Modern life is busy and stressful. There is so much we need to get done in one day, the pressure to please everyone and perform can feel unrealistic and downright unachievable.
Over 50s.com reports that simplifying, planning and prioritising the tasks you have to complete in your life can increase productivity and limit time wasted.
If only it were that simple, right? Well, it can be.
Shortcuts or life hacks are genius ideas, designed to help you reduce stress and save time. Here are our top 5 life hacks to keep you smiling, help you save money and be smarter:
1. We all hate putting out the bins. The juice at the bottom of the bin is one of life’s worst and unavoidable daily evils. Protect yourself from the rotten stench dripping from your bin liner by layering newspaper at the bottom of your bin! Absorbing the slime and neutralising smells, this life hack is a no-brainer for anyone and everyone.
2. Work your brain like a memory athlete. Do you find yourself struggling to remember names, items on the grocery list and directions? If your short term memory isn’t brilliant, educational psychologists suggest creating ‘ a memory palace’.
By envisioning a ‘memory palace’, you are more likely to increase recall and improve your ability to imprint information in the short or long term. This technique works by visualising a specific, familiar place when storing information. You should try to see yourself walking down a street, such as your home town and attributing one article to a building, tree or point of interest. So church = orange juice, woods = milk, village hall = potatoes. Try this one today.
3. Whether you are training for your next marathon or simply struggling to cope in the humid summer heat, skin chafing can cause serious problems. While many cosmetic companies out there claim to retail the perfect product to save you from sore skin, the best solution is often simply deodorant. While Vaseline and talcum powder offer a short term fix, deodorant works for longer on the skin. Deodorant reduces the friction which causes sweat and irritates the skin surface, thereby creating an uncomfortable rash.
4. End your shower with a two-minute burst of cold water. Subjecting the body to a cold, sharp shock after a nice warm relaxing shower to start your day has multiple benefits. A rush of cold water will trigger vasoconstriction, immediately metabolising and neutralising the lactic acid in your body which causes generalised soreness and stiffness. Reducing inflammation, waking you up, increasing your heart rate and burning fat, the benefits of a cold shower outweigh the momentary discomfort the water will provoke.
5. Wash fine, dull hair with Coca-Cola. Big event coming up that you want to look your best at? The acidic qualities of Coca-Cola coat the hair and swell the follicles to create a beautiful shine. The liquids high fructose content will add texture, allowing styles to hold for longer with an effortless bounce. Although this life hack isn’t advisable in the long run because it causes the build-up of residues, in the short term it’s a cheap and effective way to keep you looking salon fresh!
(Story source: Over 50s.com)
