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Try typing “best life hacks” in Google’s search bar. You’ll find a laundry list of results about must-tries. What isn’t often highlighted are the ones that you may need to think twice before following. Some may even do more harm than good.
Thankfully, we have the people of Reddit to bring these to light by answering the question, “What are some commonly recommended life hacks which are actually wrong or bad?”
You’ll find some of the usual tips about sleeping less to achieve more, going on detox diets, and drinking coffee to sober up. Now that you think about it, these supposedly clever methods may be questionable at best and potentially harmful at worst.
Scroll through this list and see if you’ve tried any of these hacks. Were they as helpful as advertised? Or were they all hype?
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
When people suggest going for a walk or working out to combat depression because “you don’t NEED medication, you just need to clear your head. Depression and anxiety are all in your head.”
B***h, no s**t it’s in my head. That’s why I take brain medicine.
Kirsten Kerkhof 1 month ago
Literally every single person uses anti-depressants. It's just that most people produce said anti-depressants themselves in their brain or body. If you can't make a certain substance, store-bought is fine.
RELATED:
#2
Don’t quit, keep pushing no matter what.
Sometimes in life you need to understand when to throw in the towel and walk away.
#3
I always see people on reddit say that coworkers are not friends and to not develop friendships with them. Why? That's literally the worst advice I've seen parrotted here. Like don't be a degenerate in front of them but developing friendly relationships with the people you see for a 1/4 of your life is normal and not problematic.
#4
Any kind of "cleanse" diet or item. Your body already does that. Colonics, shakes, fasts, etc don't "cleanse" anything better than what your actual biology can do.
#5
That b******t one about how we've all been "opening bananas wrong" because we don't do it upside down like chimps. It literally doesn't f*****g matter. The banana opens easily the way I do it and I'm going to keep doing it that way.
#6
No Pain - No Gain.
Pain is the body's way of telling you that you are damaged.
#7
Sleeping less for success. Sleeping less and hustle more can lead into burnout, health issues, cognitive function. Sleep in essential for mental health and well being of a person.
Conscious_Permit_703:
The 'just sleep less' advice to be more productive is terrible. Lack of sleep affects health and focus, making you less efficient in the long run.
#8
"Just wake up at 5 AM and your life will be fixed!" Nah, I’ve tried it, and all I got was more tired and cranky 😂
Susie Elle 1 month ago
Waking up at 5 AM is horrible. I did it for 7.5 years because of work, and it never got less horrible.
#9
Repeating constantly "Leave out of your comfort zone". Not everyone wants to leave it and some people work very hard to have a safe space and confort.
Some people just want to settle and it's fair.
#10
Do not put your toaster sideways to make cheese toast as some lifehacks suggest. It is a fire hazard.
#11
**"Multitasking makes you more productive."**
Actually, multitasking tends to make you worse at everything you’re trying to do. You end up scattered, doing a mediocre job on each thing instead of really focusing and excelling at one task. If you need to get stuff done, block out distractions and tackle things one at a time.
Chris 1 month ago
As a programmer, I have a general formula for when people asked me to work on multiple projects at the same time. If I estimate task A is 1 week, and task B is 1 week one done after the other, and I'm required to do them at the same time the estimate is 4 weeks. And it goes up doubling from there for any more projects. Giving the people involved both estimates usually solves the problem, but in rare cases with two managers (yes that was a thing for a time) both would want their projects worked on and wouldn't "wait". So, they both got their projects later than it should have taken.
#12
"Always carry a small balance on your credit card to build credit"
No. Paying off your debts consistently builds credit.
Jrog 1 month ago (edited)
Obligatory reminder that the whole "credit score" concept is exquisitely American and mighty stupid. Most sane banking systems reward *not* having an outstanding credit line instead. Solvency is calculated on assets and recurring income, not on whether you are already in debt.
#13
I saw one the other day that said if you are lost in an unfamiliar location needing rescue and your battery is about to die, change your voicemail to include your approximate location. Then people who call will be able to determine where you are after listening to the voicemail.
Things that are very wrong with this advice:
* Many people can go days without getting a phone call.
* It you don’t answer the phone, most people probably won’t listen to the voicemail greeting.
What you should do, if possible, is send one of your contacts your approximate location. GPS coordinates work. And always call 911.
#14
Drinking Lemon Water for Detox. While lemon water can be refreshing, the body already has efficient detoxification systems (like the liver).
TotallyNOTAFox 1 month ago
Don't forget to use alkaline water to put the lemon in to really get all health benefits /s
#15
Any food hack that wants you to get sugar boiling hot and then spin it with a whisk in the air to make strings or says it'll turn into fairy floss or some such.
You will burn yourself, and getting it off your skin is difficult because it's sugar. And they always aim it at gd teenagers.
Howtocookthat on youtube has a lot of the food related ones and explains why they're dangerous or don't work.
#16
That putting bicarb soda down your drain will unblock it. It doesn't do s**t.
Source: I'm a plumber and I'll charge you more as it makes it harder to clear the waste or drain.
#17
Dressing like security or maintenance to gain access to restricted areas of events and venues. this could endanger the safety of others if an actual emergency occurred.
#18
To "do it anyway" or "do it scared".
Sometimes you do need to get yourself together/calm down before you do something. Like driving.
#19
The advice I see on Reddit about asking for an itemized receipt is incomplete.
Asking for an itemized receipt does not automatically drop the total cost. Instead, asking for an itemized receipt allows you to identify line items that don't make sense, don't apply to you, or weren't rendered.
For instance, I was charged a materials delivery fee as part of a home renovation project, even though I transported all the materials to my home myself. Since the service was not rendered, I got that cost stricken from my total, but I had to first identify it manually and draw attention to it--it didn't just automatically go away when I asked for the itemized receipt.
ucp 1 month ago
A co-worker was once astounded that I kept receipts. I explained that this allowed me to check my credit card statements each month. I was once victim to a repeat charge scam, and was able to report it to the card company (later, the FBI wrote me a letter to ask if I’d stand witness at the trial, so it was effective - I had to decline on geography grounds). I’m amazed that anybody wouldn’t check everything they spend.
#20
Putting your phone in rice.
Jrog 1 month ago (edited)
Rice -being very dry- is a good medium to extract some moisture. Salt would be even better, but it damages stuff. Dryers usually come with heat, and sometimes it damages the plastics. All these work for wet electronics provided you don't turn them on before and there are not other associated damages. I usually suggest using silica cat litter, that is readily available in quantities, cheap and is the same stuff you find in the silica gel packets.
#21
I used to sell mattresses and commonly had customers who believed that the harder their mattress, the better it was for them.
Untrue. If you lay down and you're comfortable, then it's a good mattress. You don't need to sleep on a slab of stone for health benefits.
Also, it's a pain, but turning your mattress every now and them is good for it's long term health.
Lost Panda 1 month ago
I hate that in the passed 10 years I have yet to find an afforable mattress that would let me flip it over and still be comfortable. They're all one sided...
#22
Drinking cod liver oil to induce labour is never a good idea. It can make the baby poop inutero.
'I did it and it worked for me.' Good for you. You are lucky. A percentage of babies aren't so lucky and they inhale the poop and get very sick or worse.
ObsidianAce_ 1 month ago
I think that’s what happened to me- my dad swears that the nurse induced my mom’s labor at a well visit a few hours before. I was also “in distress” during labor and ended up being an emergency C section. Both me and my mom were ok!
#23
The whole "freeze a wet sponge for an ice pack that won't drip" is wrong on every level. If the sponge is saturated, it will absolutely drip as it melts. If it was only damp, it won't drip so much, but it also won't have much thermal mass and thus won't delivery much cold. Either way, it will be a stiff rectangle that won't conform to the body part you need chilled. So many things make much better ice packs, including the classic of ice cubes in a plastic bag.
#25
Freezing hard drives: Risky. Better to use professional services.
Lemon juice as sunscreen: Bad idea. Use real sunscreen.
Coffee to sober up: Just a myth. Only time works.
#26
Using Dawn dish soap on kittens to kill fleas. It doesn’t work. It’s a hoax. Even Dawn said it doesn’t kill fleas.
Kirsten Kerkhof 1 month ago
I believe they use it around the kitten's neck to stop the fleas from escaping to the kitten's head to avoid the water as it is bathed. Not to kill the fleas.
#27
The saying "it will come when you least expect it", you have to look and fight for what you want.
Doctor Strange 1 month ago
Nothing happens unless you make it happen. I've been single for a long time and always get told 'just stop looking and it will come!'. BS. Maybe Some people are lucky enough to be attractive and other people will pursue them. But the rest of us? We have to put ourselves out there, its never going to just drop in our laps. Had a friend who took the 'it'll come when I'm not looking' approach. For TEN YEARS. When he finally took my advice and made the effort? He found the woman he married, and they are expecting a second kid.
#28
Mix vinegar and bicarb in a spray bottle for the most effective cleaner - enjoy cleaning with salt water. The effective part is the reaction of mixing the two, not the resultant solution.
#29
Stop applying lemon on your face thinking its gonna heal your acne and pigmentation! and for gods sake putting random food in your hair!! It's better to just eat that food instead.
Pittsburgh rare 1 month ago
This is stupid. *Some* foods are effective applied to hair (honey)
#30
The idea that drinking cold water burns calories comes from the fact that your body uses energy to heat the water to body temperature, but the amount is minimal (around 8 calories per glass).
What do you think ?
Roxy222uk 1 month ago
Where on earth are people getting all these c**p ideas from?? I've never heard of almost all of them and they are almost all clearly complete c.r.a.p.
Alexandra Nara 1 month ago
while reading this..my cat came to me with a slight satisfied burp and got liquid beside me. she just don't care how I open food,as long we eat it.She has no needs to gain muscles with pain,she don't want to impress or carry her boxes-she just stretches and go for a walk if the weather pleases her. She strays in her comfort zone and right now her look tells me to chill because we lay here with food in the belly ,so who cares for all this stupidity,just rub my belly We should listen more to cats ..they know catZen
Julia Ford 1 month ago
I don’t know what this has to do with the topic but yeah agree.
Load More Replies... Comment Deleted 1 month ago
Good lord some of these were idiotic. Do people no longer have common sense.
Mike F 1 month ago
Oh, but I read it on the internet! /s We actually had a driver who would spout the dumbest $hit and (after we quit laughing) asked him where did he get that nonsense, his pat answer was "I read it on the internet". What a dolt.
Load More Replies...
Svenne O'Lotta 1 month ago
Nah, the worst hack has to be begging your readers for money to return a feature THAT WE ALWAYS HAD. You want money for regurgitating Reddit cràp? Bunch of pathetic losers, the lot of you.
Gonbei Nanashino 1 month ago
I know one hack save lots of money on holiday gifts!!! Just tell them how much you love and care about them, and maybe hugs!! And buy yourself something really nice!! Like health insurance!! Disclaimer: this hack will alienate you from your loved ones.
Roxy222uk 1 month ago
Where on earth are people getting all these c**p ideas from?? I've never heard of almost all of them and they are almost all clearly complete c.r.a.p.
Alexandra Nara 1 month ago
while reading this..my cat came to me with a slight satisfied burp and got liquid beside me. she just don't care how I open food,as long we eat it.She has no needs to gain muscles with pain,she don't want to impress or carry her boxes-she just stretches and go for a walk if the weather pleases her. She strays in her comfort zone and right now her look tells me to chill because we lay here with food in the belly ,so who cares for all this stupidity,just rub my belly We should listen more to cats ..they know catZen
Julia Ford 1 month ago
I don’t know what this has to do with the topic but yeah agree.
Load More Replies... Comment Deleted 1 month ago
Good lord some of these were idiotic. Do people no longer have common sense.
Mike F 1 month ago
Oh, but I read it on the internet! /s We actually had a driver who would spout the dumbest $hit and (after we quit laughing) asked him where did he get that nonsense, his pat answer was "I read it on the internet". What a dolt.
Load More Replies... Svenne O'Lotta 1 month ago
Nah, the worst hack has to be begging your readers for money to return a feature THAT WE ALWAYS HAD. You want money for regurgitating Reddit cràp? Bunch of pathetic losers, the lot of you.
Gonbei Nanashino 1 month ago
I know one hack save lots of money on holiday gifts!!! Just tell them how much you love and care about them, and maybe hugs!! And buy yourself something really nice!! Like health insurance!! Disclaimer: this hack will alienate you from your loved ones.
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