15 Small And Easy Tips To Help You Navigate Life More Smoothly
October 10, 2019
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This little thing called life is no cakewalk. Between your family, career, health, finances, and other relationships, I’m willing to bet there are times when you wish things could all just go smoothly for once. While life presents us with many challenges, the following small, easy, and somewhat random tips were designed to make certain aspects of life just a little bit easier.
1. Bargain With Children
As we all know, children (especially young ones) love to say no in response to everything. So instead of saying something like, “Go put on your sweater,” give them an option and say, “Would you rather wear your green sweater or the blue one?” Giving them the choice makes them feel as though they’re in control, yet you’re still getting them to do what you’ve asked.
2. Avoid Nasty Confrontation
If you’re about to have some sort of confrontational interaction, sit beside the person instead of across from them. If you’re directly in that person’s space, they’re less likely to be aggressive, hurtful, or overly confrontational.
3. The Yawn Trick
You already know that yawning is contagious. But be on the lookout for people who don’t yawn when they catch you yawning. There’s a scientific link between sociopaths, psychopaths, and a failure to “catch” your yawn. Because these people don’t feel empathy like regular humans, they won’t be able to empathize with your yawn or tiredness, so they don’t yawn in return.
4. Chew Gum
If you have a big presentation coming up, chew gum 10 to 15 minutes beforehand. This will help calm your nerves and release tension. Similarly, you can chew gum during a test to relax and focus more clearly.
5. Read Body Language
A person’s body language can tell you a lot about how they’re feeling towards you. If someone has their legs or arms crossed, they’re likely feeling uncomfortable or defensive. If someone has a more relaxed, open position, they likely feel pretty comfortable with you.
6. Remember Names
If you’re terrible at remembering people’s names, repeat their name when making an introduction. Instead of just saying, “Nice to meet you,” say, “Nice to meet you [name].” This will train your brain to remember that person’s name the next time you see or think of them.
7. Better Workouts
I don’t think many people actually enjoy working out, but you do it for how you feel afterwards. To distract yourself from feeling tired or burned out while exercising, listen to upbeat music! Listening to some great tunes can seriously boost the productivity and quality of your workout.
8. Mindful Eating
Speaking of exercise, if your goal is to lose weight, you’ll need to practice a combination of exercise and mindful eating. Focus on eating small meals frequently throughout the day, and chew slowly!
9. Improved Sleep Habits
For deeper, more restful sleeps, ensure your brain knows that your bedroom is a place meant for sleeping. Try not to watch TV or look at your phone in the hour leading up to bed. Screen time stimulates your brain, which is the opposite of what you want to do while trying to fall asleep. Instead of reaching for your phone, reach for a real life, physical book in the hour or 30 minutes leading up to your bed time.
10. Handling Anxiety
If you feel yourself approaching a panic attack or bad bout of anxiety, stop, think about taking deep, slow breaths, and focus on five things you can see, hear, or feel around you. For example, look around the room and note five objects you see, or four objects you see and one thing you can hear, etc. By taking a moment to focus solely on the physical space you’re in, you can slow down your breathing and heart rate.
11. Practice Gratitude
Each day, either think of, write down, or say aloud three things you are grateful for. Even on the worst of days, this simple exercise will help you to practice perspective and make it known that you have many positive things to be thankful for.
12. “Thank You” Instead Of “Sorry”
Learning to deal with criticism is a tough journey, but a vital aspect of succeeding in life. When someone is giving you constructive criticism, whether it’s about your job or something more personal, learn to say “thank you” instead of “sorry.” This will slowly train your brain to acknowledge that constructive feedback will only help you to grow, and you have nothing to be ashamed of or sorry for.
13. Wake Up Earlier
If you find that you’re having issues being productive, wake up one to two hours earlier in the morning. Kickstart your day by completing the most difficult task first. You’ll be far more productive if you’re not wasting your day procrastinating.
14. Eat A Banana
For a boost of energy and a better mood, eat a banana! The natural sugars, carbs, and tryptophans found in bananas will help to naturally elevate your mood.
15. Make It Through A Crowd
To make your way through a crowd of people, focus on looking at the area above their shoulders, rather than at your feet. By holding this line of sight and continuing to walk forwards, people will naturally start moving out of your way.
