20 Nifty Life Hacks That Will Save Your Body And Mind

Our bodies are amazing organisms which have complexities we hardly understand. There’s no telling why certain foods upset us, or why remaining stagnant takes away from our ability to move properly, but we all need a better understanding of why our bodies do what they do. Here are 20 things that can help you alleviate stress on your mind, and your body.

1. Close your eyes and stand on one foot when brushing your teeth.

“I have a connective tissue disorder which can make exercise difficult for many and I recommend this all the time to others who are just starting to try and get into shape, but can’t do the usual routines. Standing on one leg for as long as possible will work your bodies entire support system from your neck to your toes. Like, I can’t think of anything easier that will cause as much low-impact, full-body physical exertion. And you can work it into so many parts of your day. It’s great and anyone will notice a big improvement in their balance and coordination doing this.”- u/nauin

2. If you get light headed when you stand, flex a muscle.

“If you feel light-headed as you stand up (orthostatic hypotension) you can squeeze any muscle as hard as you can and it will quickly raise your pulse and blood pressure so you don’t black out and fall.” – u/love2go

3. Keep sour candy in your pocket if you’re prone to anxiety attacks.

“Basically. I’d read about this a few months ago, and researchers think that it has to do with the sourness’ “shock” to the system. Our bodies can only handle one big crisis at a time, and the sudden chaos in your mouth seems to jolt the brain’s attention to it and away from your anxiety attack.” – u/wingo_dingo247

4. Vagus Nerve Trick for calming yourself down.

“If you’re feeling super anxious or stressed, try splashing your face with cold water or holding an ice pack on your forehead and under your eyes for a few seconds. It activates your vagus nerve, which helps slow your heart rate and calm you down almost instantly. Thank me later.” – u/chiefgallantry

5. Fresh underwear and socks can seriously improve your mood.

“As a child I read an article in a magazine that said a member of Blink 182 was quoted saying, a fresh pair of underwear can really change my mood. For some reason that stuck with me and so I started doing fresh undies and socks whenever I felt off and it somehow feels grounding – u/wecrackedthesky

6. If you have a stuffy nose, do an intense exercise for a few minutes to fix it.

“If you have a stuffy nose due to a cold or allergy, try doing push-ups, jumping jacks or any form of intense sudden activity. It’s near-instant relief. I always get the exact mechanism wrong, but since stuffy noses happen due to swelling in the tissue of the nose, sudden activity promotes blood flow and drainage of mucus. It’s temporary, of course, but worth a try.”- u/loxagos_snake

7. When you have insomnia, turn off your phone, close your eyes, and start to imagine a dream.

“So I just recently read that if you can’t sleep, just start thinking up a dream in your head, and out you go. Some nights I have trouble sleeping, so I decided to give this a shot, thinking it was complete nonsense. But it works.” – via Reddit

8. If you have a cramping calf, stand up.

“To quickly relieve a cramping calf (usually happens while sleeping) stand on your feet. Feels counter intuitive, but standing up forces your leg muscles to stretch and stop the cramping.” – u/mrblister

9. If you have a headache, pinch between your thumb and index finger.

“I’ve been doing this forever. It’s called acupressure. A quick search and it says you are activating the LI4 nerve (Large Intestine 4), and that the particular acupressure point is called the Hegu point. It also says it activates your bodies natural pain relieving mechanisms. It says it’s helpful for things like headaches, toothaches, etc.” – u/early_or_latte

10. Fiber can help you lose weight.

“Fiber. Eat it. Eat a lot of it. Proof: I’m 40 and just started upping my fiber intake via chia pudding and oats. Already down 7lbs.” – via Reddit

11. Touching your toes while bloated can relieve pain.

“If you are bloated and alone, bend over and touch your toes for an extended period of time. Additionally, get into child’s pose and rock back and fourth. you can also lay against a wall or couch with your feet up in the air. Rotate Between those three positions if you are by yourself and you should be significantly less bloated.” – u/keelykate77

12. If you have a tricky sneeze, look at a bright light to force it out.

“If you feel a sneeze coming on but can’t get it out, look towards (not directly into) a bright light source (a light bulb, the sun, etc), and it will cause you to sneeze. It’s called the ACHOO syndrome.” – via Reddit

13. Use your pinky finger for indigestion support.

“Using your fingers to help with indigestion. If you press on the area between your pinky and ring finger for a minute, it can help ease bloating and discomfort. This spot is known as the small intestine point and it’s a simple way to find relief after a heavy meal, because you can do it anywhere.” – u/strongbadie

14. Force yourself to slam a large glass of water right when you wake up.

“One of my favorites is drinking a big glass of water right when you wake up. It helps wake your body up, gets your metabolism going, and helps you feel more energized throughout the day.” – u/mobile_inevitable_38

15. Cover one eye when you turn the light on to go to the bathroom at night.

“Not insane but if you want to go to the bathroom at night, when you turn on the light squeeze one eye shut until you’re finished, then when the light is off again you can open that eye and it will be adjusted to the dark, so you can easily get back to bed with “night vision.” – u/rossdrinksmilk

16. If you sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees before bed.

“It helps align and straighten your spine, especially helpful if you work in trades. If you’re a side sleeper put a pillow between your knees and it’ll help a bunch.” – u/syntheticgf

17. Eat some prunes before bed to prevent colon cancer!

“This may sound really dumb and/or gross but get one of those big bags of pitted dried plums from Costco and eat 4 or 5 before bed with a big glass of water. You’ll have a lot of movement every morning, even if you ate a bunch of low-fiber stuff the day before. This translates to helping you feel better during the day and it’ll reduce your risk of colon cancer.” – u/istream2

18. If you’re crying uncontrollably, eat your sorrows away.

“Eating can interrupt the crying process. Your body has to focus on keeping a clear airway while you eat, so you aren’t able to cry as easily. It’s good for moments when you can’t cry despite feeling sad (being at work for instance)- u/cinemachick

19. The mammalian diving reflex can stop anxiety attacks instantly.

“The mammalian diving reflex can stop an anxiety or panic attack instantly. Hold your breath and splash water on your face (or dunk your head) and your body goes into underwater mode. Your body gets ready to conserve oxygen by slowing down lots of processes, switching off (not the technical term) some organs and parts of your brain. Panic requires too much oxygen. Panicking underwater will lead to drowning, so your body just cancels out of it. This is also why throwing a drink in an angry person’s face stops them in their tracks.” – u/trivialbanal

20. To avoid yawning in an awkward situation press your tongue against your teeth to stop it.

“What kind of awkward situations have you yawned in? Business meetings with a client, or a funeral.” – u/pretty