We are constantly looking for convenient ways to make our lives easier.
Life hacks combine convenience with effectiveness. They are simply tools for us to make everyday things easier. The monotony of daily tasks can easily be broken up by these simple life hacks.
How many of these do you know? Hopefully you, too, can benefit from this list.
u/Insanitanium12 asked:
What simple "life hack" should everyone know?
Here were some of those hacks.
This Is Where Yoga Helps
Get into a routine of stretching your hip flexors and chest if you sit for long periods. Absolute game changer for people who suffer with chronic lower back pain as a result of being hunched over a desk.
Someone Else's Story
No matter how good a person you are, at some point you will be the bad guy in someone else's story. You can't please everyone, and you shouldn't try to. Be a good person, and have friendships with people you can respect and look up to.
Loosenin' Up
If there's a jar or container you can't open, run the lid under hot water for a 30sec. Dry it so you can get a good grip, then open. Never had this not work.
Save The Money--Save The World
Buy anything you'd need in your kitchen from a restaurant supply store. ANY-THING, plates, glasses, pans etc. There are a few online that sell to consumers. Those $8.99 tongs at a box store are like $1.30. A 16 oz. mason jar glass that sells for $3-$4 a piece can be bought as a 12 pack case for $8.55. Oneida China plates that sell for $345.84 a case for $57.84. I just bought a 2 foot by 2 foot wooden butchers block cutting board that would have been close to $400 for $55.
No More Searching For The Pen Behind Your Ear
If you put something down temporarily, say out loud "I've put the screwdriver by the microwave" or whatever.
This engages many more areas of the brain (particularly the language centres) which creates a richer memory making it less likely you'll forget where you put it.
Welcome To The Stage: Bach Teria!
Brush your teeth more thoroughly before bed after you are done eating and drinking for the day.
Morning brushing is important too, but more so for fresh breath; while evening cleaning will prevent bacteria from breeding and damaging your teeth and gums.
Just In Case You Ever Fall Overboard
If you ever fall off a ship/ferry at sea and were lucky enough to be spotted - don't try to swim your way to safety. The more you try to swim, the lesser the chances of survival. Just try to keep afloat and conserve energy (and body heat) while rescue team do what they're supposed to. Unless you are in hypothermic waters, the best bet always is to stay afloat without trying to swim to somewhere.
This information about falling overboard, hypothermia and conditions, survival at sea etc are based on my own experience of 12 years sailing on merchant ships like this
PS: link will take you to a time-lapse video I made when crossing/sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA. This kind of ship is called a container ship
Keeping A Running Kitchen
Not necessarily a "hack" per se, but learn some basic knife skills, the amount of time you will save chopping vegetables a few times a week (minimum) for the rest of your life far outweighs the amount of time it takes to learn, plus you can use the extra time to keep the kitchen clean and that makes everything less stressful while you're cooking and makes the cleanup faster as well
And Petting Pets Is Good For Health
If you have a spare minute or are just playing video games or on a computer at home, take a few minutes to just pet your dog/ cat and really appreciate them. A phrase I heard somewhere just really stuck with me: Pets are only a part of your life but you are your pet's entire life.
A Life Of Life Hacks
It doesn't matter if it's unconventional, if it works it works.
I have adhd, & for me that means keeping things organised is difficult af. I also have a hard time remembering pretty much anything.
I keep my laundry in boxes underneath my bed, organised by colour. That way I won't forget anything in the laundry basket, I just empty the whole thing into the washer. Also makes it easier to see what I have to wash first.
I live in Sweden, & here we have sort of a deposit (sorry if that's not the right word) on most plastic bottles & cans. I.E we pay like 20 cents for THE BOTTLE/CAN. We then return it & get the 20 cents back. Most people keep those bottles & cans in like a wardrobe or such. However, I am terrible at putting those in there. I forget to bring them there & it just starts to pile up. Instead, I had a laundry basket just within reach from my bed, so I just had to lean out & put it in there. Unconventional, but it worked!
I have like a million of these weird "hacks" going, but the important part is that it's ok to do what works for you. It doesn't matter if other people are able to just "do it", if it's hard for you it's hard for you. I've had to explain my solutions a few times, but in the end, most people agree that sure it might not be what they're doing, but it's better than the alternative.
Stand Tall
In a lot of daunting situation, for example asking someone out or standing up for yourself, you only need to be brave for a few seconds to get it over with.
And phobias. I am terrified of needles, but occasionally need shots or blood drawn. A second of bravery and I can reminisce how childlike my phobia made me seem instead of dreading it.
Sleepytime Issues
Sometimes changing your pillow case daily can help with acne. I use a clean t-shirt over my pillow to accomplish the same effect.
I usually put a clean towel on my pillow and sleep on it. That way I don't have to change the pillow case often and can put the new towel on and wash the used one.
Be Aware
Train yourself to always keep an eye out for things that need to go in the direction you are going. If you are about to go downstairs, does any item nearby need to go with you? Perhaps a cup can be brought to the sink on your way to the bathroom.
Breakers
To confirm which circuit breaker is associated to an outlet, plug in an old radio and turn the volume up before you flip the circuit breaker.
You can also do this with a vacuum if you are like me and don't have a radio!
Or hairdryer,
Get the Tile.
If you bring something to someone's house that you don't want to forget, put your keys with it, assuming you can trust the people there.
Also, get a Tile or similar Bluetooth device so you never lose your keys or phone again.
The phone is the finder!
And to find the phone, just double click the button on the tile!
I have like 4 tiles. So if I can't find one of them, first I use one of the other tiles to find my phone. Then I use the phone to find the missing tile. It's amazing.
Read Carefully.
Read the three and four star reviews for the most reliable information on Amazon items.
And 2-star reviews for books. Seeing what people dislike tells much. Try on your favorite to see :)
UPD: To clarify, the idea here is that people writing 2-star reviews project their views and values when arguing that the book is bad for them. And when their views are opposite to yours, it may suggest that you might actually enjoy the book.
Let's say you are interested in mind-stimulating philosophy book, and a person writes something like 'this is boring, the writing is too complex, ideas are difficult to follow, the language is too intricate, quit reading after 20 pages'. It may mean that it is what you look for.
Fool Me Once
You will often have to make decisions in life without being able to know all the information related to the choices. Being able to identify what you don't know is invaluable. It allows you to make assumptions and contingency plans if those assumptions fail.
I want to slap every person that quips, "If you assume, you make a fool out of u and me." You cannot function in life without making assumptions. The trick is to identify them as such so that you can be better prepared when they are resolved.
Bedding First....
When moving house, always set up your bedroom/make the bed first so when you're exhausted and just had enough you can fall into bed. Nothing worse than being exhausted and having to make the bed before getting into it.
Edit: good grief, that blew up. Thank you for the awards.
Also if you have time, plan where do you want the furnitures/boxes of your stuff in the house. Placing it in the right room straight away helps a lot.
Be Honest
If you messed up-- admit it (unless you are talking to cops).
But in most situations just admitting how you were wrong and accepting responsibility is so much easier than trying to blame someone or something else or make up an excuse.
When you own the mistake it puts the onus back on the other person to accept that, be mature and move on. If you try and deny or shift blame it forces that person to examine those reasons and if they are BS, come back at you, dragging the process out and leading to unpleasant call outs and confrontations.
Quick Taps
Hanging picture frames: Put painter's tape from edge to edge on the top side of the frame. Trace where the hangers are. Peel the tape off, then stick it to the wall where you want your frame hung. Tap your nails into the pre-marked spots, then remove the tape and hang your frame.
