If you’ve ever felt like you want to spend more time squeezing the juice out of every day, you’re not alone. Life is fast-paced and tough, and any time spent improving your quality of life is time well-spent. Redditors recently discussed some of their favorite life hacks for finding their way to a simpler, more fulfilling life. Here are 10 of our favorites.
Wake Up Earlier Than Necessary
This is the adult equivalent of when I would wake up before school to play video games, but the principle is still the same.
SleepFoundation.org explains that the benefits of waking up earlier include improved mental health, improved mental and physical performance, more time for morning exercise, and having time for breakfast. They also provide some great tips for waking up early.
Live Near Work
One person even mentioned that they live at the apartment complex where their husband works. That’s gotta be the lazy man’s dream.
The benefits of a reduced commute include more control over your morning routine, a lower carbon footprint, decreased chance of being in a car accident, and generally just a better work-life balance. This is obviously a luxury that not every can attain, but it’s a huge way to simplify your life.
Make Time For Hobbies
I’ll personally agree to this one. Taking time to do a creative project or something that makes you happy can really change the momentum of a day.
According to Utah State University, in a study on the affect of hobbies on mental health, “75% of participants’ coristsol levels (one of the most widely studied hormonal markers of stress) were lowered after making art.)”
Garden
Gardening appeared over and over again. The people have spoken.
According to Mayo Clinic Health System, gardening has mental health benefits:
“Nearly all forms of exercise can reduce stress including gardening. It’s been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It’s very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest and share your own food.
Routines provide structure to our day and are linked to improved mental health. Gardening routines, like watering and weeding, can create a soothing rhythm to ease stress.”
Prepare Your Work Wardrobe in Advance
Your closet will look a little bit like a cartoon character’s, but this seems worth it if your work outfit is a hassle.
Choosing your clothes the night (or days) in advance reduces the amount of decisions you have to make in the morning, which in turn reduces stress. Piedmont.org suggests that “while you may feel like you have nothing to wear, you probably have too many options.”
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Reframe Chores in a Positive Mindset
This is prime audiobook/podcast time.
Hardvard’s Stress and Development Lab refers to this as “positive reframing” and it applies to a lot more than just chores.
“Positive reframing involves thinking about a negative or challenging situation in a more positive way. This could involve thinking about a benefit or upside to a negative situation that you had not considered. Alternatively, it can involve identifying a lesson to be learned from a difficult situation. Finding something to be grateful about in a challenging situation is a type of positive reappraisal. For example, after a break-up you could think about the opportunities to meet new people, the things you learned from the relationship, and the gratitude you feel for the time you spent with the person.”
Use a Planner
Then again, maybe you’re too glued to your planner and need to shake things up? Toss the thing if it holds you hostage.
Psychology Today supports using a planner because of it’s time management, productivity, and stress relief benefits.
Set Boundaries and Say No
How much do you wish you just stayed on the couch, rather than going to see a friend of a friend of a friend do some open mic poetry? Set boundaries and prioritize yourself.
Psychology Today offers some great approaches to saying no, and states that “sometimes these small steps towards setting boundaries can dramatically improve your mental health.”
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Do Yoga
This is a great one for us Cheapists, since there are zillions of free yoga videos splattered about the internet.
Harvard backs this up:
“With its emphasis on breathing practices and meditation—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better.”
Eat the Same Thing For Lunch Every Day
“Wow, you look great! What are you doing differently? What’s your secret?” These are the questions I’m praying somebody asks this minestrone-loving Redditor one day.
Just like picking out your clothes the night before, eating the same thing every day can reduce the amount of decisions you have to make every day. But as NBC points out, you should be careful about what you’re choosing to eat every day as it may limit the different types of nutrients you eat.
