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It might sound counterintuitive, but drinking coffee (or another caffeinated beverage) right before a nap can actually make it more effective. This combines the rest of the nap with the time needed for the caffeine to kick in. There are all sorts of similar facts and hacks that ultimately most folks don’t know but which would be pretty useful to implement.
Someone asked “What is a crazy body life hack everyone should know?” and people shared their best ideas. So get comfortable as you read through, maybe take some notes and be sure to add your own ideas and thoughts in the comments below.
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#1
If you think it would be at all challenging (a simple rule would be anyone over age 50), get fully on the floor and back up again every single day.
You really don't want to fall and then realize that you can't get yourself back up and to your phone for help. Practicing so that it isn't terribly difficult ensures that you will still be able to do it even if you have a mild injury from the fall.
Bad Alchemy 1 day ago
Let's not downvote Brian; let's send him some encouragement instead. That's rough, dude. I'm older than you and also have a hard time (arthritis, back injury, fat), but this is good advice. If it helps, drag 2 straight-back chairs into a large space, lay down between them, and then use them to help yourself back up. Do it everyday and after a while, you won't need both chairs; and after a longer while, you won't need any chair at all. I started doin this after I fell on the sidewalk in front of my house and couldn't get up without crawling to my front steps, and using those to get up.
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#2
Idk if it’s “crazy” but everyone should know you can change your palate.
Your palate is the kinds of foods you like. Many people can find themselves unhealthy because of a bad diet that comes from disliking vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, herbs, and other healthy unprocessed foods.
If you only ever eat spaghetti-Os, Goldfish crackers, chicken tenders and sweets as a kid (and as an adult), you might have a hard time eating healthy when you need to worry about it.
You are not stuck with the palate you’re born with. You can train it to like healthier things. Also you can train your kids’ palates, or at least try.
One way to get into healthier food is to order it at a sit-down restaurant, if you get a chance to. They can make salads and vegetable-based meals taste much better than you’d think they’d taste. It can teach you simple combinations that go together for you to imitate, like finding out that basil and tomatoes and olive oil go together.
Another gateway is to find one or two vegetables you hate less than all the others and start adding them in when you make food you like. Like putting broccoli in macaroni and cheese or getting mushrooms on your pizza. Or dipping pretzels in hummus, and hot Cheetos in plain yogurt. Don’t worry that it’s not any different calorie-wise. The point is to train yourself to be ok with unfamiliar tastes and textures. The calories take care of themselves if you get healthy foods to be part of what you like.
Don’t underestimate the power of ranch dressing to make things taste good.
Maybe you have sensory issues about food. So experiment with ways to cut things up. When I was trying to eat better, I learned that I didn’t hate onions when they were diced really small, and not too many were used. But long pieces or rings I just couldn’t do. Until years later I could, because eating them in a way that was comfortable for me gradually turned into me liking them.
Take it slow and be near a bathroom. It’s normal for healthy foods to make your digestion weird at first if you don’t normally eat like that.
#3
Pro tip: the older you get, the less you can trust a fart.
#4
If you have a back injury or a broken rib and have to sneeze, LOOK UP, it will hurt way less than hunching down to sneeze.
I've had back surgery and my dad had a cracked rib. Confirmed.
#5
Placing an ice pack on your chest can almost immediately relieve the need to throw up in some circumstances (maybe not for food poisoning or stomach virus, but things like motion sickness, panic attack, or medication nausea). The reason this works is it stimulates your vagus nerve. Learned this firsthand when I was about to vomit in a hospital and the nurse placed a cold pack on my chest. Instantly felt fine again.
Jason Kennith 1 day ago
I'll have to try this the next time I feel like throwing up while having a migraine. Will update later with results.
#6
Water is a better home remedy for a lot of stuff that "isn't quite at the point where I need medicine".
#7
Brush your teeth daily! Floss your teeth daily!
Less or no cavities. Less/No expensive root canals. Less/ni extractions.
It saves you money, pain, and your looks.
Dentures f*****g suck.
Stuey Bassfish 1 day ago
Also hugely helps your mental health and immune system. I live in a developing nation called England where dental health is a low priority for the government and public alike.
#8
Calcium and magnesium can do wonders for anxiety and sleep.
#9
Measure the distance from your thumb to pinky when spread out and remember the distance. You can now measure things with relative accuracy.
Falcon dimi 1 day ago
Using this for years. 25cm. Pretty handy to get an estimate of the measurment
#10
You can make 'shocking and crazy' improvements to how you feel by doing three simple things.
1. Drink enough water to stay hydrated - this isn't 'carry a bottle around', this is more like 'your pee should be a little bit yellow and very clear'.
2. Sleep. For best practice, sleep with no stimulus - no noise in the background, no lights, mobile phone, etc.
3. Get some intentional exercise in daily.
A fourth is avoiding processed foods, but that is usually more difficult than the first three.
Brian Droste 1 day ago (edited)
I can't sleep without some kind of white noise. If I am tired enough I might be able to sleep like for an hour than I will wake up and can't sleep because of no noise.
#11
If your heart is racing and you can't calm down, stick your head in cold water. It will stimulate a vagal response via the mammalian dive reflex and lower your heart rate.
(and obviously go to the doctor to get checked out after).
Stuey Bassfish 1 day ago
...and remember to remove head from water to breathe. Unless you are a fish
#12
Planking for a minute a day will help with lower back pain.
#13
If you have lower back pain or sciatica try gluteus medius burnouts. Use a chair or table to steady yourself and raise one leg straight out to the side as high as you can and hold that until it feels like your hip is on fire and trying to cramp. Repeat on the other side. It sounds crazy but it can eliminate lower back pain instantly.
#15
Mental health improves when you don’t spend time in spaces where the owner is treating you as the product or commodity being sold.
Chris the Bobcat 1 day ago
Which is... why I avoid slave markets? (Sorry for that, but I don't quite understand the wording here)
#16
An easy way to cool off is putting something cold against your wrists. The arteries there will cool spread that throughout your body
Edit: I may have the science behind it wrong but I have found it to work well working on those hot days.
#17
If you start eating at set times each day, pretty soon you won’t feel hungry except at those times. Your stomach and gut biome produces the hormone ghrelin, which causes you to feel hungry, and the production of it becomes entrained to the times when you usually eat. For instance, if you think that you can’t go to bed without eating a snack before (which is actually not a good idea), if you can just tough it out for a few days, the urge (“need” lol) to eat before bed will pretty much just disappear. Doing this also makes it much much easier to resist mindless snacking and is much healthier for your body for a bunch of reasons, blood sugar spikes being a big one.
#18
Licking doorknobs isn’t a good way to boost your immunity.
#19
I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis and my PT literally has me just stretching my calfs and it's working. If your feet hurt, try stretching your calfs.
#20
I don't know if this is true for everyone, but I find that when you're driving and you start to feel drowsy, snacking on something small like nuts really keeps you awake. For some reason while you're actively eating, that feeling of drowsiness disappears.
#21
Stress k*lls, let go of what is out of your control.
Midwest Mike 1 day ago
This statement is simple, true, and correct. I quit a job that was eating me alive with stress. I had no opportunity to manage my day to day. I now work in a similar job. But I control my day to day. Yes, the pay is lower. But the S.U.C.I.D.AL thoughts are gone and I feel 100% better. So Yes. Its a simple statement. But 16+ years at my old job took so many years off my life I am 100% sure. So a mindset change can make a huge difference.
#22
If you feel light-headed as you stand up (orthostatic hypotension) you can squeeze any muscle as hard as you can and it will quickly raise your pulse and blood pressure so you don't black out and fall.
Steinem Sukker Rumpe 1 day ago (edited)
Won't work with any muscle. The muscle needs to be big enough to have an impact on pulse and BP. Squeezing a part of your arm or leg will not do a thing. Clenching those delicious butt cheeks together will though!
#23
Next time you have hiccups, just keep repeating to yourself "Hiccups are not real, I am not a fish" (Hiccups are thought to be an evolutionary remnant of gill-breathing).
Works every single time.
#24
Sleep enough and walk far more. Let 90% of your drinks be water.
Cosmos in your eyes 1 day ago
I started with cutting alcohol from Dec 1-25th. (I gave myself the option to drink something on Xmas, and I did) I thought I'd replace the alcohol with Diet Coke (another fave) but I ended up mostly drinking flavored seltzer water and tea over those 25 days. And, in those 25 days of sobriety, I lost a lot of my taste for sugar. win win win! Now I will work on keeping the sobriety and adding more straight water to my day. I try to start each day with a 16oz glass of water. Thanks for letting me share all this in a random comment! Have a great day!
#25
Grasping your thumb can turn off your gag reflex.
#26
Inverting your spine calms your heart.
i have heart palpitations. if i get into ‘child’s pose’ (google it for those unfamiliar with yoga), they slow down promptly.
works every time.
#27
Place hands palm down on a sturdy surface, push up while letting all the muscles in your abdominal, hips and legs go limp. It will decompress your spine from your neck down to the your tailbone. For someone like me, it feels like your spine is an accordion toddler toy
Edit to add: [Here's a guy explaining how to do it]
#28
Fiber supplements like psyllium husk help prevent both diarrhea and constipation.
#29
If you have bad period cramps and no other options, three days before it comes eat a lot of fiber (veggies, fruits etc.) and/or drink ginger. It will ease it up and make it more bearable for you.
Jessica SpeLangm 1 day ago
Fine idea if your periods are absolutely predictable. Mine weren't, so none of this would work for me.
#30
Having a coughing fit? Raise your arms above your head and say the ABCs (or just say anything really, so long as you keep talking). The coughing will stop much quicker.
Have the hiccups? Inhale as much air as you possibly can, and then inhale a little more lol. Then hold it all in for about 10-15 seconds, and exhale. Most of the time this will get rid of the hiccups on the first try, but 2-3 tries basically guarantees it.
#31
Beets or beet juice for more energy and endurance during physical activities and cardio, the difference is extremely noticeable. Something to do with getting oxygen to your blood more efficiently.
#32
When you are walking and someone else is walking toward you in the opposite direction, direct your focus on the side you intend to pass on, on where you want to go.
they will subconsciously pick up on your body language and you'll never do that awkward "oh sorry excuse me oops" side step thing again.
#33
I know this’ll get buried, but…. If you’re in labor, and you get the labor shakes/birthquakes, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. It instantly stops them. My nurse told me this when I was VIOLENTLY shaking and it blew my mind!
#34
If you are having a panic attack count from 10 backwards is a different language, or try to recite the alphabet backwards. It will help you disconnect from your emotional side, engage your logical brain and ground you.
Also cold showers are wonderful for emotionally draining days. Dont make any decisions until after you taken a cold shower. Helps reset your body and mind.
If you are stuck on a problem write it down. 9 out of 10 times you will simplify and be able to process better what the problem is and help achieve the solution.
#35
Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth to stop a brain freeze instantly.
#36
If you get heartburn during the middle of the night, lay on your left side and it'll help.
#37
If you feel an impending sneeze, and you really don’t want to sneeze at that second, covering your nostrils and breathing through your mouth can stop it from happening.
It stop the flow of air which will alleviate whatever irritant is triggering the sneeze.
#38
Many people have nutrient deficiencies and do not know it. Regularly go to a general physician ( ig standard doctor ) and get full blood work done, specifically making sure they test for nutritional deficiencies. Properly addressing and solving a deficiency has WAY more impact than adding in 'extra' nutrition to perform, think, sleep, etc better. On that note, multivitamins are dope, use them.
To double down on that, statistically most of you reading this are deficient in vitamin D. Even if you are outside a lot. Yes, really! Folks who work outside all day are still regularly deficient.
blood glucose levels spike approximately 90 minutes after eating. physical activity and or exercise around then will cause your body to not store as much food as body fat.
Digestion inhibits sleep, especially deep sleep. Don't eat within a few hours of bed time.
Also, generally speaking movements as simple as 'air squats' ( squatting without weight ) for 30 or 60 seconds periodically during the day are enough to impact metabolism, such as the 90 min mark I cited.
Generally, evolution has created many reactions to different situations that cause our bodies to either grow more fat to store long term energy, or to instead grow and develop organs and muscles. Learn them to more efficiently achieve your goals, whatever those goals may be.
cold and heat exposure are consistently having more and more scientific support of substantial health benefits. So ice baths and saunas, or even potentially as little as a super hot shower ending in 30-60 seconds of cold
Jaya 1 day ago
Agree with Betsy, unfortunately my doctor would laugh in my face if I'd ask for tests without actually experiencing problems. I live in a rich West-European country, but our doctors are too overworked to help all the patients who have problems NOW, to spend time on preventing future problems in people who are seemingly healthy at the moment.
#39
Sit like you’re driving in your car. Cross your ankles. Push your knees outwards. This will pop your lower back.
Did this on accident when I was 7 months pregnant with my second child. I had been driving for over an hour and was in dead stop traffic for 20 minutes so the put the car in park to stretch my legs for a second. I had my ankles crossed and stretched my legs outwards and I heard and felt the biggest pop I’ve ever in my life. It scared the c**p out of me bc I was very pregnant. Turns out it helped *alot*! Before, my tailbone/hips were stiff and could barely move. Afterwards, it was like a whole new lower back!! I’ve been trying to get my husband to do the same because he has a lot of lower back pain, but he’s stubborn. Maybe one of these days.
Of course stretching and drinking water probably prevents this stuff but I’m stubborn too so.
#40
If your fingers are cold put your arms against your body to the sides as if you were a little soldier standing at attention. Then with your wrists still touching your pelvis lift your fingers up so that your fingers point to the side. Then start shrugging your shoulders up and down and you can feel the warm blood rushing to your fingertips.
#41
If you have trouble swallowing pills, put the pill in your mouth and drink water through a straw.
#42
Consistent yoga will heal your chronic body aches, improve coordination, prevent injury, and relieve chronic stress.
#43
If you suffer from anxiety, cut out all caffeine in your diet.
GarlicBread 1 day ago
As someone who really suffers with anxiety, I cut out caffeine from my diet 2 months ago for other reasons and the difference in my anxiety levels is unbelievable.
#44
If you have a bloody nose and need to stop it asap press right under your nostril for like 30 seconds. I have no idea why it works, I saw it on a Bear Grylls show LOL.
#45
Knowing what food or drink makes you take a s**t a short time later is a game changer. For me it's like two strong cups of Coffee, but also depends if i have not taken a s**t for almost a day or so.
Big trip comin up with a long ride on train/bus/flight or you going on a long hike?
No Problem: i drink one or two strong coffee in the morning, take my S**t for the day and dont have to deal with ugly public toilets
Now you can avoid going to terrible public toilets.
DoubleDoubleTiredAndTuckered 1 day ago
Oh, you lucky duck, being able to consume caffeine and not have your guts messed up for an entire day. As someone with IBS, I can’t relate.
#46
A heating pad is my lifesaver. Upset stomach, back pain, hungover, just feeling chilly? Heating pad.
Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago
A nuked(1 minute) home made bag of rice also relives a lot of joint pain I've found.
#47
Not regular? Long-term, you need to adjust your diet, but short-term..... put a large glass of water by the side of your bed before going to sleep. When you wake up, before you do ANYTHING and while still mostly lying down, drink the whole glass in one go. Then get up and go about your day. You're welcome!
#48
If you find that you miss on high-fives a lot, start focusing on the other person's elbow when you do it. Haven't missed on a high-five in years.
#49
If your nose is congested, push your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth for about ten minutes. It should clear your nose for several hours.
Wang Zhuang 1 day ago
I was bitterly disappointed in the US election results this year, but I pushed my tongue firmly against the roof of my mouth and I instantly felt better :P
#50
Antihistamines are amazing for anxiety.
What do you think ?
Another Panda 1 day ago
Anything to do with supplements or electrolytes needs to be checked either your GP. Throwing your system out of balance if you don’t genuinely need a particular vitamin or mineral added to your diet can be genuinely dangerous, and even lifethreatening. Calcium, for instance, seems harmless, but can be very harmful if taken via supplement form in excess to one’s needs.
Another Panda 1 day ago
Anything to do with supplements or electrolytes needs to be checked either your GP. Throwing your system out of balance if you don’t genuinely need a particular vitamin or mineral added to your diet can be genuinely dangerous, and even lifethreatening. Calcium, for instance, seems harmless, but can be very harmful if taken via supplement form in excess to one’s needs.
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