Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
50 Weird Everyday Life Hacks People Find Surprisingly Helpful And Worth Sharing
Our culture seems to be obsessed with "hacking" all parts of our lives. Those who want a more aesthetically pleasing appearance get into "looksmaxxing". Professionals look for ways to improve their productivity and optimize every minute of every day.
But this time, we here at Bored Panda decided to look into another type of life hacks. We're talking everyday life pro tips, but wackier; tricks to make mundane things like losing your keys easier but with a slightly unhinged twist.
That's why we went through the answers under two posts – one from Threads, another from r/CasualConversation – and picked the wildest we could find. We found people who cut their pizzas with scissors, decluttering hacks involving poop, and advice about how to keep your bathroom cleaner.
So, if you want to diversify your folder of clever everyday tricks, scroll down and save these ASAP!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
If you exert force from your top lip as well as your bottom lip at the same time, you have the ability to shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself. A life hack that a lot of people need to know about and should be using during certain events.
Sue Denham 4 months ago
Absolutely. In many situations you can appear smarter if you don't say anything at all.
RELATED:
#2
The realization that I didn't always have to be doing something. Sometimes or whenever I want I can do absolutely nothing and its ok.
#3
If you have stuff to do after work just go do it. Don't have a bit of a sit down and a break because you'll lose all motivation to get it done.
#4
Wait a good 15~20 years at least after talking to someone to get your revenge plan in motion. Far fewer people will suspect you.
#5
Do the washing up straight after eating. It always feels so much harder when it sits there for ages piling up.
#6
Get rid of your facebook.
Kim Kermes 4 months ago
I have regained contact with Army buddies and classmates, found veteran support groups and creative groups which are inspiring and supportive. You can watch educational or "reality" shows on TV, it's what you choose that makes either one wasteful or unhealthy.
#7
Learning to say "no" without feeling guilty. It freed up so much time and energy for things I actually care about, and honestly, it’s been a game-changer for my mental health and productivity! 🙌.
#9
I never preheat the oven when making a frozen pizza. I put it in the oven, turn it on and add 4 minutes to the time on the package. It always comes out with a perfectly crisp crust.
#10
Get a wireless vacuum cleaner, vacuuming becomes fun and is way easier than with a traditional unit. Doesn’t even have to be a Dyson, other brands work just fine.
#11
I don't know how weird this is, but we use clothes pegs to seal open bags of things in the pantry and fridge to keep them fresh, e.g. chips, bags of mixed salad, etc. It works really well. .
#12
If I have to take something to work that won't fit in my purse, I'll put my keys with that item (and yes, even if it's in the fridge, lol). So when I go to leave and look for my keys, I'll remember.
The Majestic Opossum 4 months ago (edited)
Or else I just lose my keys along with it... My ADHD brain can't handle it. I just put the item next to the front door or on top of my work bag.
#13
Spring clean one cupboard or shelf a week. By that I mean empty, sort, toss, wipe down and put things back in an orderly way. A little bit every week soon adds up. Your home looks great and it’s so great to be able to find things without digging around for them.
Sapna Sarfare 4 months ago
I agree.. Every week, i try to clean a small section.. it makes a difference
#14
If you suffer from procrastination or anxiety , split what you want to do into small tasks then focus on the task not the primary objective to avoid escalating things in your mind
Sometimes our minds exaggerate things in order to protect us from disappointment and change which leads to resistance.
#15
Get some mental health help. i started taking some light medication and i'm much happier.
#16
Put stuff back where it belongs when you are through using it. Keeps things clean, uncluttered and you know where everything is.
Kim Kermes 4 months ago
Make it simple to put away, keep it where you use it, get duplicates or multiples of things like brooms and scissors.
#17
Hang Christmas lights in the living room.
They provide the perfect lighting for a movie night.
#18
I don't really get criticised for this, but noone else seems to find it particularly interesting, so...
I try to always clip my nails right after a shower. They're softer after prolonged water exposure (in line with 'pruny hands'). It makes them cut cleaner and easier (yes, even the big toe), and they don't fly across the room.
#19
Leave your phone downstairs and just get an alarm clock - no going downstairs until you’ve showered/are out of your pyjamas.
#20
Treat your life questions as a research topic and use google scholar, there are no new s**t under the sun. Books and knowledge are your best friend.
#21
Wear ear protection to get better quality music during concert. My theory is that eqr protection blocks the reboundig sounds, so you don't hear duplication. It also makes lyrics more hearable.
#22
Wiping the bathroom down for thirty seconds once a day pretty much keeps it clean, even if you start with an absolutely filthy bathroom. It will slowly get cleaner and cleaner and then stay there, and much more quickly than you would expect.
#23
Store fresh ginger root in the freezer. It grates easier and you don’t have to peel it.
You can cut the sugar by 1/3 to 1/2 in most recipes with no change in flavor.
Do gift shopping year round. If you see something a friend or relative would like for a gift 6 months before their birthday, get it anyway, put it in a “gift spot” and then you’re ready to go. Prevents both stress and overspending. .
SouthernGal 4 months ago
If you cut the sugar in half, it’s definitely going to taste different.
#24
Brushing my teeth when I have a craving I know I shouldn’t give in to. Midnight junk food? = Gone.
Emotional snacking? = Blocked.
Somehow minty-fresh mouth equals “we’re done here.”
Also: putting my phone in black & white mode. Makes social media feel like reading a tax document. Instantly less addictive.
Little Bit 4 months ago
If I get a craving, I occupy myself with a task. I forget about the craving and it soon passes.
#25
If you are a hoarder or have trouble getting rid of things in your house and so you live in clutter, pick up an item and ask yourself if it was covered in poop would you try to clean it off or just toss that item in the trash.
whatever you’d choose to throw away, donate it. you’ll find out very quickly how little you care about a lot of s**t you have been holding onto.
#26
Need to clean a cup stained by tea? Baking powder works wonders to get rid of them.
Secifically baking powder, not baking soda.
#27
Living below my means.
Geoffrey Scott 4 months ago
Impulsive shopping is one of the biggest negatives in finances. Later... if you NEED it, get it.
#28
Actually using my calendar.
Tim Douglass 3 months ago
Google calendar is great for a family. Because you can create multiple calendars and share them to different people. I have a family birthday calendar, which my wife and I both access but the kids don't care about. We have a family events one that matters to everyone. Each of us can have a personal events calendar that we can either share or not. I can turn each one I see on or off as I want, so I might turn off my football season calendar except when I actually want to check something. Lots of versatility. I also maintain a church calendar that is shared to anyone in the church who wants to see it in their own Google calendar.
#29
I have my house as a contact on my phone. In Notes, I have things like AC filter dimensions, and other details.
I have my pets as contacts, with important dates and registration numbers for the show dogs.
Anonymouse 4 months ago
LOL, I also have BOOKS as a contact with notes like Author name, have book#1, need #2, etc. Really helps when you are at the bookstore and uncertain if you have a certain book, and you have a listing of authors to check for new stuff. My daughter has an app on her phone she scans the barcode of each book as she gets it - I am not that organized - yet
#30
I *hate* to hunt things; such a time waster. I don't hunt for "it," I go to the thing's *assigned place.* When I walk in the door my keys go to one spot on a shelf by the garage door. Cell has two places; beside my chair or my studio/work place ... no other spot. Purse hangs on my coat rack.
When I come home I never toss things wherever; it goes to its *place.* That works in my studio, which has had the same arrangement for decades; easel here, taboret beside it. Supplies in specific drawers in a chest. I don't hunt for my colored pencils, I go to their *drawer.*
I developed the habit in the AF; in a medical crisis you don't have time to hunt for something you go to its *assigned place* in the supply closet, grab it and get back to the patient. That formula works for literally everything.
#31
Point and say.
Like, I have Invisalign right now (last 2 years), and like they say, the trays are invisible. I can't tell you how many times I've lost those f*****s on the rock countertop! When you're hangry and in the kitchen, you tend to forget where you set your teeth down in a quest for food.
I learned to point at them and say out loud to myself where they are.
It has worked for my cell phone, garden tools, work gloves, car keys, knitting needles, etc...
Janissary35680 4 months ago
Google "Shisa kanko". It's also known as "Pointing and calling" in English. It's a Japanese occupational safety method.
#32
Learn how to accept rejection gracefully it will happen to everyone
The sooner you stop blaming everyone else and work on you that is when you will grow.
Andrew Keir 4 months ago
When bad things happen, *you* are the only person who can properly deal with the consequences - so deal with them, don't bother blaming others, they won't help if they've already done you down.
#33
While everyone is sharing their unique life hacks, I've got to add mine to the mix. Whenever I borrow a pen from someone, I always put the cap on the end of my shirt or hoodie string. It's a tiny adjustment, but it ensures that I never walk off with someone else's pen because the moment I stand up or feel the cap against my body, it triggers my memory to return it. It's a small gesture of respect but it's saved me from that awkward moment of being called a "pen thief" more times than I can count! Plus, I make sure to choose pens that click instead of ones with removable caps for my own use if I'm lending it out, no risk of losing the cap either.
#34
I bought a Brother high speed scanner. Every piece of paper now gets scanned. Discarded unless it's required to be kept.
#35
Read the book “the subtle art of not giving a f**k” and honestly, learning to let go of stuff that you have no control over or no impact from has increased my quality of life incredibly.
#36
Honestly if people badger me after I say no I don’t reply
They can do literally nothing (illegal things pending),
And I don’t HAVE to explain.
#37
Dont keep people that are incapable or growth around you. If that means you are alone, so be it. Get to know yourself before you try to get together with anyone.
#38
Only using a tablespoon of laundry detergent. My clothes feel so much cleaner and now my detergent lasts FOR MONTHS on end!
Ace 4 months ago
I'm sure some people wash their clothes before they actually get dirty, like the guy I used to work with who got through at least three sets of clothes every day with showers between, ,could get away with that, but an even better option is this: Don't wash stuff if it's not dirty. Re-wearing that T-shirt that you used for two hours the day before will not k**l you.
#39
Make a note in your phone with all things your SO would like as a present. Whenever they mention something or just seem to fancy it, add it to the list. When their birthday or Christmas comes you can just look up what you would like to gift them and they will very likely love your present, while you don't have any trouble deciding.
#40
Human beings are like dogs and toddlers.
If you want someone to continue doing something for you, compliment and reward them for doing it. They’ll keep doing it just to impress you.
Anonymouse 4 months ago
interestingly, if you want people to like you, ask them to help you with a small task. Studies have shown that helping others has less of an effect on their opinion of you then asking them to assist you.
#42
There's a left turn to get to my house at a stop light with cars a mile long waiting to turn left but if you go straight through the stop light there's a left turn with no stop light a few hundred feet ahead you can turn left no problem and double back to the road home no problem been doing this for years don't want anyone else knowing about it lol.
Anonymouse 4 months ago (edited)
also known as a "Michigan left" as they actually force people to do this in many places. No left turn lane at intersection, instead a u turn option just down the road. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left
#43
I put mouthwash in my waterpik/water flosser. Now I am doing mouthwash and flossing at the same time and getting a deeper clean!
Fire Singer 4 months ago
I do a splash of mouthwash and the rest water, straight mouthwash seems like it would be a waste and maybe to strong, but could just be me!
#44
Regular Coca Cola for a migraine or severe headache.
SouthernGal 4 months ago
Caffeine causes changes to blood vessels, which can indeed help with some headaches.
#45
Since we're sharing unique life hacks, here's one I swear by: to remember important dates like birthdays or bill due dates, I set the event as an all-day appointment a couple of days early in my phone's calendar with a funny or memorable "fake" event title. So instead of "Dad's Birthday," it might be "Dad's International Super Spy Day." It catches my attention every time I glance at my calendar leading up to the date, which not only ensures I don't forget but also gives me a chuckle and makes the preparation more enjoyable. Plus, it's a great conversation starter when someone sees my calendar and asks why "Underwater Basket Weaving Championship" is marked on Tuesday!
#46
If I have some trivial thing to do, which I won't remember, I turn my watch around so the face of my watch is on my wrist. When I check the time, I can't see it. When I see the unnatural placement of my watch, it reminds me of my task.
Fire Singer 4 months ago
I'll set alarms on my phone to remind me to do things like "pay this bill" (for one time bills not like utilities which recur - I can manage to remember those) or "call the vet for prescription refills" because I'll get busy and forget!
#47
I just became aggressively grateful for absurd things… Like the cold coffee I’ve reheated 3 times and still haven’t finished, because it means I’ve been needed all day. Like laundry that never ends..because it means my family is alive and messy and home. I start each day by saying “Something ridiculously good is going to happen today.” Not because I feel it. But because I choose it. And honestly, this wild optimism and absurd gratitude heart definitely works... Every. Single. Time.
#48
If you get over whatever you're addicted to (and you definitely are to something) then you'll probably have a lot more free time and money to do actually meaningful things.
That's the best life hack I could ever give someone. Be in control, not controlled by your own impulsive behavior.
#49
Get organized and create systems to help be more efficient and have more time. It lessens my stress, I have things prepared and I know where things are always.And my home stays more clean .
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
If I could do that, I wouldn’t need to be reading this.
#50
In an office setting, conducting business by work email, often processes come to a head at the end of the day and require input from someone else to move forward. At the end of the day, no one checks email anymore, and they certainly don't ACT on them right away. The next day brings new challenges and my email goes unanswered for days.
After 2pm, I set those emails to send the next day 10 minutes after the start of working hours. People are primed to check off a task someone is presently waiting for, so they nail it because they are just settling in to their desk, and they think I am on the other end waiting for a response.
Secondarily, if I send a work email requiring a response, and get an out of office reminder, I recall the email, and set it to deliver at the beginning of the day they return so it doesn't get lost in the bulk of unanswered email.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
I deal with unanswered email first, so OP is putting themselves at the end of the line.
#51
As a procrastinator, instead of thinking “I’ll do this task at xx date/time,” I replace it with “I should finish this task by xx date/time”
Because for some odd reason, I’m fueled by the thought of deadlines.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by." - Douglas Adams
#52
My job and my degree requires me to read lots of policies, studies and reports which I struggle to because of ADHD. I can read very well but I just can't keep attention.
So I copy of upload it to chatgpt, ask it to write a detailed summary highlighting the key points and actions and then click the 'text to speech' button.
It means I can get through so many more documents and understand them.
#53
I butter things with the back of a spoon. Never use a knife. Ever.
#54
2 moderate workouts a week no options.
Geoffrey Scott 4 months ago
A 2 mile walk takes about 30 minutes, surely you can spare that amount of time, even if you are multi-tasking.
#55
Started training on gymnastic rings at age 50 and never looked back.
#56
Not thinking over and over again about the significance of things in the past and the possibility of things happening in the future.
#57
When I clean the house, I put on shoes
For some reason, it motivates me to keep going
And I can’t explain it.
#58
Minimalism. Nothing drastic or overly stark, just all the stuff I was keeping in case I need it, or if I loose weight, etc. Gone. I Marie Kondoed and now cleaning takes 1/5 the time it did before. I’m less stressed. Less mad at my family for not cleaning. Have more time for other things. Made some money selling things, felt really good about donating other things. Spend less money buying new things. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Kim Kermes 4 months ago
Find your own level. If your knickknacks give you pleasure, keep them. Some people need visible storage, others don't. Be aware of retail therapy. Buy quality so you're satisfied.
#59
I always try to reward myself before I start an assignment or something I’m dreading. I think the idea of having to work to earn a reward is dumb, and rewarding myself before hand always lifts my mood which in turn makes me more productive.
#60
This tip was more effective about 10 years ago because voice recognition has improved so much, but is still helpful imo.
The tip: if you use your voice to ask your phone/car/etc. to call a person/place that you call frequently, and if the voice recognition often goes wrong, take the time to rename the contact entry to something with a unique sound/word that can't be 'misheard' by the device. For instance, I renamed 'home' as 'abracadabra', and the call always worked as 'abracadabra' on the first try. If someone witnesses you saying 'abracadabra' to your device, they will definitely wonder about you... 😂.
Anonymouse 4 months ago
thus my wife is "My Wife" in my phone, it was always dialing someone else, lol
#61
When you are showing someone a photo on your phone, zoom the photo very slightly so they can’t easily swipe to your other photos.
#63
Make my bed, clean my room/house, wash dishes after each use. Living in a clean environment makes me feel better about myself.
Daya Meyer 4 months ago
Once I have read that it is easier to do if you change your mindset. You don't think about cleaning and tidying a room, you give it a reset so every rooms looks like before.
#64
Your email inbox should be a to-do list.
Clear out everything that isn't something that is still in need of doing. You can organize into folders if you want, or make one big "Misc" folder, as long as the inbox itself is reserved for stuff that you still need to do.
Alongside that, I try my best to keep my inbox to 15 emails or less. Helps me stay on top of the stuff I need to do.
SouthernGal 4 months ago
I laughed so hard at this one. My inbox is more like a file cabinet that goes back for many years. Wish I could be better, but it’s not going to happen.
#66
Sleeping in gym clothes. I know it sounds chaotic, but it tricks my brain into thinking I’m already halfway to working out the next morning. No decision fatigue, no excuses just roll out of bed and move. Unhinged? Maybe. Effective? Weirdly, yes.
#68
I blend up all the nutritions I need in a smoothies and drink that instead of eating it...
#69
Therapist here. One of my all-time favorite unhinged hacks for depression is: Live when everyone else is sleeping. Screw trying to fit the daily timeline. If you can, get things done when you know the rest of the world is sleep. It always helps me counterbalance the shame of sleeping when everyone is awake and I can’t get out of bed.
mandy the capibara 4 months ago
I'm not saying everyone needs to be on the exact same schedule, but depression-related insomnia is not a joke. Try and seek help for it first, before leaning in to it.
#70
Tidy up your house on Friday after work.. set up your whole weekend for leisure and low stress projects!
#71
Moist toilet paper. Otherwise you're walking around with poopy pants.
SouthernGal 4 months ago
Moist toilet paper? It would disintegrate and you would end up with poopy fingers. I wish bidets were more common in the US.
What do you think ?
Related on Bored Panda
