If there’s one important thing I’ve learned since I hit my 40s, it’s that you really have to treat your body well every single day.
That night of drinking is gonna take a few days to get out of your system. Not exercising for a day or two is gonna make you feel lethargic, etc.
So that’s why all kinds of body hacks are always welcome in my world!
AskReddit users talked about their best hacks for their bodies. Let’s check them out.
1. Unclog it!
“When you have a clogged nose make a fist and press it down on you face in the middle of your forehead near you nose and tilt your head back.
Your nose won’t be clogged anymore and you can breathe normally while doing that.”
2. Keep hydrated.
“WATER.
Family and friends make fun of me for always having my water bottle with me but I feel drastically sluggish and tired when I’m not constantly hydrating.”
3. Never thought of that.
“Setting my alarm clock to a “jump-scare” sound on full volume.
Now my brain wakes me up a minute or two before my alarm clock goes off to avoid a heart attack each morning.”
4. New life plan.
“Eating mostly fresh/non processed food and starting the day with a walk (10 minutes around the block will do) and ending the day with stretching or yoga (preferably barefoot on grass to ground yourself.)
Doing this has changed how I physically and mentally feel, and I notice the effect on my body if I don’t do these things.”
5. Here and there.
“Melatonin.
Instead of other sleeping pills if I can’t sleep, or to adjust for jet lag.
Don’t abuse it, it’s a hormone, but occasional use can help you repair or switch your sleep cycle faster.”
6. Appetite killer.
“To avoid late night snacking, brush your teeth soon after dinner.
The feeling of fresh, clean teeth will suppress the urge to further eat.
And if you don’t already brush your teeth twice a day, start now.”
7. Partial fasting.
“Do all your eating within eight (or nine hours) in the day. You’ll lose some weight. If you try to eat healthy — not starve yourself, but avoid junk — you can really lose weight.
My wife and I drifted into this while sheltering in place this year, and I lost 50 pounds in eight months without intending to — at first, without even knowing that I was doing it. My wife lost 35 or 40 pounds.
It’s a thing; called partial fasting, I finally found out.”
8. A shot of dopamine.
“We enjoy listening to music partially because of an expectation-reward system your brain has.
You hear the rises and falls in the music and when your brain anticipates what comes next correctly, it gives itself a little shot of dopamine as a reward.
If you listen to music you know well and anticipate the rises and falls throughout the entire song, you can give yourself a little bit of a dopamine rush.”
9. Time to sleep.
“Going to bed early is relaxing.
Having as hot of a shower as you can handle, and then going to bed in a freezing room is just so cozy.”
10. Interesting…
“If I eat a raw cucumber first thing in the morning then wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating anything else then I po*p regularly, and have a flat stomach the next day regardless of how poorly I eat the rest of the day.”
11. Fry ’em up.
“If you want to eat healthier but don’t like the taste of vegetables, frying or sautéing them with garlic or other spices makes such a big difference.
I’d rather eat something that tastes good and is healthy than something that tastes good but is sh*t for me.”
12. It works.
“Splashing cold water on your face triggers the mammalian dive response, which instantly lowers blood pressure.
It’s not just a movie trope of the panicking character in the bathroom…it actually works and is sometimes even used in emergency rooms.”
13. Let it all out.
“Crying.
Cry enough and you’re able to release whatever it is that’s bothering you. No more “coping mechanisms” or managing.
The body’s brilliant. Just like you can vomit up something that’s making your stomach feel bad (much better than holding it in), you can emotionally puke out everything too.
Shame we’ve told everyone it’s shameful to do. Crying feels great.”
Do you have any great hacks you use for your own body?
If you do, share them with us in the comments.
Please and thank you!
