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We humans have developed unconscious decision-making systems to automate our routine tasks. They help protect our motor from overheating. But the "software" can still benefit from system updates.
A recent discussion on r/AskReddit invited people to share life hacks they stand behind even when skeptics doubt their usefulness, and thousands have disclosed their favorite "upgrades" to everyday living.
To cut through the noise, we dissected the thread and hand-picked the most comprehensive ones. From mental health tips to cooking advice, continue scrolling to check them out.
This post may include affiliate links.
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#2
Slow down to speed up. 'Slow is accurate, and accurate is fast'. Rushing through everything causes stress, anxiety, mistakes, and costs money.
Warren Peece 2 weeks ago
It’s like this Japanese saying: “急がば回れ” (If you are in a hurry, go the long way around.)
Research suggests that these little tips and tricks save Americans almost four hours of effort each week.
According to a survey of more than 2,000 people, 71% of respondents are using them more now than they did before the start of the pandemic, so maybe the extra time at home allowed people to take a better look at how they organize their day-to-day lives.
Six in ten respondents said they watch life hack videos on the internet all the way to the end, and 42% reported having shared a life hack online at some point themselves.
#3
If you're nice to retail and hospitality workers, you get better service and/or free stuff. Also works with other jobs too.
#5
Avoid having kids. It’ll save you so much money and time.
Your Local Raccoon 1 week ago
And only have children if you're certain that you'll be able to provide for them and give them the love they need!
However, clickbait-style headlines don’t always work on Americans, with 67% saying they won’t try a life hack if the article leads with a phrase that reads something like: "'You've been doing X wrong!" or, "I was today years old when I learned Y."
41% also admitted to having tried a life hack that failed spectacularly. So, I guess you should test every "upgrade" before fully "installing" it.
#6
House dirty and can't be f****d to clean? Set a timer for five minutes and just get to it. Once the timer is done, go back to messing around. (even if it is just cleaning a side table/ dusting some shelves/ect..) Do this at least once a day. Once you start realizing you may want to do more, do a 10 min timer.
Also, whenever you leave a room, take something that doesn't belong in there with you to put in its proper place (a cup, dirty clothes, a bag...)
If you do this, your house will get surprisingly clean, surprisingly fast.
JinxBox 2 weeks ago
Boyfriend has a lovely way of being so happy about cleaning day, as a former d**g addict a clean home is a symbol of having control again so he really enjoys cleaning a lot. I have also learned to enjoy cleaning after giving it more meaning -cleaning after a party every sticky stain I see is a sign of having friends and a pile of dishes means we can afford to eat and drink. People who have nothing don't have mess, you are priviledged to clean your home
#7
Spend an hour finding something in your house? When you are done with it put it in the first place you looked.
#8
If you spill salt, flick a little over your left shoulder. I’ve done that all my life and have never yet been got by a demon.
Earthquake903 2 weeks ago
How do we know you're not Satan and it's the RIGHT shoulder we should be throwing salt over?
#9
I keep a “gifts list” on my phone notes throughout the year and jot down any time I hear someone mention something looks neat or something they want.
It makes holiday / other gift-giving occasions much easier come year end.
#10
Looking away from the loading screen and saying that you don't care how much time it takes, makes it load faster. Trust me.
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
I have wanted to get back to reading more regularly, so I have taken to picking up my book anytime I the internet goes out! Also when the Sims is loading.
#11
Store baked bean cans upside down to make it easier to pour them out without scraping the bottom when you open them.
#12
If you lack self esteem or are very critical of yourself, try the following:
Every night before you go to sleep, take a journal and write down three things you didn’t f**k up that day. Don’t try to only go for things you did exceptionally well, though ofc they can be included. Just three things you didn’t suck at that day. They can be as simple as „cooked a healthy meal“, „did the laundry“, „called 3 customers and no one got angry at me“, „was on time for work“ or even „Didn’t want to get up but did it anyway.“
The key is to learn that most of what you’re doing every day is absolutely ok. We often put a spotlight on the one time we were late but don’t see the 99 times we weren’t, because „that’s normal“ and not doing anything wrong should be the bare minimum right? Wrong! Not screwing up and „just doing your job/managing your day“ is worth being happy about. If you did a maths test and didn’t make a mistake, you got the highest possible score. You didn’t need to go beyond that and prove a new theorem to get an A.
If you called 40 clients, screwed up 3 calls and did 2 exceptionally well, while the other were „just normal“, you didn’t „lose 3-2“ that day.
You won 37-3.
Learn to adjust your focus. And writing down 3 things you didn’t do wrong will help you on that path.
You’re ok.
JinxBox 2 weeks ago
Also read about the ways all of your heros have screwed up. Da Vinci himself once fled a town and never showed his face again after not being able to finish a mural he was commissioned to do. We all feel shame and failure, nothing is more human. Learn from it and move on ✌🏼
#13
If you have s**t to do after work don't go home and sit down in-between. Get home, have a shower and go straight to doing whatever needs to be done. Taking a moment to have a break will k**l all your momentum.
#14
Use the Banana Peel method for important things or objects.
This refers to placing something somewhere you HAVE to "step on" it, referring to the slapstick comedy trope of people slipping on a banana peel.
For example- If you have a USB drive you need to take to work, put it on top of your keys by the door. If you have some earrings a friend left at your house and you're going to see them later, put them in your shoes. Need to take a textbook to class- Put your keys on top of it.
At night I put my glasses beside my medication in the kitchen before bed. When I wake up, first thing I want is to put on my glasses. I walk out of my room, grab them, then grab my meds because they're right there. Haven't missed a dose in years. Works like a charm.
#15
Microwave twice as long at 1/2 the power and get a much better and even heated result. It's still massively faster than heating up a pan on the stove.
Robert T 2 weeks ago
My microwave has a 1000W setting and a 600W setting. Nothing has instructions for either setting. My preference is to give it a little longer at 600W, rather than nuking the hell out of it at 1000W. Soup in particular would likely be boiling in places and cold in others - better to heat it slightly slower and stir it halfway through. Anything that can take it though, gets the whole kilowatt! :D
#16
Get into the habit of tackling the least appealing things first. Put the more fun things last.
When I eat dinner, I always eat the things I dislike first. When I work, I always do the tedious boring stuff first. When I get paid, I pay the bills and allocate the money to various savings and investments first. On weekends, I do my chores before I get to do any of the fun stuff.
Once it becomes a habit, you'll notice that you'll procrastinate less and less because whatever comes next is better than what you're doing right now. The only thing you need to overcome is starting; and I tell myself "do 5 minutes of the thing, and you can stop if you're really not enjoying it". By the time I focus on the task, it's usually at least 25% done, and I just tell myself to plug my nose and finish it.
#17
If you're lonely or want to date in a serious way,
don't look for someone. Look for things you like to do, where you're likely to meet others who like it. That way, all your dates are with the type of people who do interesting things that give you the chance to connect.
#19
Talk to yourself. It can help you develop your ideas & process emotional things & also will help you remember how you got to this point in life and why you're like this now.
#20
I raised my children to be friendly and chummy to service workers. Rapport helps everything. It never helps to get s****y with them and mistreat them. But even if you are a d****e that mistreats working people it does you well to be friendly and polite as **if they can do something to help you or fix a problem they will.**
Sad treating people with decency is a lifehack, but here we are.
Kenneth Smith 2 weeks ago
Always, always say thank you and show appreciation for the people who clean the public bathrooms you use when you see them. Always. I HATE cleaning bathrooms and I HATE filthy bathrooms. That person fixes two, all-caps sources of disgust. Screw the managers; these are the folks worthy of respect. Anyone out there who suffers so that my butt can sit on a clean seat and take a dump, 🎉👏🤜💐🥇🎆🎂🎈, you rock.
#21
When the whiteboard has been marked and it isn't coming off, just draw over it with dry erase marker and then wipe off as normal.
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
Also works if you label plastic pockets or folders with permanent marker and need to change it.
#22
You know when you get out of the shower and there’s that rush of cold air and you quickly try and get your towel around you while dripping water all over the floor?
When you finish taking a shower, shut the water off but DONT open the curtain/door right away. Keep that warm air inside while you wick yourself off a bit with your hands. Wring out your hair. Get the bulk of the water off your body. We’re just talking a minute or two.
Now, when you do open the curtain/door, you’ll be much less cold, you’ll drip far less water on the floor, and your towel will get you completely dry much faster.
Featherytoad 2 weeks ago
I bought a small heater that sits on the sink counter. It's specifically designed for humidity and it gets my small bathroom nice and toasty. My mirror is never fogged up either.
#23
If you have a mosquito bite that is really itchy, take your shower head and just blast it with water as hot as you can stand. You feel the itchiness just melt away. I've tried every method, product, tip and trick over the years and this is the only thing that has ever brought any relief. The relief normally lasts for about 24 hours.
Peter Bear 2 weeks ago
Hot spoon. Run a spoon under hot tap water, not hot enough to burn but hot enough to notice, then press the spoon on the bite for 10-30 seconds. Instant and lasting relief.
#24
My fellow Americans. BUY A BIDET
I bought one when COVID hit and toilet paper was hard to find. I bought one for $30, installed it in 5 minutes and have been loving it. I buy a 6 pack of TP a year now and my bum is cleaner than ever.
#25
Open bags of chips from the bottom. All the seasoning settles at the bottom, by turning the bag over you get more flavor.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 2 weeks ago
Nope, store them upside down, then you can still open them from the top. Gives me the hebbie jebbies at the thought of opening them from the bottom!
#26
One thing that really helped me lose and maintain weight was by skipping breakfast. The amount of people who tell me I'm crazy because surely eating breakfast stops you from eating too much throughout the day? No that's not how it works. I found that I don't need to eat before lunch time to function properly, and eating breakfast was just adding unnecessary calories. There is no such thing as 'most important meal of the day', which was a slogan made up by breakfast cereal companies.
#27
Spend less than you make. Repeat until rich.
#28
Start an excel doc with every significant purchase you make eg over 100e, where, when, how much, warranty, where's the receipt, link to manual, etc etc
6yo dishwasher died the other day and I was able to go back and check the price and location so I could get a good deal on a new one because I knew all the details from before, I even had the plumbers website saved and was able to contact them
Stereo died and i thought maybe it was still in warranty and instead of trawling email or hoping to find a receipt somewhere I looked it up in 10 seconds, it was out of warranty, but I knew fast.
#29
Starting to catch a cough/cold or already have one … rinse with mouthwash. This occurred to me a few years back and every time it has helped me get better quicker.
#30
Make your lunch the day before. It doesn’t take any less time, but when you leisurely do things rather than do things in a rush, life is nicer.
#31
Store ice cream containers upside down in the freezer
Takes off that icy layer that forms on top and stays soft.
Warren Peece 2 weeks ago (edited)
I just eat all the ice cream the first time I open the container.
#32
Use tension rods under your sink to hang spray bottles, and cleaners. It helps keep things organized and frees up space.
Casey Palmer 2 weeks ago
I love how this is the 2nd time I've seen this posted and neither of them showed a tension rod.
#33
Carry a red pen woth blue or black ink.
Nobody ever steals a red pen!
#34
Dish soap helps get out blood and dyes.
#35
So random but I’ve been hiding all ads on my Pinterest and marking them as “irrelevant” to me, and I’ve done it so often that ads only pop up on my home feed like once every other week. Then I do the same with that one ad I see and then no ads again. So basically I found a weird way to remove ads from an app that is nothing but ads.
#36
CLEP exams are a cheap and quick way to get college credits for things like Literature, Humanities, and History, without having to pay college level prices. About 20 years ago they saved my butt when I was in danger of being held back from graduation because a disastrous semester as a Bio major put me that deep in the hole with my credit requirement.
#37
I always had trouble finding pillows that work for me. They were either too firm or too soft, or would get too hot.
One night I started sleeping with one of those horseshoe shaped travel neck pillows and I've been using them every night since for well over a decade. Instead of putting it around your neck, you lie with your head in the center of it. They cradle your head right in the middle so you have airflow underneath, it keeps your head and neck from twisting too much, and it's just the right mix of soft and firm. They are easy to travel with, since they're technically made for traveling, so you get to use your own pillow in hotels. When they start wearing down after a few years of use, I just order a new one online for about $10-$12.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 2 weeks ago
I wonder if this works for side-sleepers or only for back-sleepers. I'm an inveterate side-sleeper XD
#38
If you’re worried you didn’t turn off an appliance or item in your house (stove, lamp, heater etc.), take a photo after you’ve turned it off prior. I do this for my office space heater; every time I turn it off for the day, I snap a photo of it. That way, if I think I’ve forgotten (which happens often), I can always look at my phone and the photo I’ve take.
#39
Vaseline on the skin, especially during winter. It really seals in the moisture.
LillieMean 2 weeks ago
No vaseline armor on the skin before going outside in freezing weather. Vaseline forms a film on the skin and the skin's own moisture or sweat cannot evaporate through the thick layer. Moisture left on the skin can freeze and actually worsen the risk of frostbite.
#40
Swallow a couple packets (or a spoonful) of sugar dry to stop hiccups immediately.
I'm a casino cocktail waitress and I bring my hiccuping customers a packet and it always works. .
CD Mills 1 week ago
No, that does NOT ALWAYS WORK! It never worked for me even once. I should know I've tried literally hundreds of tips/tricks/methods! The ONLY method I found that works for me is drinking upside down from the far side of the glass/cup. You can use a straw if you have one but you still have to bend way over so you are 'drinking upside down'. Like, when you swallow, the liquid is going UP, it's the only way I can calm my stupid epiglottis. It may be weird but it's the only way I can make MY stupid hiccups stop.
#41
We have a small shop vac in the basement laundry room with a HEPA filter on it. I keep it plugged in and I use it to clean the dryer lint trap. No more of “lint dust” in the air from cleaning it out manually, and the lint trap is REALLY clean every time I use the dryer. Less dust, better dryer airflow, marginally shorter drying times.
#42
If water is in your ear say swimming or at the beach. Just add more water in your ear and have the ear affected, facing up and jiggle the water
It’ll break the air bubble and drain all the trapped water out
Had this happen to a friend and I told him that and he lowkey annoyed me cuz he didn’t believe it, then later tried it and worked straight away lol.
#43
If you have the freedom. Here’s a guaranteed way to spend only an hour at the DMV. Go at 4:30 if they close at 5. Usually they stop letting people in close to 5. Then service the remaining customers. The workers are now motivated to be urgent and go home. Wait time is shortened. And you’re out by 5:30.
Floeckchen 2 weeks ago
Sure, because every worker just loves it, when a pile of customers comes in shortly before closing hours /s
#44
If you are male and have that 'stagefright' feeling of being in a public toilet when you really need to pee but just can't...do division in your head. I pick a couple of random numbers - say 12,965 divided by 87 - and by the time I am halfway close to working it out, I can just...pee. It probably helps that I am really s**t at maths so have to concentrate quite hard to do it.
It used to be quite an issue for me but since I learnt that little trick, it's not been a problem since.
Dorma Hughes 2 weeks ago
I don't mentally math during emotional events, such as funerals. No tears if you are mentally reciting times tables or doing long division.
#45
* Eat pickles if you feel a headache coming on
* Electrolytes can help with a headache, hangover and menstrual cramps
* Diclofenac (sold under the brand name Voltaren) decreases the amount of bloodloss if you have heavy periods
* Cetirizine (antihistamines) help with painful or itchy bug bites, like wasps or mosquitoes
* Cinnarizine (used for travel sickness) also help with nausea that is not from motion sickness
* Teething gel/drops for babies contain lidocaine, a local anesthetic, so they can help with pain on aphtous ulcers/canker sores or a toothache.
Edited to add:
I don't know if Diclofenac cream works, I always use tablets.
Naproxen (Aleve) might work too, according to Google, but I've never tried that.
#46
I put a dash or two of salt in my coffee so that I don't need to use as much sugar. Every time I do this people look at me funny and wretch in disapproval but it works. Salt binds to the bitterness receptors on your tongue making the coffee taste less bitter and therefore naturally sweeter.
Phantom Phoenix 2 weeks ago
Or just slowly reduce the amount of sugar you add. Reduce by ½ tsp for 6 months, repeat until you're not adding any sugar and your taste has adapted to the level of bitterness.
#47
Trusting people by default.
As long as the cost of betrayal isn't harsh i wont secure potential risks. That's what i call the coin pot vulnerability: i got a pot where i put excessive coins i may have in my pockets, when i invite friends i don't bother hiding it. First it shows i do trust in them, which is always something pleasing to know, and secondly if someone does take a grab i'll know they're not really a friend (which is worth much more than the few coins i lost in the process). It goes the same way for sharing stuff about yourself with other people.
I do believe most people oversecure their small vulnerabilities, which robs them of the opportunities of having pleasant surprises. If they never give other people opportunities of being trustworthy, then they'll never find anybody to trust...
Little Bit 1 week ago
In the past I've been too trusting which cost me dearly both mentally and physically. I'm not unfriendly or anti social but it takes a long time for me to trust anyone now and I tend to keep people at arm's length.
#48
While it depends entirely on your condition; Some panic attacks can be ended by putting a wet ice cube on your forehead (it triggers your dive reflex).
#49
The correct amount of sugar in a cake is the amount of flour divided by two. I learned this from my family, but nobody else seems to think this is a good idea. But when I make a cake for a birthday or something it's always completely gone. So I guess it was good after all. I just feel like with that amount of sugar you almost always end up with a cake that is sweet but the sweetness is more of a side note than the main flavour.
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
I don't do exact amounts but always reduce the sugar compared to what the recipe says.
What do you think ?
Adrian 1 week ago
Yeah, I'm SO sick of these idiots calling everything a hack when they clearly have no idea what a hack is.
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