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It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. So even if you’ve been operating the same way for decades without ever considering a new method of doing the dishes, working out or washing your laundry, you might be able to learn something today!
Reddit users have recently been sharing the most creative life hacks that they’ve found success with, so we’ve gathered some of their tips down below. You might be skeptical of these suggestions, and they might not all work for you. But enjoy scrolling through these tips and tricks that could potentially change your life, and be sure to upvote the ones you plan on trying!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Yell at your vacuum cleaner to get your dogs to stop barking at it. Apparently it helps your dogs realize that you are dominant over the vacuum so they stop trying to protect you from it. Sounds like BS, but I literally did it once and it was never a problem again.
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#2
I like the '2 minute' rule. If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it right now.
It greatly helps for people like myself prone to procrastinating. Whether it's folding a few shirts, making a phone call, putting away groceries, putting something in the kitchen away, cleaning something, etc. You put off trivial small things and over time, they stack up and all become too overwhelming to do. If you follow the 2 minute rule you will find that you're more organized and there are less annoyances that get in the way of the real things to do.
Ephemera Image 8 months ago
You have to train yourself to do this. Once you get into that habit, you'll feel uncomfortable not doing it. But the first few times, yes, it takes effort.
#3
Don’t confuse mental fatigue with physical fatigue. After a long day at my brain-intensive job I think “I’m tired, I should lie down.” But really, I’ve been sitting on my butt for eight hours and what I need to recover is physical motion.
#4
If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly. Five minutes of exercise is better than zero, five minutes of practicing. The guitar is better than zero.
#5
This isn't something that can used in too many situations, but with a lot of people sharing their "act busy" story I thought maybe a few of you would appreciate this.
Back when I was in Basic Training for the Army, near the end of basic, our Drill Sergeants liked to give us an hour or two each day out in the yard and just told us to "be busy." I think they enjoyed a break, but if anyone was caught not busy doing something, they would still get smoked.
Three of us decided to sit in a triangle formation, facing the inside and we each dug a hole in front of us but would put the dirt in the hole to the right of us. So we would dig, but someone else would fill up what we just dug. We did that for almost an entire hour. A drill sergeant walked by, looked at us, stared in disbelief, said "if this isn't the most private thing I have ever seen any privates do.... fan f*****g tastik, carry on privates.".
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 8 months ago
Some of the guys I worked with in construction were Vietnam Vets. Their "so something" busy work was painting trucks. Grab a bucket of paint and a brush and start painting a truck. Painting a truck with a brush is slow work BTW.
#6
If you are one of the types that gets anxious about leaving iron on or similar stuff, do this. Remove the plug from the socket, point at it, and say out loud, “iron is off”.
You WILL remember that you did in fact turn it off.
WindySwede 8 months ago
Combining more than just seeing is a good way. Cause if you think about something else while doing the unplugging, it's so easy to forget!
#7
Unfortunately getting vigorous, regular exercise really does help with depression. Doesn’t solve it, but actually does make a difference. I used to get so mad when therapists would suggest it lol.
quentariel 8 months ago
I never found vigorous exercise helping with my depression, but moderate excercise with the change of scenery did. Like walking in the forest.
#8
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." My therapist told me this and it has changed my life. In the beginning of a work session or project, I think through everything patiently, no rush. Start working, and before I know it I am in a groove and time flies by.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 8 months ago
Yep, break it down and prioritize. There's always an order in which things need to be done.
#9
Many years ago, I had the fans go out on my Macbook which rendered it nearly unusable.
I was pretty strapped at the time and wasn't looking forward to a pricey Apple store repair job, so I went to YouTube to see if there were any fixes.
Found a video where some guy said to just punch it a few times above the number key row where the fans were packed in beneath.
This felt like a complete troll but I figured that even if it does further damage, I'm going to have shell out for the repair anyway, so might as well give it shot.
Gave it a few love taps and sure enough the fans whirred back to life and I was back in business.
Apparently what happens is that over time you get dust and crumbs and other tiny pieces of debris into the gears of the fans and they stop spinning. Apparently bashing them a few times moved the shrapnel out of the way and allowed them to work again.
Never had another issue with it the entire rest of the time I owned that computer.
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
A longer-lasting fix would be to open it up and remove the dust, cat hair, cracker crumbs etc. from every place you find them. I use Q-tips dipped in water and canned air.
#10
If a cop asks you nicely to come into your home or search your vehicle. ALWAYS say "No.".
Emma S 8 months ago (edited)
And if interviewed by police, always, always have a lawyer present. Yes, even if you're innocent. A lot of people wrongly believe that being innocent means the police will believe them. Lawyers are there to ensure that your rights are adhered to. There have been many cases of innocent people being coerced into false confessions and even dying while in police custody. Not just in the US either before anyone says that. It's sadly happened many times here in the UK as well.
#11
Get a big metal water bottle and take it everywhere, you’ll either drink more water through the day or like me you’ll slowly get ripped because you’re carrying this annoyingly heavy bottle everywhere and not drinking so win either way.
#12
Taking accountability for your actions & apologizing than trying to justify them & becoming defensive.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 8 months ago
I'm a big fan of accountability. Generally I'll admit to my mistakes asap just to get it out of the way.
#14
If you are thinking about a splurge purchase, wait 3 days. If you're still thinking about it at that point, then splurge away. Otherwise, it was just a passing fancy.
#15
Knowing when to just leave the argument. If it lasts more than 5 minutes, it's gonna be impossible to prove you are right, so just give up, turn around, and buy an ice cream. It's much nicer than trying to prove a point to someone who will not listen.
#16
Practicing gratitude. When you’re getting ready in the morning consciously think about things you are grateful for, could be big or small (have a roof over my head, got through the night without waking up, have a job to go to even though I dislike it, whatever). It really helps you have a better mindset at the start of the day. No guarantee your mindset won’t change throughout the day, but at least you can start off on a good step.
#17
If you're still in an office and are just walking around always carry a piece of paper and walk briskly. Look at it when a superior is approaching. They'll assume you're on your way to discuss something, the copier, etc.
I had a file folder that I wrote Penske on. None of my superiors understood the reference. A high risk, zero reward, inside joke that only I found funny.
#18
Before I go on vacation I take a picture of the oven etc. in my kitchen. No more "did I turn the oven off???" panic after leaving the house since I'm doing this.
#19
Baking soda is a miracle cleaner and unpleasant odor remover.
You can clean ovens, clear up slightly clogged bathroom and kitchen drains, remove grease, remove stinks from furniture and clothing like shoes, and many more.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
Can confirm. Mr Auntriarch bought a leather jacket second hand, once we got it home realised it had belonged to a heavy smoker. The only thing that worked was in a plastic bag with baking soda for a couple of days.
#20
Lots of the tiny habits/atomic habits stuff sounds so dumb, but works for many people.
Basically the idea is that you commit to just doing one pushup a day, or learn to write one foreign language word, or one hug with your partner, or write for minutes, basically one teeny step toward whatever goal you are aiming at. Over time the ritual beds in and you can scale it.
It's worked really well for me for writing. I write now. Less so for exercise but hey ho. I still do 5 minutes minimum per day, every day.
GenuineJen 8 months ago
This! ADHD adult here. This helps so much with motivation for me. When I'm stuck in shutdown mode, I use something like this. Just fold one piece of laundry as you walk by the pile and put it away, or any task that can be broken down like this. Pretty soon I'm just sitting there folding the whole pile like I didn't just put it off for a week.
#21
Be born to wealthy parents... I know this seems fake, but it can really help your life chances.
Trust me.
Daya Meyer 8 months ago
Uhm. Yeah, I'll go and change that. Was wondering why I can't afford everything at once.
#22
"Put it away, not down"
Has been a huge help as someone with ADHD. I tell myself that saying at least a few times a day.
#23
Eating vegetables on a regular basis will save you from a lifetime of pooping issues and other organ related problems generated by a bad diet. It will also help regulate your BO.
Steam them, add some lemon pepper salt and theyre good to go, mix them with your meats so the meat flavors help marinate them. Its the best source of fiber and vegetables help fill you up more for less with less future medical costs than a block of cheese from the pizzeria would.
horseloving panda 8 months ago
You just have to remember to eat them in moderation, just like everything else!
#24
If you left your laundry in the washer too long and gets mildewy, add some vinegar when you rewash. It usually works.
#25
Compound interest isn't just something to do with money. It works with exercise too. Invest as little as 10 minutes a day getting your heart rate up or doing some weights is all you need to do. You don't need to bust.your a*s off 5 hours a week.
LillieMean 8 months ago (edited)
I looked at my country's official exercise recommendations and they can really be divided into small chunks. At least 2 h 30 min of vigorous exercise that increases the heart rate per week, or 1 h 15 min of strenuous exercise per week. Muscle fitness and movement control at least twice a week. It's worth taking the time to think about how to fit exercise into your weekly schedule and find your own sports by trying them out. Then you can gradually increase the amount of exercise. Walking alone has a beneficial effect on weight management. For me, that five hours a week is the minimum, but first I tried to get my body back in shape after the surgery (my condition severely limited movement) and now I train to become stronger and more durable. (Today is only Tuesday and I've actually already completed the official weekly requirements, I'm still going to exercise twice more and walk, just for my mental health.)
#26
Learned this one off Reddit. But if you’re sick and have a congested nostril lay on the side of the one that’s free and wait a little bit and it’ll unclog the other nostril. It was such a relief knowing this when I got sick a couple weeks ago.
BoredPossum 8 months ago
They will just switch. Once the first one is unclothed, the other one will clog up.
#27
Get into something itchy like poison ivy or have severe reactions to bug bites? Those anti itch creams are useless. Instead, use gels for toothaches. The lidocaine concentration is much higher.
Found out a cabin had bed bugs and that I'm allergic. Bought every itch, burn, numbing cream out there and nothing would touch that itch. So I searched for what had the highest lidocaine or benzocaine and found toothache gels have 20%. Sweet, sweet relief.
#28
Meditation really does quiet the mind at some point. And the positive effects of it will benefit every aspect of your life. It reduces impulsiveness, strengthens empathy and patience, and increases your sense of joy. It's free too!
All you need to do is find a quiet space, sit down and give yourself permission to not have to do anything for 10 minutes. Thoughts don't need to be followed up or analysed, impulses don't need to be obeyed, memories and plans can be left unexplored, itches dont have to be scratched, nothing has to be changed.
Just pay attention to your breathing, and when you find yourself distracted - and you will get distracted- just go back to your breathing.
Do this every day and extend the time as necessary and you'll absolutely start noticing things changing in your life very quickly. You'll probably notice that ideas or feelings that seemed overwhelming will disappear if you just let them be for while. You'll be able to breathe and slow down when interacting with others or making decisions. Concentration will improve, You won't feel the need to numb yourself as much.
All that from just sitting down and doing nothing for 10 minutes a day.
#29
When the sun is shining in the morning, take a 15 minute walk every day.
This will set your circadian rhythm (helps you sleep when you need to sleep, helps you be awake when you need to be awake).
More importantly, it will lower the morning blood sugar spike, decreasing the chance of diabetes II and fatty liver.
#30
Eat supplementary fiber. It makes everything in your guts better. EVERYTHING.
Have chronic loose bowels/diarrhea? Fiber will calm that down. Have constipation or 'tight' bowels? Fiber will loosen that up. Have pretty normal/healthy poops? Fiber will make them all into quick, easy, no-strain movements that leave almost no residue behind for cleanup (I mean, obvs you still need to wipe/bidet.... but without geting too gross you'll find that job a LOT easier). It also helps make you feel more full/satisfied after eating (so can help with weight management) and can help slow or spread out blood sugar spikes when eating high glycemic index foods, so can be helpful with diabetes management too. It's like a wonder-d**g. And available everywhere, no prescription, for super cheap. And its super safe.
I used to always be confused with fiber ads. They'd always say it makes you "regular". But I would get confused... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?? Does that mean it stops you up? Or loosens you up? Turns out, BOTH somehow! It's like the miracle wonder-d**g for anything gut related. Taking a portion of metamucil before every meal has literally changed my life (I have GI issues on the IBS/UC spectrum). I've advocated for it to friends/family, and everyone I'm close enough with to discuss this sort of thing talks about how surprised they are with how much nicer and more pleasant it makes everything related to their bowels, even if they had perfectly healthy ones prior.
10/10, can;t reccomend enough.
ETA: This is not medical advice. I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I'm just a guy who used to have real bad poops, and now I have great poops most days.
What do you think ?
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 8 months ago
Can someone give Michelle a hug, they're obviously having a bad day. Or a slap, whichever you prefer.
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 8 months ago
Or medication if that doesn't work.
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Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 8 months ago
Can someone give Michelle a hug, they're obviously having a bad day. Or a slap, whichever you prefer.
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 8 months ago
Or medication if that doesn't work.
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