Life hacks that make adulting easier and more fun are constantly trending on social media, but these hacks do not typically focus on safety.
The irony is that, while knowing how to organize our cabinets more efficiently is great, it will not save someone's life.
Redditor Tsukuyomi_Enhancer asked:
"What's a life-saving tip you think everyone should know?"
Memorize "Ah ah ah ah... Staying alive..."
"CPR should be done hard enough that you break ribs and done to the same tempo as 'Staying Alive.'"
- TurnMeIntoAGameCube
"It's also important to note that CPR will very very rarely bring someone back to life like in movies. The purpose of it is to keep the blood and oxygen flowing enough that when professionals arrive they will be able to revive the person with minimal brain damage."
- Chicken-Alphredo
Stop Driving Tired
"Driving tired is just as dangerous as driving drunk. I got up at 4 AM to make a 7 AM flight from Toronto to LA, but I got bumped, and routed via Vancouver instead. Instead of getting into LA at 11 AM local time, I ended up getting in at 4 PM, and hit a massive traffic jam heading south."
"This was before cell phones so I had no traffic info that I understood, and I just stayed on the highway. By the time I turned off the highway, I'd been up for 20 hours. I could feel my head falling as I micro napped and jerked awake, but I had only a few miles to go, so I kept going."
"Bad move. Another micronap, crossed the median, and hit another car. Just a broken foot for me, and a few bruises for her, but it could have been much much worse."
"If you're that tired, pull off and sleep."
- FratBoyGene
This Should Be Basic Knowledge
"Use condoms."
"Take care of your oral hygiene."
"Ask for help when you need it. If you don't get it, ask someone else."
- accordionwidow
Avoid the Bystander Effect
"If you ever need someone to call 911, make sure you specifically point someone out of the crowd of people. 'You in the red shirt, call 911.' If you don't, nobody will, because they assume someone else will."
- eplurabis
Know the Bear Rhyme
"If you come into contact with bears, there is a rhyme. 'If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down. If it's white, say good night.'"
"In the case of black bears, they're generally smaller. If one is attacking you, then you have a chance of survival by fighting back. You'll probably be in awful shape, but you'll live."
"In the case of a brown bear, it's best to show it that you are not a threat to it or its cubs. Lie down, and protect your neck and head. Make sure it's gone before getting back up."
"In the case of polar bears, things are very different. If you notice a polar bear hunting you, then it's already too late. Make peace with your gods because you are going to die."
- Chicken_Alphredo
These Are Not Just for Training Purposes
"If someone is drowning do not dive in to save them, throw something that floats."
"If you suspect someone is being shocked by electricity, use wood or rubber or anything non-conductive to help break their contact with the energy."
"If someone is breathing and knocked out or fainted, or blacked out from drugs, turn them on their side to avoid the risk they might drown in their own vomit."
"If some people are working overhead, with fall arrest systems, have a game plan to get them down if they fall. FAS has a time limit before the constriction on their legs risks permanent damage or death."
"If someone is buried alive from a tench collapse, you need to unbury them all the way, because of the pressure on their body. Especially their legs."
"Confined Spaces contain invisible, senseless death. It can be any heavy gas in there, stay out."
"Small falls kill."
"And one thing I tell the kids I train, 'You gotta be smart if you want to be dumb.'"
- 10_Virtues
Know These Heart Attack Symptoms
"Heart attack pain for women is often different than men. The classic symptoms of chest pains radiating down your left arm isn’t what most women feel."
"It’s often a chest tightness, horrible gastric reflux feeling, and an impending sense of doom. It’s also described as the worst pain you’ve ever felt and women don’t go to the dr for it because 'childbirth was worse,' etc."
"So women, don’t ignore any sort of tightness, pressure, or twinges in your chest."
- jahoefs
No Signal? Try Anyway.
"In the US, by law, every cell tower has to receive and connect 911 calls. It’s entirely possible that your cellphone says 'no signal,' because you’re not in range of your specific network and you have roaming turned off, but if needed you could call 911 without any issue at all."
- BAbe_Linc0ln
Prepare Your Vehicle
"If you live in an area of extreme temps, keep stuff in your car in case you break down and can't get help immediately."
"For any temp, keep water and high-density food such as protein bars."
"For cold, keep a sleeping bag or blanket."
"For heat, keep more water and something to make shade."
- awhq
Trust Your Gut
"An obvious and simple one, but it's saved me on numerous occasions."
"Trust your instincts and your gut when it says, 'Don't do it,' or 'Something doesn't feel right.'"
"We sometimes forget to trust ourselves."
- safeathome3
Immediately Seek Out the E.R. for These
"If your vomit ever looks like coffee grounds, you are bleeding internally and need to go to the ER immediately."
- freestyle43
"Sorry to be gross, but if your poop is black, thin, and sticky, go immediately to get help."
- Anneisab***h
Be Aware of Other Forms of Fire
"If you smell fish in your house, it could be the start of an electrical fire."
- 9umopapisdn
The Coughing Shouldn't Stop
"Choking is silent. All a choking person can do to signal distress is a sign for it."
- Corgi_with_stilts
Please Learn How to Swim
"Knowing how to swim."
- Consistent-Chicken-5
"I find it disgusting that there are adults who still try to defend, not being able to swim. They say things like 'maybe they grew up in the desert,' or 'maybe they’re scared.' But they always expect someone else to risk their life to save them."
"Quite often, they panic so badly and attempt to drown their rescuer so much that they have to be punched in the face until they’re unconscious to be dragged back to the shore."
"This is all because they needed to try riding a JetSki while on vacation and life vests are uncomfortable, so they took it off. It’s all just selfish entitlement."
"Source: spent my teen years and early twenties as a lake lifeguard."
- forgetyourhorse
Basic Human Decency
"Maybe not directly saving your life or a life, but being kind of at least giving respect to everyone you wind up meeting. Of course, not everyone is going to get along and some people are going to cause you problems, but at least being a decent human being is going to get you much further in life."
"It's because the world, while big, is smaller than you might think. The person you bumped into on the street could be the barista you wind up getting served by when you go to Starbucks, that nurse you saw during your doctor visit could have a child in the same daycare as yours, and your tax guy could wind up talking you up in a bar."
"As ridiculous as that sounds, meeting people you've only briefly met before happens all the godd**n time."
"Being a good person, or even being a decent person, nets you great connections when you choose to use them. That barista could possibly give you a discount or even recommend a cheaper drink if you were polite about the bump in the street; that nurse could give you great tips for your child's health when you meet again at that daycare, and you could have a great friend that can teach you all of the taxes when you see each other at that bar."
"But the most important note, you have to be willing to do the same for them. If you're able to help those, they'll help you, and that CAN save your life, or at the very least really enrich it."
- Crestego
These honestly are all fairly basic concepts that everyone should know but often do not.
And that very last one is just the sign of being a good human, but when you're willing to help someone, they're much more inclined to help you in return by calling 9-1-1 or giving you a ride home after a party, which really could save you at some point.
People often think that buying expensive gadgets will help improve their lives. Sometimes, though, the most helpful things are pretty cheap.
Reddit user DelaineMa asked:
"What item under $100 significantly improved your life?"
Never Know Where You'll Need Power
"A long @ss charging cable."
-costlybigyoyo
"I bought a 10ft usb extender, that way if my charging cable breaks for some reason, I can just grab one of the millions of other charging cables I have sitting around my house with no change in my usage"
-et0930
"Does it charge short @sses too? Asking for a miniature donkey farmer."
-pomonamike
"IANAMDF [I Am Not A Miniature Donkey Farmer] but I think it does because raising a miniature donkey requires a minimum of one acre of land because those @sses need lots of space to run around."
-efxgx
Your Skeleton Will Thank You
"Years of back and neck pain, podiatrist told me to get orthopedic inserts. Orthofeet had them for 98 bucks, felt uncomfortable for 3 days, then my back pain and neck pain subsided."
"That was 4 years ago, bought nothing but those inserts, and a few pairs of shoes from them. Never going back to regular shoes/sneakers without the inserts."
-MadLintElf
"My orthopod told me superfeet orange insoles are as good as the prescription ones. Only been using them about two weeks, but foot pain is getting better."
-CheckYoDunningKrugr
Make Art
"Got a $50 drawing tablet for my computer during quarantine, vastly improved my school work. Didn't have to do anything on paper and scan it in, could just keep everything on my computer digitized and organized. Linear algebra was so much easier online with that"
-DocWattsMitch
Comfy Weight
"A weighted blanket."
"Warmth wasn't the issue, it was that feeling of comfort due to weight pressing down on you. Just an amazing upgrade in comfort and quality of sleep."
-brumguvnor
Nosebleeds Suck
"Air humidifier. I used to get nosebleeds in winter because it gets so dry during those months."
-Aezetyr
A Neutral Wrist Position Hurts Less
"Bought a vertical mouse. Wrist pain gone"
-Alert-Cranberry7991
"I have the Logitech MX Vertical mouse and have had no issues with it for gaming. Highly recommend as I used to have a lot of carpal tunnel issues causing numbness and pain and now have no issues from computer use."
-mjz348
"Yes, they are a must for me. I ended having carpal tunnel surgery (which was incredible in resolving so much pain), but that vertical mouse and ergonomic keyboard are a mainstay in my office."
-KingPhisherTheFirst
You Don't Have To Clean The Mess If You Don't Make One In The First Place
"Microwave splatter cover. $4.99. No more mess in the microwave."
-j*zzmops
"We have one of those from IKEA. It really makes a huge difference. We just wash it about once a week and only have to clean the actual microwave if something spills."
-Accomplished-Ad-9996
Perfect Rice Every Time, No Effort Required
"Rice cooker"
-blueshiftglass
"Yes! Game changer in the kitchen."
-scarletbaroness
"How is a rice cooker superior to just using a pot? I've never used one because rice is already super easy to cook, but now you've made me curious."
-glyja572
"Consistent results, you fill the water to a certain point so no question about amount of water needed, and you set it and forget it."
-galaxystarsmoon
"It's like if making perfect rice was like using a toaster."
-TrevorBradley
"Exactly. Everyone accepts toasters, no one wonders why you don't use the broiler on the oven instead."
-galaxystarsmoon
Don't Wait For AAA
"Battery jump starter and survival tool. It saved my life when jump starting my motorcycle. I had a scooter/motorcycle before buying a legit motorcycle. It was used and helped me commute to work, but that jumper pack is awesome!"
-NumberHippy88
"My husband gave me a really good, compact battery jump starter for Valentine's Day several years ago. I've never needed it but I've used it for family members, coworkers and a few stranded strangers. I'm always amazed how fast that thing works and how many cars I can jump before it needs a recharge."
-YoghurtSnodgrass
Never Buy Canned Air Again
"One of those electric air blowers. I got it for my computer to clear out the dust, but I've used to to clear out dust for a lot of things now"
-ryukin631
"Definitely worth it! I used to dread the 6-month clean of the PC because it meant having to run around looking for a place with air cans available. Finally bit the bullet and bought a $60 electric air blower and haven't had to buy another air can since; been over a year and a half and I also use it to clean a whole lot of other things too. Very versatile!"
-Wintersteel89
Things don't have to be incredibly expensive to make a big difference in your life.
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People Break Down Which Products and Electronics They Wish They'd Purchased Earlier In Their Lives
I hate electronics because they tend to hate me first! I swear every electronic item I purchase, I always get the lemon.
I've been through twenty DVD players. My last iPhone I had to return and trade out three times before I got the correct one. So I try to steer clear of all electronic must-haves.
I'm learning that I have been without some necessities for a while now.
So let's get my list together.
Redditoru/MrBrian22wanted to know what we should immediately run out to the store for, by asking:
What tool, device, or appliance do you wish you would have bought earlier in your life?
I recently discovered crock pots. They're interesting pots you plug into the wall that make whole meals. Do you know how much time is saved?
Always Two
Geoff Ramsey Comedy GIF by Rooster TeethGiphy"A second monitor. I can't imagine using a computer regularly with only one monitor."
- Linkums
Boost!
"SSD"
- always_j
"I bought a brand new Lenovo laptop. It was so slow, it took literally 5 minutes to boot up. I would never close the lid because to bring it out of sleep mode took 5 minutes. It got hot and shut down all the time. Brand new. Took it to a computer repair place. he said it needs an SSD, the stock hard drive is garbage. I said ok do it. Now it's FINE. I am livid how bad it was. My old Lenovo was super slow too but I just accepted it."
Pik Away...
Water pik. Apparently I suck at teeth brushing, 'cause the amount of crap that comes out afterwards amazes me. (Don't ask me about flossing -- Lying to my dentist is bad enough.)"
- dlordjr
"https://www.waterpik.com/ - Basically a product to help you floss, without actually flossing but using water instead."
$29.95
"An electric tire inflator - $29.95. It plugs into either a wall outlet or the vehicle's utility outlet. So good to add air to tires at your own convenience."
"This is a lifesaver and made me lazy. I've been living with small nails and pinhole leaks for months. I just carry my inflator around on the truck and give it 5-10 mins to fill up 1-2x a week and I'm good to go. I've been able to delay having to buy new tires for over a year. Also great for bike tires that go up to 85psi which would require me to work up a sweat pumping with a hand pump otherwise."
- n00bcak3
help me walk...
"A cane. I've been living in denial about my physical disabilities for 20 years. But the cane makes walking so much easier! I have something to support and stabilize me. It also makes me walk slower in public, which keeps the pain at bay."
- SCCLBR
I love a good cane. They'e also nifty as weaponry, just in case. And monitors, monitors, monitors, too many is a bad thing. I think.
Backend Clean
homer simpson episode 23 GIFGiphy"Bought and installed a bidet attachment to my toilet. Really works well."
Boots...
"If you are working on your feet doing physical labor, buy fitted boots. They are expensive but still cheaper than new knees. Boots are a tool. Having the incorrect tool for the job can get you hurt."
I found a pair of leather military boots at a thrift store. Do I occasionally get weird looks or confused coworkers when I show up wearing them to my not particularly rugged job? Yes. Will those coworkers ever hear me saying my feet hurt? No. They're some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, and basically indestructible."
Weigh me down...
"Electric Blanket. Absolute god send."
"I feel like my cat would LOVE an electric blanket. One time I used my heat gun to warm up a part of my bed, and yes. He went for it. He sat in the glorious heated comfort area."
"Weighted blanket. Best thing to happen to my sleep since a decent mattress."
"only airtooks are worth it"
"Cordless impact gun. For years I believed "only airtooks are worth it" and since I don't have a garage for a compressor I just sucked it up and used a ratchet. Last year I got a big ole 450ft lb Milwaukee and I swear if I attached a bolt to the center of the earth, this sucker would make the days shorter. I'm an idiot for never buying one before."
Aching Parts
Skate Park Dancing GIF by Reconnecting RootsGiphy"Knee pads, for working on a car, or gardening, or construction, or anything that requires kneeling. My knees became so much happier after I started using them."
Bidets freak me out and I refuse knee pads until I'm sixty at least. Ok, fifty. And electric blankets, in winter, life-changing. Thanks for the heads up.
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