Solutions to some of our life problems are not always readily available.
That's when our resourcefulness kicks in to come up with a plan to get ourselves out of a pickle.
The approach isn't always conventional because of our limited resources depending on the situation.
So a bit of creativity is in order.
Curious to hear of strangers' proudest accomplishements, Redditor reddit_API_is_sh*t asked:
"What are some of your personal life-hacks that you came up with yourself, not necessarily completely original?"
There are always ways we can improve our lives and that of others.
Taking Advantage Of Young Brains
"If your child watches the same DVD over and over so many times that they know it by heart, switch the language and let them learn Spanish."
– BulletDodger
"I've thought that if I ever had a kid, they will get different screen times for different languages. They start to learn English? Great! Now you get 1h more screen time per week - use it wisely! You took another foreing language? Splendid! One hour more in that language!"
– PainterOfTheHorizon
Motivational Viewing
"When I don’t feel like cleaning, I put on a watch me clean show on YouTube and somehow within 10 minutes I get up and start cleaning. I need to try that with exercising next."
– Affectionate-Big5784
Water Conservation
"Funnelling the A/C condensation dripping from the unit into a terra cotta planter."
– ClassicMcJesus
"Or hang the washed wet clothes in front of the AC condenser so that the heat dries them when the sky is not sunny 😳"
– OP
Kitchen Time Saver
"I clean as I cook, so when I'm done; the counters are clean, dishes are in the sink soaking, and I got nothing left to do but enjoy the food."
– NickDanger3di
No More Rushed Mornings
"Always set up your outfit, lunch, bag, keys etc the night before."
– H3rta
"When I'm at home, my keys and wallet always go to the same location unless I actively need them. That way I always know where they are."
– Buckus93
Early Bird Catches The Better Deals
"Go to the grocery store early in the morning. Less people and sometimes you can find some awesome clearance deals."
– Costner_Facts
Fresh Air
"If you’re feeling sluggish or down in the dumps go for a walk or get out in nature, even if it’s the last thing you want to do."
– Cherrycola250ml
It doesn't take much effort to making life at home more relaxing.
A Simple Pinch Does The Trick
"I put scrunchies around my wrists to wash my face, so the water doesn't drip down my arms."– MercedesC
A Clean Drop
"Putting I little bit of tp in the toilet before number 2 to combat splashing."
– TraditionalLadder473
Efficient And Tidy
"Anytime I am getting up, I am taking something with me to put it back where it belongs."
"Going to the kitchen? Taking empty mug with me."
"Going to the bathroom? On my way out, taking laundry with me to the basket."
"Helps keep things tidy and it doesn't feel like I'm working at it."
– Fun_Mistake4299
"This was engrained in me via working in restaurants. 'full hands in, full hands out.'"
– H3rta
Not all hacks are of the tangible variety.
For Mental Wellbeing
"The best way for me to deal with loneliness is actually not to pursue platonic or romantic relationships actively, but to keep myself busy working on and developing my interests."
"(Additionally, it's important for me to do this both in a solitary and semi-social way - taking classes, joining groups, etc. However, I don't use these semi-social outlets to make friends per se, but as a way to just be around like-minded people.)"
"I find actively pursuing relationships when I am in a state of loneliness stress is a recipe for bad outcomes. I always meet the best people when I am more at peace with my life. Also, one of the big perks of having a relatively slow social life is time for personal development and working on interests."
– zazzlekdazzle
"Ooooh, this resonates with me right now! I started doing more social-adjacent things to work on myself, and realized there was becoming a social burden (more notifications/messages) without the social fulfillment (deep conversation, clicking with the right folks) that I am seeking."
"I realized I needed to cool it on how much energy I was pouring into potential friendships, because I don't want a lot of friends, I want closer friendships. I'm focusing on my classes and my connection with myself as well, so that I can better judge when new humans are right for me and worth the energy. I can enjoy the company of folks with similar interests without getting myself riled up about who might be my new bestie. It's exhausting!"
– fakechildren
Being Present
"Just show up. Whether its for your job, your BF/GF, your sports team, your parents, whatever. Just showing up, even if you're empty handed, even if you can't play, even if you're not totally prepared for the meeting, just show up. Bailing on stuff and not being present is the worst thing you can do. Always show up."
– gottapeenow2
Excel Without Wracking Your Brain
"My personal lifehack: For upcoming exams that require memorization, I just read through the paper once in morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Don't try to forcefully remember, just read, maybe out loud if can't focus."
"Over several days, the brain naturally remembers it effortlessly. This of course requires doing it ahead of the exams at least 1 week, try to break the bad habit of studying rushed the night before the exam next morning with this. Repetition is mother of all learnings."
– OP
Repetition Writing
"My trick in school was to write something over and over again. The repetition of writing it made it so easy to recall."
– edpumkin
Keep Your Ears Open
"If you're stuck in a sh*tty job where they have bad communication skills you pretty much HAVE TO eavesdrop conversations sometimes. Not the best life hack, but my experiences made it feel like it was necessary."
"Not only can it tell you how some staff really think + feel that they don't normally reveal, but if it's anything like 1 job I had you can start prepping for things that will inevitably become your problem or requests for tasks for you to resolve later."
– AKAtheSkay
Ever wanted to keep your white wine chilled in a glass after its been poured without using ice to dilute the fancy taste?
Easy. Drop a few frozen grapes into your glass and your good to go.
It'll keep your chardonnay nice and cold without losing flavor.
