10 Life Hacks That Can Benefit You Instantly
Self-improvement has never been bigger; whether its books, TV shows or GIFS on social media – now is the time where promoting a “positive life” is really gathering traction.
The problem is that most people believe that improving your life involves wholesale decisions. The general consensus is that you have to change your job, move house, find “the one” and all of those other major steps which just don’t happen overnight.
As you may have gathered from the title, we’re here to dispel such myths. While all of the above may certainly benefit you, there are also plenty of smaller tips that can instantly improve your life.
The results might not be as tremendous as a big house move or that elusive promotion – but one by one they can make all the difference. Here are the ten life hacks that you can implement right now, and improve your life in the process.
Smile – regardless of whether you want to
First and foremost, regardless of the day you’ve just experienced, it’s time to show your teeth and smile.
You might not feel happy, but if you can force yourself to smile studies have shown that you will actually feel much happier.
Again, it might be difficult if you’ve had a particularly bad day, but don’t let this dissuade you. You may even humor yourself about the fact that you’re having to physically make yourself smile.
Go for a stroll
This next suggestion is probably a little more expected; we all know the power of exercise.
We’re by no means preaching that you have to combat a five mile hike every single day, but instead you just need to make sure that you’re not sat around all of the time.
All it needs is a few minutes around the block and you’re done. In fact, you’ll probably whet your appetite for exercise and want to stay out a little longer. It’s all about getting those endorphins flowing which will ultimately make you feel a bit more positive about everything.
Even better… hit the gym
For those of you who may already exercise, it’s time to step things up a little. While a brisk stroll is always going to do you nothing but good, it goes without saying that a more intense exercise regime is going to allow you to reap even bigger benefits.
Whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run or even doing some bodyweight exercises in your front room – it will all help.
Once again, you’ll be getting those endorphins flowing through your body and as we all know, these are effectively the “happy hormone”.
Additionally, this guide is about improving your life. Suffice to say, going to the gym and exercising is going to fine-tune your body – your body image will improve and we don’t need to go into all of the side-benefits of this. You’ll look better, have more confidence – the list really could go on.
…or just turn to mental exercise
It’s not all about getting off the sofa and pushing your body through the pain barrier (or just a simple barrier, if you’ve elected for the stroll).
Something else which can improve your life no-end is exercising your brain. This doesn’t have to be overly exuberant and there’s a big chance that you already do it.
Try and read as much as you can, attempt puzzles (remember the Sudoku craze?), or maybe even go a step further and learn a language.
In doing the above, you’ll just be opening your knowledge substantially. As well as the direct benefits of this, you’ll earn a great deal of self-satisfaction.
Turn to fruit and veg in your meals
Again, it’s not rocket science. In fact, if you’ve reached this article there’s a very good chance you will have found more than enough diet tips as well.
We’re not advising that you turn your diet upside down; this isn’t any fun whatsoever and in truth, it isn’t necessary for most people.
Instead, all we’re suggesting is that you add either a fruit or vegetable to your meals. That’s right, just one fruit or vegetable.
It’s not a monumental change to your lifestyle, but over time it can make all the difference. You’ll lower your chance of contracting all sorts of cardiovascular diseases, decrease the chances of developing cancer whilst also keeping umpteen other areas of your body healthy.
Again, it’s a small change, but over time the rewards can be stupendous.
Clear your mind
On first glance, the term “meditate” might appear a little scary. It sounds intense – something that you need to be trained to do.
All we are advising is that you sit down, perhaps calm down, and just start to clear your mind. In a nutshell, that’s all that meditating is.
By doing this, you can untangle any confusion that may have arrived in your mind and just put yourself in a better place to go forward.
Balance things out
If you happen to spend most of your day in public, we’d probably advise finding a quiet moment before attempting this next hack.
Your balance is something that is often underestimated – perhaps ignored. The worrying thing is that in years to come, it’s one of the first things that falters. In a person’s latter years, it becomes harder than ever to keep your balance and this is something that’s perhaps taken for granted.
Bearing the above in mind, the advice is simple – practice standing around on one foot. It will hold you in good stead for later life and will make the world of difference.
Stretch
Similarly, never forget the wonders of stretching. We’re not necessarily talking about before exercise (although this is obviously advisable), but more in day-to-day life.
The wonders of staying limber are endless. As well as decreasing the chances of picking up an injury, it’s understood that stretching can make you less sluggish and even help you sleep when bedtime arises.
It’s all about getting blood to the muscles, in a much easier way than standard exercise.
Don’t be a slouch
Most people are guilty about it – don’t worry – but bad posture can lead to all sorts of issues yet it’s one of the easiest things to fix in your life.
Again, you want to avoid all of those problems that hit you in later life – with a bad back also being exceptionally common.
Keeping a straight back and posture whilst sitting down can relieve so many problems when you start to age.
It’s a tiny adjustment to your life, but you’ll thank your younger self in years to come.
Glug down some water
Finally, let’s end on an easy one.
With around 60% of our body made up of water, it goes without saying that this is a pretty essential element of our life. Unfortunately, many of us just don’t consume nearly enough. Or, we turn to other liquids which just don’t possess nearly as many benefits (and actually harm us).
As such, this last piece of advice is to just drink more water and stay hydrated. It will benefit your skin, help you keep your focus amongst a whole host of other things.