Anything in life can be tweaked. Life hacking is all about getting things done faster, better and more efficiently. Here are ten of the greatest life hacks that will take your daily living to the next level.
So, that’s what that extra shoelace hole is for
Ever wondered what those extra shoelace holes at the top of your trainers are for? Loads of shoes have them but most people have no idea that they can be put to good use. See, there’s a secret technique called the ‘lace lock’ you can do that will create a more snug fit and prevent discomfort, blistering and the need to constantly re-tighten the whole shoe.
Simply thread the laces through the holes backwards, creating small loops Then cross the laces over each other and thread them through the loops on the opposite side before cinching them down and tying the shoes as normal.
Sounds weird, but totally isn’t. Here’s a video that explains it better.
Finally, a good night’s sleep
Sleeping is great, everyone should try it. If you have trouble sleeping, do this:
- Exhale completely through your mouth
- Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of 4
- Hold your breath for a count of 7
- Exhale completely through your mouth for 8 counts
- Repeat the sequence 3 times
This method is a natural tranquiliser for the nervous system that will slow your heart rate down and relax your body almost immediately.
Pro Tip: Wear orange or amber tinted sunglasses for an hour before going to bed. This will increase the melatonin levels in your brain and that will help you go to sleep faster.
Fold a (t-)shirt in 2 moves like a boss
Possibly the greatest life hack of all time. Get this move down and you will impress the shit out of everyone you ever meet for the rest of your natural life. And possibly beyond. There’s no way to adequately describe such garment based voodoo with mere words, so here’s a video.
Destroy the evidence
A password, a love letter, your last will and testament- we all have to scribble out important things we’ve written from time to time. The best way to keep the deleted information safe from prying eyes is not to simply cross it out or scribble over it, but to obfuscate the words by overwriting random letters. fhqwhgadz!
Instant mobile lantern
Camping trips, halloween, grave robbing- there are all kinds of situations where you could really use a good lantern. Fear not, Making an excellent improvised lantern is as simple as setting up the light on your mobile phone behind a bottle of water or other liquid. The plastic and liquid will diffract the light, distributing it like a real old fashioned, get-too-close-and-you’ll-set-yoursef-on-fire lantern.
Power up your sandwiches
Sandwich fans, prepare to be amazed. There’s a very good chance you’ve been making sandwiches wrong your entire life.
The geometric conundrum of round meat on square bread leaving inefficient meat-free corner zones is solved very simply by halving the meat and inverting it.
Here’s the Crazy Russian Hacker with a video walkthrough.
The energy drop
Batteries- what’s the point? Oh yeah, they power everything. Well, guess what- you can get a good idea of how much juice is left in a battery by simply dropping it on a tabletop from about 6 inches. If it bounces once and falls over, it’s good. If it bounces around any more than that it’s either dead or on its way out. Or some kind of fake rubber battery.
Smile like you mean it
Passport pictures, holiday snaps, police mugshots- there are countless situations where we find ourselves having to smile for the camera when we don’t feel like it. The next time you have to force a smile for a photograph, try squinting your eyes slightly- it makes your smile look much more natural and genuine.
The red/blue switcheroo
Wherever you may happen to work, it’s a fact of life that nothing goes awol faster and more frequently than your pens. Permanently inoculate them against casual theft and long-term ‘borrowing’ by simply switching out the blue or black ink cartridges into the barrel of a RED pen. Because no one ever steals red pens!
Pro Tip: Mark your pseudo red pen with some tape or something to subtly distinguish it from the menace of any real red pens.
Prevent accidental theft
Friends. The thieving bastards. They like the same stuff as you, they borrow your stuff, you never see your stuff again. Put an end to this ‘accidental’ pilfering by using your iPhone to take a mugshot of the borrower holding up the borrowed item, so that further down the line you can harass them into returning your stuff. There, friendship intact.
