The concept of ‘lifehacks‘ didn’t really exist before the internet. It feels like the lifehacks we read about online have gone from useful to questionable to out-and-out clickbait.
But that doesn’t mean that all lifehacks are useless. Redditors shared some tried and tested lifehacks that actually work recently on the r/AskReddit subreddit.
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Stretching.
“People don’t realize it, but sitting all the time actually makes your quads and lower back very tight. Leaning forward to look at a screen, or looking down to look at a phone, also really screws up the muscles in your neck.
“Everyone should be stretching and doing some range-of-motion exercises like yoga, or tai chi… but most people also think this is stupid and they have zero interest in even trying it.”
Dog training.
“Turns out you can teach them to not jump up, charge though the door, pull on the leash, actually come when called, leave the room on command, get off the couch, even keep them off the couch when you aren’t there, and hold still when you clip nails. A year or two worth of consistent training with positive reinforcement will give you a life time of stress free pet ownership.”
Use a tray.
“I got a tray. Not a fancy schmancy one but one from a dollar store but it’s super sturdy (made from some kind of wood) and I literally use it every day. One trip up and down stairs safely transporting hot drinks for my SO and I. It can carry multiple snack bowls. I can deliver food to the table faster when I have guests over. Afterwards I can stack dirty dishes and it’s one trip to the kitchen sink. I can keep my drinks on it at my office table and because it has sides if anything spills, it’s contained on the tray and not on my table.”
Pay attention to your words.
“Control what info you give others. Say what you have to say concisely then stop talking, if they have questions they’ll ask, don’t anticipate questions and answer them preemptively. Be prepared to answer those questions, but don’t overplay.”
Don’t air your dirty laundry.
“Might sound silly but don’t complain to your parents about your SO ever. You forgive and forget but they won’t. Don’t argue with your SO. Work it out at a normal volume ASAP, especially in front of kids.”
Do morning prep the night before.
“I do as MUCH as possible for morning me and it makes my entire day better: I set up the coffee maker and set the timer, put a bottle of water in the fridge, pack breakfast and lunch and a snack (I have an 11 hour day with commute), and set up the cats’ food dishes and canned food so it’s ready to go. I give them dry food and water at night before bed, so I don’t have to worry about it in the morning. It’s amazing how much better my day is just having done those small things.”
Set up a drop spot.
“Get yourself a drop spot at home. Where you put your keys, sunglasses, mask, anything you need to have when you leave the house. And train yourself to use it. Whenever you’re leaving the house you only need to go to that spot to find everything you need.”
Make a budget.
“Years ago, when I first got my first job after college, I would just spend and not really worry about it, my accounts always had enough money. One day I made a budget and went, that isn’t right I should be saving more money than I am. Turns out after checking cc statements I was spend a LOT more on booze and food than I realized.”
Don’t hit snooze.
“If you wake up by alarm, get up when it goes off. Don’t hit snooze. I know this goes against everything your body wants, but personally, it lets me get up, get centered, and prepare for my day. Snoozing is great, don’t get me wrong, but you set that alarm for a reason and not snoozing is following through with your commitment. It translates to following through on so many other things throughout the day.”
Turn off the screens.
“Spending time away from the screen. I spend all day at work, followed by a few hours of screen time for entertainment.
“On weekends I like to do projects around the house that don’t require any screen time. Being away from the screen helps me re-charge for the new week.”
Do a countdown.
“If you are procrastinating something or having trouble focusing on a task, try counting down from a number. It can be any number really, I personally like 6, and you can try it in your head or out loud. When you get to zero, you might feel motivated to get back to the task. Doesn’t work for everyone but works for me!”
Clean as you go.
“Do the dishes, tidy up and put things back WHILE you are cooking. There is always dead time when you’re waiting for the potatoes boiling or the sauce to thicken, and there’s always something that needs to simmer for a while, so use that time to clean the cutting boards, the knives and whatever the meal prep needed, then when everything’s ready and put on plates on the table, rinse off the pots and pans while your food cools to optimal temp.”
Give up the grudges.
“I’ve reduced how I categorize folks in my life to three areas:
People I love
People I wish well
People I hope heal
Nothing else. No grudges, no lingering anger, no longing lust, no wishful thinking – if we interact in a way that leaves you memorable, there’s only one of those three places to sit.”
Pare down your wardrobe.
“Edit out clothes you don’t wear.
“After you wear something turn the hanger the other way in the closet. At the end of a season you can identify things you didn’t wear and decide whether you still need them.”
A new way to study.
“Nervous about an exam? Pretend you got ZERO percent and now you have a chance to scrounge whatever marks you can instead of getting zero. This worked wonders throughout university. Dang, this isn’t a life hack is it?”
– u/Kuli24
Learn to love yourself.
“Date yourself, as in take yourself on dates.
“You’re the only person you’ll spend every moment of the rest of your life with. It’s worth developing your relationship with yourself. Treat yourself to nice evenings where you do nice things for yourself. Make yourself a steak dinner and eat by candlelight. Take yourself to that show you want to see.
“If you treat yourself like someone you love, you will love yourself. When you love yourself, your life will feel incredible every day.”
– u/ MaddestMaddie
Pick yourself up with a shower.
“If I just take a shower when I get home from work and get out of my uniform anyway, then I smell nice, look nice, and get to wear comfy clothes for the rest of the evening.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s a lot better than going without, which is something I did in the past. That didn’t work out at all.”
Break your goals down.
“You want to accomplish a big goal, like losing 50 pounds or writing a novel?
“Don’t make the big goal your actual target. Divide it up into a series of smaller goals.
“Don’t try to lose 50 pounds, try to lose one pound. When successful, do it again. And again.
“Don’t try to write a novel. Just write a page. Then do it again. And again.”
Use your bed for sleep only.
“Do not do ANYTHING in your bed except sleep. Don’t read, don’t browse on your laptop. If you can’t sleep, get out of the bed and do something else. A bed is to sleep.
“So when you go to bed, your brain switch to sleep mode. Changed my life.”
– u/Dahns
It’s okay to buy nice things.
“Don’t worry about getting the best value for money all the time. If you are shopping for a thing and you find a thing that is good quality but seems a little expensive, just buy it. 9 times out of 10 when I leave the thing and then drive to various other shops I waste so much time, if I had just bought the original more expensive thing, it would have been so much easier!”
