly read non-fiction and knowledge creates a lot opportunities over time in private and work life.

Two things together allowed me to sleep soundly for the fist time in my life:

-Melatonin

-A sleep mask

I take melatonin an hour before I want to sleep and the eye mask ensures that no light bothers me.

A replacement screen for my 2012 Samsung laptop. I fell on it, slipping on the ice and the screen was totally fucked. So woe is me, time to go to a technician and someone on the bus overheard me and suggested I buy the screen and fix it myself. Tech quoted me 300 bucks and 2 months wait.

So I bought it for under 100 bucks, took just a week and followed a how-to guide on Youtube. It was an improvement because it meant I was finally developing a job skill in computer maintenance and could do something to at least survive in capitalism.

Espresso machine, best present ever.