It's so easy to learn anything these days with the internet at our fingertips. There are so many solutions and tips from people who've probably been in your shoes. But you have to think of looking for it first.
And how would you know to look for it if you're not aware it exists? So we at Bored Panda compiled a list of life hacks you might've never heard of before, but may find very useful. Scroll down, upvote your favorites, and don't be shy to share any tips you think others don't know yet!
#1
Never make fun of someone’s laugh, someone’s smile, or how they dance. Let them express happiness without trying to harsh their joy.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#2
If you ever have to park in a city at night, park in front of a bank. Why? They're lit up and have cameras everywhere.
Image credits: Devesh-Yadav-32
#3
If you have a spare minute at home, always take a few seconds to just pet your dog or cat and really appreciate them. Pets are only a part of your life but you are your pet’s entire life
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#4
Last week I felt exhausted. I got home on Friday at around 6:30 p.m. and went straight to bed.I did a few things over the weekend but mostly slept - I got up late, took naps and went to bed early.
I can’t tell you how differently things have felt this week. I am more focused at work and make less of an effort to get things done. I feel more patient, more lenient, less irritable. Everything feels less catastrophic.
Last night I went to yoga and felt I had the best class I’d had in months - I felt I was breathing rather than pushing myself through something too difficult.
You want a clever life hack? Go to bed.
#5
Don’t fill in the ‘To” field in an email until you are completely done writing it. Saved me a lot of badly-written or half-finished emails - and emails I never ended up sending because I had time to think better of it.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#6
When in an argument, act as if you are being recorded. This will prevent you from saying stupid things you don't mean.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#7
About a week ago, my mother was out of town. So, my father and I decided to go to a restaurant because both of us suck at cooking.Over there, I ordered a Masala dosa off the menu. After a 20 min long video call with my mother, the food arrived.
I had only eaten a couple of bites before I found a hair strand in the Sambhar. Pretty unappetizing.
I told my father and was about to call the waiter to change the food but my father actually had a fool proof plan.
He suggested me to add a lot of salt in the sambhar and then call the waiter so that I could ensure the food was actually changed and it wasn't just the hair that was removed.
I did the same and was very excited for the sambhar to be back. So was my father. We waited for a little while and then the waiter served the sambhar. Voila! It was saltier than ever. Plan successful. I told my father and he was smiling like a child and at the same time he was really proud.
Not gonna lie I was amazed as hell.
Later we called the waiter and told him the entire story. He got really defensive but all that's unnecessary. What really matters is the life hack you learnt today.
#8
Always go see a movie and then get dinner so you can talk about the movie afterwards. It makes you way more comfortable on dates
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#9
About 15 years ago I’m visiting my mother’s cousin after not seeing him for a long time.A few hours into our meeting he stares at me and says “Asim son… why do you always smile at me when I look at you?”
Do I? I don’t know. And I tell him that.
I soon realise that I do smile a lot, and several years later I come to the view that it has played a key role in achieving the success I have attained at work and in business.
Smiling breaks down barriers, it makes tense situations into more comfortable ones, it makes you more attractive, it gives a sense of energy, it makes people want to be around you, it makes you more likeable, it makes people feel that you want to be around them, it makes people trust you.
Smiling is very powerful, massively underestimated.
And I semi-consciously knew it all along. Which is why I did it.
It also makes everyone happier, including you.
Smile more…
#10
When heating leftovers, space out a circle in the middle, it will heat up much more evenly.#11
You can sharpen your knives with a ceramic bowl. Rub the blade up and down on the bowl's ceramic ring.
Image credits: Hafiz Suboor
#12
Appear more confident. The bottom line is to be interested, not just interesting
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#13
If you fall into cold, open water try to float first to calm yourself down and resist the urge to swim. With your breathing and body under control, you can then start swimming to safety.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#14
Start every phone call with 'My battery is almost dead.' That way, you can hang up on them at any time.
Image credits: Bruce Wilson
#15
If you sit for several hours a day, find a simple routine to stretch out your hips and chest."It's an absolute game-changer for people who suffer from chronic lower back pain as a result of being hunched over a desk."
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#16
Refer to people you’ve just met by their name. People loving being referred to by their name, and it will establish a sense of trust and friendship right away.
Image credits: Priyanka-Sinha-81
#17
Golden spending rule: If you can’t afford two of it, you can’t afford it.When you’re thinking about buying something you don’t necessarily need, imagine the item in one hand and the cash in the other. Which one would you take?
If you have trouble choosing, flip a coin. While you're waiting to get the result, your mind automatically starts to wish for what it wants. Then you can choose easily.
Honey does not go bad; if it has gone solid it has just crystallized and can become liquid again with just a little heat.
If you put something down temporarily, say out loud "I've put the screwdriver by the microwave" or whatever.
Read the three and four star reviews for the most reliable information on Amazon items.
When moving house, always set up your bedroom/ make the bed first so when you’re exhausted and just had enough you can fall into bed. Nothing worse than being exhausted and having to make the bed before getting into it.
If there's a jar or container you can't open, run the lid under hot water for about 30sec. Dry it so you can get a good grip, then open. It really works.
Secretaries, tech support, and janitors are the true power in an office. Make friends with them and you’ll be able to get anything you need!
When a friend is upset, ask him one simple question before saying anything else: “Do you want to talk about it or do you want to distract from it? ” It is important to know when to stop arguing with people, and simply let them be wrong.
If someone offers you something you want, take it. Don't decline every kind of offer out of politeness.
Image credits: Mark-Wilson-2086
#18
Put your favorite song as a custom ringtone for people you don't like. That way, you can enjoy the song while neglecting their calls.
Image credits: Rajesh Panda
#19
Whenevr you like a product online,look for the bad reviews first.
Image credits: Kuldeep-Kungwani-1
#20
Reverse your hair (from the side you usually comb) a night before sleeping; then it will be easy to set the next morning.
Image credits: Amit Tripathi
#21
Sometimes changing your pillowcase daily can help with acne.use a clean t-shirt over my pillow to accomplish the same thing. Note that the perfumes in regular detergent are sometimes an irritant to the delicate skin on your face.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#22
Put a dry tea bag in smelly shoes to absorb the odor and leave them smelling fresh.#23
Take a picture of your fridge if you sometimes forget what to buy at the grocery store.
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#24
If you've forgotten an acquaintance's name, just ask them what their name is, and after they tell you, say 'No, your last name.' It works like a charm, and they never suspect a thing.
Image credits: Vita Lawson
#25
If you park in a big parking lot, take a pic of the letter/number marker so you can find it easily
Image credits: Peter-Oluwafemi-4
#26
Forget about oven mitts. Get a pair of welding gloves!Wait, hear me out.
My mom always complained about her oven mitts. They were either too thin, making prolonged handling of hot dishes difficult. Or they were too thick, making them clumsy. For some reason, the fabric would quickly deteriorate, even when using non-budget pairs. And more often than not, they were too short — she’d often get burns on her forearms when reaching inside a hot oven, oven mitts only protect your hands.
However, one day she found a pair of welding gloves lying around, and got the genius idea to use them in the kitchen.
These things are:
Very robust, literally industrial strength. No fear of them falling apart.
Heat-proof up to hundreds of degrees Celsius
Made of rough fabric, and have fingers, making handling of various dishes very simple. No slipping and dropping your lasagne ever again!
Quite long, offering total protection not only for your hands, but your wrists and forearms too. No need to worry about touching the edge of a blazing hot oven when reaching into it.
Are generally quite cheap, $20 bucks or so. Not much difference to “premium” (but still garbage) oven mitts.
I recently received a pair from her as a birthday gift. I tossed my oven mitts immediately. From then on, it’s welding gloves all the way.
Disclaimer: I was made aware that some gloves may contain fire retardant chemicals, which may be dangerous when ingested. Keep this in mind and check the manual / detailed information before using a pair.
#27
Remember your position in which you are sleeping in morning. It is your most comfortable position and can help you in sleeping quicker.
Image credits: Kuldeep-Kungwani-1
#28
My friend saved his own number on his WhatsApp and had conversations with himself..He told 'it somehow helped to cure the depression and hollowness he felt inside'. Being intelligent and introvert, he found this way to communicate with himself honestly time to time. He said, 'we know the answers most of the time, we just need a medium to communicate it.’
I think my Friend is right..
Image credits: Divyank-13
#29
There’s a cartoon I watched as a kid where the hero gets thrown in jail high up in a tower. There’s an old man there who has been in the jail all his life. The hero demands to be let out and the gate opens. The hero walks out. The old man looks at the open door and then turns to the audience and mutters: “You mean all I had to do was ask?”I laughed at this when I was a kid but reflecting on my life, I’ve had countless moments where I was that old man. A crush of three years who I never talked to, questions in meetings that I never voiced and promotions that I never pushed for.
Over the last five years, I’ve experimented with doing what the hero in the tower did and ask for what I want. And in many cases, just like in the cartoon, the door really opened. This is from little things like requesting no olives in my salad to larger demands like having 20% time at work to pursue self directed initiatives.
As long as you’re sincere and reasonably competent, you will be amazed how far simply asking for things will take you.
#30
Setting a timer for 10 minutes every time you walk through the front door to clean/tidy. Stops it building up and goes really quick so doesn’t feel like a chore.#31
Apply a thin film of oil to the surface of a plate. You can trap all the nearby mosquitoes just by swaying the plate, and this works like a charm.#32
Want to charge your phone faster ,Keep your phone in airplane mode.
Image credits: Kuldeep-Kungwani-1
#33
If you've ever taken a boring class, record it with your phone and play it back on sleepless nights.#34
Take a peek at people's feet when talking to you. If their feet are pointed away from you, the person you are talking to wants the conversation to end.
Image credits: Samuel Davis
#35
Eat straight from the pot you cook in. Saves an extra dish to wash.Place new trash bags under the current one being used. That way, when you’re taking out the trash the refills will be within arm’s reach.
Learn to see the good in others, especially YOURSELF!
#36
When speaking to your gf/partner/wife about something important or difficult:Be very, very deliberate in the words that you choose, and the manner in which you express them.
Women pay very close attention to those things. And they don't forget.
I learned this via a trial of 1000 lashes.
#37
If in an emergency you need to get through a locked door, kick hard right next to the handle, near the lock, and avoid using your shoulders or back. The lock will break more easily.#38
The human appendage signal.I’m in tight traffic, and nobody will let me in to change lanes. They ignore my blinking turn signal. So I open the window and stick out my arm. Invariably, the car in the next lane slows and makes a spot for me to move into.
I think the human appendage signal turns car into a person. It is no longer a blinking car that wants to change lanes, but a human. That triggers empathy and politeness.
This hack can be used elsewhere. The gay liberation movement made its greatest strides when gays came out of the closet, and people realized that they knew such people. They were no longer abstractions, but people, friends, and it created a phase transition.
Make sure others always see you as a person, not as a symbol or as a professional or as a thing.
#39
On the rare occasion that you are under attack by a moose — those creatures are huge! — try to find an opportunity to get behind a tree. Moose have a blind spot in their peripheral vision, they will lose you, and you can escape easier.#40
So, this is not the most clever life hack, but is indeed helpful at times you're unable to tolerate.It happens many times at work or when with friends. You are sitting next to a friend or any person at your work place and you know that you will have to sit with him for a longer period of time and if their mouth stinks, then what?
They are not going to stop talking to you. If your tolerance limits have reached, then you can use a small hack that I always use.
Just keep a mints in your pocket. When you feel your neighbour is stinking. Just open the mint pack and pop one in your own mouth. It is very likely that your neighbour will ask for one and if he or she doesn't ask you can offer one.
You ate first and then offered, hence they would not feel bad and the problem will be solved.
#41
Use lip balm to heal paper cuts and immediately stop pain.#42
Don’t take working things, colleague relationship too personally.Don’t overshare your life when you just know someone.
It takes at least three months to know a person.
Don’t share or small talk about someone when he/she is in the same social circle as you.
Don’t think EVERYONE is as nice or bad, because we all are just humans.
You can laugh at your friends, but try to not laugh at or tease what they love.
The words you can not say in front of someone, don’t say it behind their back either.
Change the sentence like “can you understand it” to “did I make it clear ”
When you deal with dumb people, be 200% awake!
I just think all these tips I have learnt so far are just as important.
#43
Waiting !!!Waiting at least 24 hours before making a big decision that will likely determine the course of your life.
ot a job offer? Don't make a decision yet. Wait for 24 hours and think over it. Don't be impulsive! This is a big deal choice.
Got fired? Wait for 24 hours and think what happened and what is your next best step. Don't rush to call the next recruiter that pops up on your job search.
Are you upset at your family because of a big disagreement? Don't tell them immediately that they are clueless. Wait for at least 24 hours and think about it: Is it really worth it to deteriorate life’s most important relationship?
Are you almost going to yell at your incompetent coworker? Don't do it yet! Wait for 24 hours before damaging your relationship with your colleague. Think it over and devise a plan on how to discuss things over.
My point is that a lot of times in our lives we are driven by our impulses and that we make decisions driven by a moment’s emotion. Countless regrets follow because of impulsivity, life changes not for the better , relationships are broken, misery and frustration can conquer your psychological well-being.
So please wait for a while before you fight with your family, wait for a while before you yell at your colleague, wait for a while before immediately committing to that job offer.
While thinking things by waiting doesn't necessarily mean that your life choices and outcomes will be the best, at least you tried and considered all of the possibilities. You deeply and genuinely thought about whatever major issues life has thrown at you, and you are sure there will be no regrets over the coming decision. So spare yourself some hardship, regret, tears, and insecurity by waiting. You can do it: you can wait!!
Hope this helps.
#44
Don't buy the latest model in the market. Whether a phone or a computer wait for a couple of months go back to the store and you'll buy the gadget for a fraction.In a new job, don’t immediately begin pointing out mistakes and what needs to be changed. Keep your cool, compliment what's working and learn the characters and ranks so you know who to share your ideas with and predict their reaction.
Ask for a 10% discount in a fixed price store. It's hard and will surprise the attendant but will make you feel more confident.
Be the first to clap immediately after your boss or colleague makes a keynote speech or presentation. They will love you for it. Everyone craves acceptance by the audience during public speaking, there's always an underlying fear of rejection.
When giving advice to a teenager, use yourself as an example of how you made wrong choice, the consequences you had to deal with and why you wouldn't like him/her to fall into the same fault.
If you wanted to ask for business from a prominent person and happen to meet him at supermarket/gym/elevator, don't bring up the issue. Keep the talk social and simple, they'll reward you for it.
Never speak about other people's bad faults to another. The listener will subconsciously attribute those negative qualities to you.
#45
Tape a dryer sheet to the back of a fan to freshen up a room. As the fan blows air, it will distribute the scent of the dryer sheet throughout the room, leaving it smelling fresh.#46
If you happen to be in a burning building and there is a lot of smoke, crawl to find the exit with your feet not your head in front of you. This way you won’t risk falling down a staircase and getting seriously injured.#47
Don’t count the time by 5 minutes and 10 minutesLet me narrate an example
When I started reading at 7:00. After 10 -15 mins I feel bored and decided to take rest for few minutes and planned to study at 7:30.I started to listen some songs and when I finished listening the time was like 7:32.
So I decided to study at 7:40. Basically my 8 minutes were wasted .
#48
Phone dropped from your hand and about to fall down.Just use your leg and kick it slightly and it will cause less harm to your phone.#49
If you are at a hotel and run out of chargers, the TV usually has a USB plugin.#50
Don’t change clothes just after you came home till you start the first productive activityLet’s say you are coming from college and you have to do 10 homework questions,
What will someone typically do;
Come home,
Change clothes, shower,
Do the 10 questions
What you do with this hack
Come home,
Do 2 questions right away, (DON’T CHANGE CLOTHES)
Change clothes, shower,
Do the other 8 questions
The point is when you walk/drive home and when you change clothes after that, you tend to chill and get into the “home” mood and lose time just doing nothing. So this hack saves that precious time.
I observed this first from one of the roommates I had in college. I don’t know whether he learned this or intuitively did this. But this works!
#51
If you don't have a dryer and need to dry your clothes quickly, here's what you can do. Place your wet clothing on a dry towel. Roll the towel with the garment inside. Pick it up, and twist it as tightly as possible to squeeze out the excess water. After you've drained .the excess water, hang your garment on a hanger to fully dry#52
If you ever get a flat tire, take a picture of it on your phone, so for future reference you can use it as an excuse.#53
Making a good first impression.This very clever thing I used to do when I was in school. Whenever we had some new class teacher, everyone used to take her lightly thinking that she is new and she won't punish us anytime soon. But not me - I used to be very polite in the first week of that teacher and prepared the first test very thoroughly and get highest marks in first test only. Now people usually remember us by the first thought that crosses their mind about us.
So after the very first test, teachers had the impression that I'm a brilliant student. So whenever I failed a test or scored low, teacher used to ask me very sympathetically that What happened to you. Were you sick? Something wrong? While others were punished. Yay!
And I used to get away without preparing test for that subject for the whole year.
#54
Want to learn how to get a FLAWLESS PRONUNCIATION and CRYSTAL CLEAR VOICE.I have the perfect hack for you.
Take a pencil.
Clean it.
Hold it in your mouth like it is shown in the picture below.( Just don’t make a similar face)
It should not be too in or too out. Just in the middle.
Now start your imaginary conversation.
It can be in whichever language. It doesn’t need to be a dialogue i.e. you can talk to yourself.
Try to speak as clearly as possible and maintain an audible voice.
This exercise improves the coordination of tongue and increases jaw strength.
Do this for 15 min each day and see the magic…!!
#55
Today I am going to tell you something really useful that will save you a lot of confusion at times.Everyone use earphones or headphones, right? Well, this device comes in two varieties - with microphone and without microphone and a lot of you might have faced problems in the past in finding whether it has mic or not. Not anymore as it is really easy to find that out.
Have you ever closely observed the audio jack of different earphones? If you have, then you might know that some earphones have two strips and some have three. Something like this.
There is a reason for this, obviously.
Now you understand? The third strip is for the microphone itself.
So, in future, if you want to check whether an earphone has mic or not, just look at the number of strips on its audio jack. If it is two, it doesn’t support mic and if it is three, then it does.
Happy reading!!
Image credits: Kritika-Goyal-17
#56
Not sure if this can be categorised as a Life Hack but it surely works wonders for me.Here's the thing - whenever you meet a person for the first time (be it a professional meet, social or a personal meet), while exchanging the numbers, notice the basic details of her/him and save it in your 'Notes' section of the Contact. Something like this :
Image credits: Akshay-Shah-58
#57
This cheap yellow lanyard has subconscious power…A year ago, I was hired by Amazon, and on that first day of work I noticed that people had different color employee badges and lanyards.
A blue badge and blue lanyard means less than 5 years at the company, yellow means 5+ years, red means 10 years, and purple means 15 years (almost no one has red or purple).
I quickly found out that badge status was a “thing.” It doesn’t come off as a pretentious thing, it’s just a subconscious cue that either means high status, or “this person probably knows their shit.”
Since I won’t receive a yellow badge/lanyard combo for another four years I decided to do something.
Enter the yellow lanyard for $6.99 -
All I need to do is tuck my blue badge in my pocket and ensure the yellow lanyard is visible around my neck. When people see the yellow lanyard they think I have higher stature. Instant street cred.
#58
You received your order from an e-commerce site.You are excited to remove the packaging.
You just remembered an incident that happened to your neighbour, when a shopping site delivered a soap bar instead of mobile phone in the box.
You are now afraid, what if same happens to you?
What can you do at this point of time-
Sit back relax and put your camera or mobile phone camera on work.
Record a video while unboxing your product, just like those youtube gadget reviewers do.
Now, if something wrong happens, you will have a valid proof from your side.
This is the best thing a person can do to protect himselves from online shopping fraud.
#59
Dont give them the reaction they expectIf you encounter a situation where a certain reaction is obvious, don't react that way.
If someone gives you a sad news, instead of going all tears, take a deep breath and say “okay”.
If someone tries to instigate you for a fight, instead of fighting, give them a smirk and stay silent.
When someone expects you to be serious about something, instead of that serious face, crack a joke about the situation .
Never ever let people find out your pattern of behaviour.
With the widespread knowledge of tech people can use psychological knowledge to read you like a book.
In a world where everyone has an obvious personality and mysterious life, be the one who has no secrets yet the most mysterious aura.
People asked for advantages
you cannot be manipulated easily.
It adds a bit of mysterious touch to your personality which is alluring.
Your emotions are always in check. Very soon you wont be using phrases like “i just said it on instinct “ or “it came out without intention “.
Best regards
#60
How to cut any queue.A social experiment conducted by a university showed some unprecedented results.
In this experiment, three men were tasked to cut into a long queue of customers waiting to buy some food. Each of the men were given one line to say -
May I go first?
May I go first, because I have a family emergency?
May I go first, because I need to get some food?
It turned out that the first option led to only about 40% of customers who agreed to let him cut. The second and third options saw a resounding 94% and 89% respectively.
However, if you take a look at the third option, you'll realize that the reason provided is rather nonsensical. After all, everyone is there to buy food right? At least the second option provided a more legitimate reason.
It showed that so long as you provide a reason, any reason, people will tend to let you go first, without asking too much.
I tried this when I wanted to use the lift today after walking my dog - usually, I don't share lifts with others since no one actually likes being in a confined area with a smelly dog.
However this time, I wasn't in a mood to wait. I simply wanted to go home fast and rest, so I told the people waiting, “Sorry, can I go up first, because I'm in a hurry to wash my printer?”
True, it was gibberish, but spoken confidently, vanquished even the slightest doubts. They were probably confused, but let me use the lift nonetheless.
This trick works really well if you're not going to be seeing the very people you're using it on anymore.
#61
You can break the top of the toothpick and place it on the ground so the sharp point of the toothpick remains clean without touching the ground.#62
Dial *#06# from your phone, you'll get a unique code on your screen, save it. If your phone gets stolen, police can trace instantly by that unique number (Tested by me and my friend).Afraid of your luggage being replaced at the airport, simply attach a bright coloured tape on your luggage to spot it.
If you're strongly feeling something and not sure what it is, it's always water.
Wealth is all about a state of mind, if you can visualise it, you can get it.
Need to test your headphones, listen to "Hotel California", which has all the highs and lows of vocals and instruments.
Drink a glass of lukewarm water before and after sleep, always drink water before meal and shower not after, drink water in a sitting position, it'll improve your digestion and maintains blood pressure during the shower.
#63
Never put the phone down. Let the other person put it down instead. Only really works with mobiles.I’ve been on calls when the other caller assumes that at the end of the conversation I have rung off. But I haven't and I'm still there, still listening.
It’s a great way to hear what they really think, especially if there is someone else with them for them to talk to.
Be warned though, you might not like what you hear and it’s embarrassing if you get caught.
