I'm a teacher as well as a student, and while homework is something I dread, I absolutely recognize how it challenges me to demonstrate that I really have absorbed the content. Sometimes I give myself extra homework if I realize I'm struggling to retain a concept. I'm just going to keep doing that one thing until it's natural.
I prefer to have a textbook to work through if I'm self studying. I want a sense of units finished, progress made, and I want it to be quantifiable as a course. Like, I choose the test I want to pass and get the official book for that, work through the material (supplementing with online resources) and then take the test when I'm done.
I also made an office space I really enjoy being in, and I almost never let myself just be at leisure in there. If I want to hang in the warm, cozy room, I'm going to be studying or producing something.
Yeah it does quite literally everything, so the permissions make a bit more sense. For me, living in China, I'd be crippled not having it. I use it to book travel, pay bills, talk, register for services, book a doctor's appointment, pay for goods, use it as a login for other apps. The list goes on ad infinitum. If you're using it as a chat app, you're paying Ferrari price (in user data) for an electric scooter.
If they're venting and don't want advice, just show fellow feeling.
For me, one reason that I get frustrated with advisors is that they offer level one of advice when I've already tried levels one - three hundred of solutions. I feel slightly condescended to, and then I have to tactfully explain why their solution isn't feasible. Then I end up feeling like a dick for shooting down their help. Or, I can nod, smile, say thanks, that's a good idea, and walk away still feeling unheard and misunderstood.
@mydogisapotato
@lemmy.world