There’s no shortage of life hacks online, but how many of them actually work? In my experience, the little changes you make can impact your daily life for the better.
People are sharing those life hacks that they swear by in this AskReddit thread.
What life hack became your daily routine?
#1
Saying “thank you” instead of apologizing for things that don’t need apologies. I’m a chronic apologizer and it’s helped a lot.
For example, if I have a bad day and vent to my husband, instead of saying “sorry for venting and bringing down the mood” I’ll say “thank you for listening and being supportive.”
It puts a much more appreciative and positive light on your relationships!
#2
“Don’t put it down, put it away”
A lot of ppl here say “please tell my wife” or “please tell my husband”; Funny enough, my WIFE is the one that made me live by this. She saw it on an ADHD subreddit she frequents (to get a better idea of what goes on in my head lol). She’s an amazing person.
Thanks again, everyone!
#3
#4
I stopped doing any kind of work in my dorm room at college and only did it at the libraries. Not only did I become way more productive, but I enjoyed being in my room a lot more.
It’s way more comfortable (and easier) to fall asleep when you’ve taken a 15-minute walk home than when you’ve been working at your desk in the same room for 4 hours.
#5
Preparing/getting stuff ready the night before. For example:
1. Getting my shoes and putting them by the front of the door
2. Packing my backpack with all the things I’ll need for that day
3. Getting my underwear, shirt, pants, etc. out and folding them in a pile
4. Packing lunch(es) for that day
No more running around in the mornings looking for stuff on a time crunch! It’s become so much less stressful when I know where everything is and I can just get everything (on) and leave.
EDIT: Since so many people have asked me why I don’t just take my shoes off by the front door, and one dude even went as far as to ask what kind of dystopian hell I live in (actually said response) I’m going to give all you one collective answer.
I know it doesn’t apply to everyone, but sometimes when I return home (for various reasons, like unloading groceries in my kitchen, it’s right there if I go through that way) I’ll go through my garage and take off my shoes off by the door there instead of my front one. So I’ll have to remember to go and bring my shoes over to the front door (and NOT walk in them while doing so, mind you, CARRY them), where I leave in the morning usually. Holy fuck you can all stop messaging me about this now.
#6
You don’t have to follow the rules.
Doing half the dishes is better than doing none. Having a clean hamper and a dirty hamper is completely acceptable. Nobody said the socks in your drawer had to be paired up, either. Focus on one thing in general and apply it to the whole house that day, like just do floors or surfaces.
There’s nothing wrong with your kids being bored sometimes, that’s their problem. Let them figure it out, but don’t limit what they’re able to do. You don’t have to “pick” what to have for dinner every night, we rotate through staples every week. If we get bored, we just eat what we feel like. Nothing wrong with a bowl of cereal and a sandwich for dinner, as long as everyone’s fed and the rest of the day wasn’t junk.
#7
#8
Moisturizing my face right after the shower.
#9
A work-from-home life hack I adopted was using break time from work to do low-mental energy chores. Stuff like dusting furniture and vacuuming the pool is a nice break from the mental energy of working and I’m getting stuff done.
#10
#11
I do squats when I brush my teeth.
#12
I flip my pill bottles after taking them so I remember if I took them or not. really helps if you take the same pill in the morning and at night.
Lukewarm_Mama Added:
I do the opposite! Flip it upside down before bed so when I see it in the morning, it annoys me. So I remember to take one and put it right side up again.
#13
having a notepad on my pantry door.
When I take something out I jot it down voila instant shopping list.
#14
Procrastinating every task in order to avoid any problem.
#15
Getting all the sleep I need. I noticed a while back how literally everything is better when I am well-rested and I don’t care if people make fun of me for sleeping 9h every night. I have never pulled an all-nighter in college and when I do hikes that start really early I just go to bed for the night in the late afternoon the day before and still get my sleep. Nothing standing between me and my bed lol
#16
Shopping a list. Putting things on a list when they need to be replaced and sticking to the list when I go shopping. It’s probably saved me many thousands of dollars by now.
#17
When I’m trying to sleep in bed at night I go over what I did that day and think of everything I did in a positive light or as if it’s part of a goal I’m working towards. I’ve never been depressed (or at least diagnosed with it!) but this helps feeling like I’ve accomplished something and I can feel better about what I’ve done. Celebrate every little thing you did, and also it helps me fall asleep a little bit faster too.
#18
-Taking my dog for a 20 min. walk first thing in the morning to get my brain and body moving
-Filling a water bottle and leaving it on the kitchen counter before bed so I’ll remember to chug it first thing in the morning. My day is completely different when I start it off well-hydrated.
-Doing 15-20 minutes of light cleaning after work to save from doing a ton of housework on the weekends.
#19
Drinking one cup of water for every two alcoholic beverages.
I keep a bottle of water by my bedside before I go to bed. When I wake up to go pee I chug as much as I can and pass back out.
End up with far less of a hangover
#20
My alarm clock is across the room, requiring me to get out of bed to turn it off. Prevents me from falling back asleep.
#21
Not sitting down until everything is done. Come home from work, get changed, put the laundry on, do the dishes, make dinner/meal prep, clean the house a bit, and walk the dog. Do everything that’s needed of you before you sit down on the couch/to have dinner.
#22
deep stretching right before bed or right when waking up. makes a world of difference
#23
Making my bed and straightening my room every morning. It started when I was trying to cope with major depression. Good tool.
#24
Not leaving the house in an absolute tear to get to work. Take an extra fifteen minutes to make your bed, start/empty the dishwasher, tidy the kitchen, and toss all your laundry into the basket.
This not only helps me be calm when I get home but I find myself less frazzled at work too.
#25
Every time I leave a room I spend less than thirty seconds tidying or doing one task. Pick up a pillow off the floor. Return a glass to the kitchen. Going to the bathroom, carrying up some laundry. Literally every time I leave a room. It’s such a habit now that I don’t even think about it but I do notice that my home is always tidy.
I also have a home for everything in my house. I literally never lose anything. You have to take a step back occasionally and think about the location of things logically. When an item is very economical to buy, I own multiples for sake of ease. Scissors in the kitchen, office, and bathroom. Makes life easier and saves so much time. The flip side of that is always storing things in one location. Batteries, no matter the type all in one location with battery chargers. I never throw them in a random drawer.
#26
Posting this too late for anyone to see, but I brush my teeth as part of my daughter’s bedtime routine. This keeps me from snacking late at night since my teeth already feel clean and I don’t want to mess them up before bed. I’ve lost about 5″ from my waist, and it keeps me accountable to brush my teeth before I’m too tired to care.
#27
Waking up earlier on my days off. So the days I work, technically I get to sleep in a little.
#28
Thinking of different scenarios for bad drivers. If there’s a truck going 90mph on the highway and weaving through lanes without a turn signal, I just imagine that he’s on the verge of crapping his pants and that’s why he’s in a rush. I find it funny and usually improves my mood.
#29
If I’m feeling depressed I just tell myself ” I’m depressed for now.” It helps me look forward to when I’m not feeling down.
#30
If you have to put something down for a bit, like say your phone or glass of water, say out loud, “I’m putting this ____ here.”
I guess that by doing that you engage different parts of your brain and make it more likely for you to remember where you put something when you need it again.