What’s the most powerfully useful underground website that most people don’t know about?

10 of the Internet’s best places, from image editors to background noise customizers.

Apr 6, 2026

Photo credit: Canva – Once you know about these sites, you'll wonder what you did without them.

Despite the massive amount of time we spend on the Internet, if we’re honest with ourselves, we bounce between the same five or six websites every single day. Which is fine! But living like that makes it easy to forget how vast and weird the Internet can be. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of sites out there that are truly useful little gems that make you feel like you’ve discovered some kind of cyber secret. These are the kinds of websites you bookmark immediately.

Luckily, Reddit made discovering these Internet gems much simpler. User @powerfulsites posed the following question: “What’s the most powerfully useful underground website that most people don’t know about?”

underground, website, internet, reddit, screenshot — Photo credit: Reddit – Screenshot of Reddit.

And the Internet responded in droves. (Guess the Internet enjoys talking about itself.) We grabbed 10 of the best, most wonderful recommendations, from powerful image editors to science-backed white noise generators. And once you know about them, you’ll wonder how you got along without them.

Project Gutenberg

In 1971, a college student named Michael Hart typed out the Declaration of Independence on a university computer and uploaded it for anyone to download. It was free forever, and that small act of Internet generosity became the foundation for Project Gutenberg (PG). More than 50 years later, PG has grown into an incredible library of over 78,000 free eBooks in 60+ languages. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Every classic you can think of, available in seconds, at no cost.

Google Scholar

You know that annoying, nagging feeling when you’re reading through an article that references a new study (about Internet addiction, or candy consumption, or why people feel the need to buy those AMC popcorn buckets at ridiculous prices) and you wish you could see the actual data? Google Scholar fixes that. It’s a free search engine for academic papers, journal articles, and dissertations—over 160 million documents—that anyone can use, no university login required. Just type your question and find out what scientists actually found. It’s a superpower most people don’t know they have access to.

Etymology Online

Did you know “disaster” literally means “bad star”? Or that “salary” comes from the Latin word for salt? Douglas Harper spent years building Etymology Online, a free dictionary of over 50,000 word origins, to provide information just like this to the masses. Here, you can trace the origins of modern English words back to their ancient roots. It’s the kind of site where you look up one word and resurface forty-five minutes later, cognizant of the terrifying origin of the word “nightmare.” You’re welcome.

Rainy Cafe

Science confirmed what coffee shop regulars always knew: a moderate level of ambient noise makes you more creative. Rainy Cafe bottles that affect into two sliders: one for café sounds, one for rain. Blend them to your taste and get to work. No ads, no account, no upsell. Writers and remote workers have been quietly using it for years.

Remove.bg

underground, website, internet, remove, background — Screenshot of remove.bg

Removing a background from a photo used to require Photoshop skills or a graphic designer friend. And something called a “lasso tool”? Now it takes about five seconds. Drop your image into Remove.bg, and its AI cleanly cuts the background out, including tricky edges like hair and fur, then hands it right back to you. The site processes over 150 million images a month, which is, like, so many images. It feels almost like cheating.

Booky.io

Browser bookmarks are where good intentions go to die. Everyone has hundreds of them. Nobody can find anything, no matter how many late-night sessions you spend obsessively reorganizing them. Skip the hassle and head to Booky.io, a clean, private bookmark manager with color-coded collections you can navigate with ease. Works on every device, has a browser extension, and—crucially—doesn’t track you or sell your data.

Explore.org

underground, website, internet, explore, nature — Screenshot of Explore.org

Right now, Sandhill Cranes might be gathering on the banks of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary in central Nebraska. Or cute, playful kittens are playing together at Los Angeles’ Kitten Rescue Sanctuary. A bald eagle in Iowa might be feeding her chicks. The best part? You can watch all of it live, free, and uninterrupted on Explore.org, the world’s largest network of live nature cams. There are more than 150 live cameras. No narration, no editing. Just the wild world doing its thing in real time. The most peaceful tab you’ll ever have open.

Clear Dark Sky Charts

underground, website, internet, clear, skies — Screenshot of Clear Dark Sky Charts.

Amateur astronomers and star enthusiasts have a very specific weather problem: “Is it going to be clear enough tonight?” Unfortunately, regular forecasts don’t answer that. But Clear Dark Sky Charts does. This beautifully nerdy site delivers hour-by-hour predictions for cloud cover, transparency, and atmospheric “seeing” for over 6,100 locations across North America. If you’ve ever wanted to stargaze but never knew when to try, start here.

IMSLP

underground, website, internet, music, library — Screenshot of the International Music Score Library Project.

Sheet music is expensive. Buying a tuba, even if it’s used and from eBay, is expensive. IMSLP is not. The International Music Score Library Project hosts over 855,000 free, public-domain scores—you’ll find Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and thousands more—that any musician or music lover can download instantly. Before this site existed, tracking down a rare orchestral score meant haunting university libraries. Now it’s three clicks away.

Lissa Explains It All

underground, website, internet, lissa, explainer — Screenshot of Lissa Explains It All.

In 1997, an 11-year-old in Orlando named Alyssa had trouble remembering HTML codes. So, she built a website to keep track of them…and accidentally became one of the Internet’s first teachers. By her early teens, her site had 500,000 monthly visitors. Lissa Explains It All is still live, still free, and still one of the warmest places on the Internet to learn the basics of building a webpage.

In conclusion…

The Internet is bigger, stranger, and more generous than the algorithm usually shows you. These 10 sites are proof. Bookmark them. (Or, use Booky.io!) Enjoy the feeling of having found something genuinely worth finding.

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Youth-led party for community engagement, MEDEA, Tanzania Captured by James Roh for Pura

Culture, Education, Empowered Women, Equality, Family, Identity, Modern Families

The next generation of female leaders has arrived. Here’s how they’re making sure they (and every girl) get a chance to learn.

Malala Fund and their local partners, with support from Pura, help girls find their voice. The result: greater access to education and a better world.

Sarah Watts

3/8/2026

Music, community and joy drive real change

In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.

It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.

The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?

Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.

MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura

Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.

Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.

Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.

A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission

Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.

But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.

The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.

You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.

Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil

Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura

In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.

“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.

But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.

Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura

Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.

“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”

Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria

Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura

In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.

“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”

When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.

Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.

Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura

To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”

“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”

From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.

Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.

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Photo credit: Canva – Big changes start small.

Health, Life Hacks

Struggling to make time for self-care? These 15 micro-habits take 2 minutes or less.

Boost your energy, calm, and focus with these small, easily achievable actions.

Kat Hong

4/6/2026

Most of us have a self-improvement checklist. Exercise more. Stress less. Sleep better. Be more present. It’s a lovely list. But it can also be quite mean and vague. And it tends to sit there, quietly judging us, while we scroll our phones in bed at 11 p.m.

However, you don’t need an elaborate morning routine or a 45-minute meditation practice to shift how you feel. Science keeps arriving at the same surprising conclusion: tiny actions, repeated consistently, change lives. Not because of magic. Because of biology.

Instead of a grand, sweeping declaration like, “Stress less” (what does that even mean?), start small. These 15 micro-habits take two minutes or less. Some take ten seconds. All of them have real research behind them. Begin with one. See what happens.

Morning habits for a strong start

Photo credit: Canva – Jot down the messy, unfiltered stuff.

1. Write it out

Before you pick up your phone—before the news, the texts, the notifications—grab a notebook and spend two minutes writing down whatever is on your mind. Not a diary entry. Not a to-do list. Just the messy, unfiltered stuff, like the dream you just woke up from or an event later you’re nervous about. Psychologist James Pennebaker spent decades studying what happens when people do this, and the results are striking: expressive writing reduces anxiety, improves emotional processing, and even strengthens immune function. Think of it as taking out the mental trash before the day fills back up.

2. Get moving, even a little

To change your day (on a micro level, at least), you don’t need a gym. You need two minutes and an open space. Go nuts! Jump. Sprint up your stairs. Do jumping jacks in the kitchen. Anything to warm up those muscles. Researchers at Victoria University found that just two minutes of all-out effort triggers the same cellular adaptations in your muscles as a 30-minute workout. Surprisingly, your body genuinely cannot tell the difference.

3. Anchor your identity

Spend 60 seconds stating—out loud or on paper—one true thing about who you are. Not a wish. A fact. Think along the lines of, “I am someone who shows up.” Or, “I take care of the people I love.” Neuroscientists have confirmed that self-affirmation activates brain reward pathways and buffers against stress. So, this is more than a pep-talk: it’s a reminder of who you are.

4. Savor that first sip

Before you gulp your coffee or tea, pause. Wrap both hands around the mug. Notice the warmth radiating from its contents. Breathe in the smell. Then, take one slow sip and actually taste it. Woohoo, that’s it! Research shows that even brief moments of sensory awareness lower cortisol and reduce anxiety. Who knew? Your morning drink has been waiting to do this for you the whole time.

5. Catch ten seconds of sunlight

Step outside, or at least to a window, within the first hour of waking, and let natural light reach your eyes for ten seconds. Andrew Huberman has spent years explaining why this matters: morning sunlight triggers a healthy cortisol spike that wakes up your immune system, sets your circadian clock, and produces serotonin. Skip it regularly, and your body’s internal timing slowly drifts. Ten seconds. That’s all it takes.

6. Visualize a good day

Close your eyes for one minute and picture one thing going well today. Not perfectly and not the entire day. Just one thing, well. The research here comes from the sports world, where mental rehearsal has been studied extensively. Studies show that imagining yourself performing an action fires the same neural pathways as actually doing it.

Mid-day habits to ease stress

Photo credit: Canva – The antidote is choosing, for once, not to hurry.

7. Slow down on purpose

Once a day, pick one task that doesn’t actually need to be rushed, and deliberately don’t rush it. Walk a little slower. Eat a few bites without looking at a screen. Wash those dishes at a snail’s pace. Researchers who study “hurry sickness” (yes, it’s a real clinical term) have found that chronic time urgency keeps your amygdala on high alert, flooding your system with cortisol for hours. The antidote is choosing, for once, not to hurry. Your nervous system will slowly get the message that not everything is an emergency.

8. Leave your phone out of the bathroom

This one isn’t glamorous, but it matters. Studies have found that phones carry roughly ten times more bacteria than toilet seats. Besides, neurologists note that bathroom scrolling creates dependency, fragments attention, and eliminates one of the last quiet spaces in the day. The bathroom used to be a sanctuary. Reclaim it.

9. Sigh or hum out loud

A Stanford study published in 2023 found that the “physiological sigh”—a double inhale through the nose followed by a long exhale through the mouth—reduced stress hormones more effectively than mindfulness meditation in head-to-head trials. Alternatively, try humming. Humming for 60 seconds stimulates the vagus nerve through vibration, effectively shifting your body from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.

10. Run cold water over your hands

When anxiety peaks, hold your hands under cold running water for 30 seconds. Cold water on the skin activates what physiologists call the “diving reflex,” triggering the vagus nerve to slow your heart rate and engage the parasympathetic nervous system. It’s an ancient mammalian stress response that still works remarkably well.

11. Unclench that jaw

Right now, check: are your teeth touching? Is your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth? Most of us spend hours a day with our jaws subtly clenched, and researchers now recognize this as a nervous system pattern, not just a dental one. The simple act of letting the jaw go slack, teeth apart, sends a signal to your brain that the perceived threat has passed.

Evening habits for rest and connection

Avoid bright evening light. Canva

12. Dim the lights

Around sunset, switch off your overhead lights and use softer lamps instead. The reverse can be catastrophic: a 2021 study in PNAS found that just a few weeks of bright evening lighting can delay your circadian rhythm by two to three hours, disrupting sleep, memory, and mood.

13. Hold a smile for five seconds

Yes, even a fake one. A landmark 2022 study involving nearly 4,000 people across 19 countries found that deliberately holding a smile—even without genuine emotion—makes people feel measurably happier. The science behind that? Facial muscles feed information back to the brain, meaning your mind will get the message. So, hold that grin for five seconds.

14. Give one genuine compliment

Before the day ends, tell someone something specific you admire about them. Not a generic compliment, like “great job.” Dig for something real. Maybe they handled a tricky moment with poise, or put in some extra effort while crafting that company-wide email. It could be as simple as, “Hey, your sandwich looked incredible during lunch.” Cornell researchers discovered that we consistently underestimate how much our words mean to others, and that compliment recipients feel far better than givers ever predict. The kicker? The givers feel better, too.

15. Finish your shower with 30 seconds of cold

A Dutch randomized controlled trial of over 3,000 people found that ending a shower with just 30 seconds of cold water reduced sick days by 29%. Going even further, there was no difference between 30, 60, or 90 seconds: the benefit kicks in almost immediately. This little dose of freezing also produces a lasting surge of dopamine and norepinephrine. So, while it’s unpleasant for about five seconds. Then it isn’t, and you feel great.

Don’t go overboard, okay?

Despite the headline of this article, you don’t have to do all 15. How about you just pick two? Try them for a week and notice what shifts. The point here isn’t perfection; it’s incorporating the smallest acts into your daily routine and watching them compound into tangible benefits. Remember, your nervous system is paying attention, even when you think nothing is happening. Feed it something good to work with.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: via BeyondFoodMarket (used with permission) – Jose Rojas cooks a great meal for $1.

Life Hacks, Skills, Uncategorized

Resourceful cook shows you how to feed a family of 2 a delicious meal for $1

The key is to weigh your food.

Tod Perry

4/4/2026
In a time when inflation is forcing people to make their dollars go as far as possible, an Instagram video by Jose Rojas shows how a little creativity can help families stretch their food budget a long way. In the video, Rojas nearly does the impossible: he makes a tasty, healthy meal for two for exactly $1.

Rojas is the creator of Beyond Food Market, which teaches people in underserved communities and food deserts how to make affordable, nutritious meals. Roajs was inspired to help his community after he lost 90 pounds and kept it off. “Because food did so much for me. It changed my life. It transformed my life. I’m like, I gotta share this,” Rojas said.

How to feed two people for $1

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyond Food Market (@beyondfoodmarket)

Rojas makes a really smart move when buying the ingredients for his meal by weighing exactly what he needs, so he doesn’t pay for what he doesn’t need. He purchased a medium russet potato, a small tomato, and a small onion for just $0.65 at the Jimenez Fresh Market on Belmont Ave. in Chicago. He also got a break because the cashier threw in the serrano pepper for free.

Sometimes, making your dollar stretch means going to more than one store (we’ll forget the cost of gas right now). Rojas remembered seeing that pinto beans were just $0.69 a pound at his local Jewel Osco, and he bought half a pound for $0.35, bringing the total cost of his meal to $1.

Rojas’ bill at Jimenez and Jewel Osco. Credit: BeyondFoodMarket (used with permission)

How to cook Rojas’ simple $1 recipe

½ lb pinto beans

1 medium russet potato

1 small tomato

1 small onion

1 serrano pepper

Total cost: $1.00

To cook the meal, Rojas used a pressure cooker, soaking beans in water along with chunks of the potato cut about 1/2” thick. While the beans and potatoes cooked, he made pico de gallo by mixing tomatoes, onions, and serrano pepper. (Is he cheating by including the pepper that he should have paid for? That’s for you to decide.)

The final dish was delicious-looking and could be marketed as a Southwest Burrito Bowl or a Vegan Mexican Bowl if you bought it at a Chipotle-style restaurant. The meal is healthy, too. “The recipe was very simple and inspired by the way many of our families have cooked for generations,” Rojas told Upworthy.

This $1 meal is:
- High protein
- Extremely high in fiber
- Loaded with potassium, iron, and vitamins
- 100% gluten-free & plant-based
- Made from real, whole ingredients
The video has gone viral across multiple platforms, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “The best reaction has been people telling me that the video reminded them of how their parents or grandparents used to cook during tough times. Others have said the video gave them hope that they can still cook something warm and nourishing even when money is tight,” Rojas told Upworthy.

Ultimately, Rojas’ desire to help people everywhere change their eating habits is a natural extension of his lived experience. “I learned to be resourceful from my upbringing and life experiences. I grew up in a working-class family, and later in life, I had to completely change the way I ate to improve my health,” he told Upworthy. “I ended up losing 90 pounds by going gluten-free and focusing on simple, whole foods like beans, vegetables, and traditional ingredients. Those experiences taught me that good food doesn’t have to be expensive.”
Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – Chefs reveal how to make restaurant-quality chicken breast at home.

Life Hacks, Skills

Chefs share 7 frugal ways to ‘gourmet-ify’ the humble chicken breast

Chicken at home doesn’t excite many people, but maybe it could.

Evan Porter

4/3/2026
Chicken, and chicken breast in particular, is a staple in many households. It’s relatively affordable compared to other meats, versatile, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. It works well in pasta, casseroles, sandwiches, tacos, or even on its own. It’s easy to see the appeal.

However, let’s be honest: not many people get overly excited about chicken night. Chicken breast, in particular, is high in protein but can be bland due to its low fat content. It needs the right seasonings or marinade, along with the right cooking methods, to really bring it to life.

Professional chefs are sharing the secret techniques to “gourmet-ify” chicken without adding much, if any, extra cost. These tips can help turn a $3 chicken breast into a restaurant-quality dish:

1. Brine

Experts overwhelmingly recommend one step that almost everyone skips: brining.

A dry brine is popular for Thanksgiving turkeys, where salt is rubbed all over the skin the night before. But chicken breasts can benefit even more from a wet brine, or soaking overnight in a saltwater bath. This technique not only allows the salt to penetrate deep into the meat, enhancing flavor, but also helps it retain moisture during cooking, resulting in a more tender texture.

Brines can be as simple or as complex as you like, from just salt and water to mixtures with garlic, vegetables, vinegar, and more. Alternatively, a longer marinade can have a similar effect.

2. Sous vide

Baking in the oven isn’t necessarily the worst way to cook chicken (take a bow, microwave), but it’s definitely one of the easiest to screw up. Most people are all too familiar with baked chicken that’s dry and bland, or even undercooked.

One easy way to achieve perfectly cooked chicken every time is to skip the oven and use a sous vide instead. A sous vide device heats a water bath to a precise temperature and maintains it for as long as needed. Better yet, it doesn’t require close monitoring like a grill or pan.

You can usually pick one up for under $100 and use it every week.

Just bag the chicken with your chosen marinade, butter, oil, and spices, then set the sous vide. All that juicy goodness will infuse into the perfectly cooked chicken in just an hour or two.

Perfectly seared chicken breasts. Photo credit: Canva

3. Sear and rest

Alternatively, many chefs prefer searing chicken in a pan on high heat. It quickly locks in juices and flavors, gives the outside a nice golden color, and doesn’t require constant poking and prodding.

Crucially, it’s important not to oversear and burn the chicken breast. Expert chefs recommend removing it from the heat when it’s just slightly underdone—around 155°F internally—and allowing it to finish cooking as it rests.

(Cooking chicken to 165°F is one of the biggest mistakes people make with chicken breasts, according to cooking educator and YouTuber Ethan Chlebowski.)

4. Trim and slice

Jack Croft, head chef at one of London’s top restaurants, Fallow, demonstrates how he prepares a chicken breast in a recent YouTube video, using techniques from a Michelin-starred kitchen.

Before cooking, he painstakingly removes blood spots, sinew, and other imperfections from the chicken breast to ensure the most tender final product possible. It’s not a necessary step for home chefs, but if you’re buying cheaper cuts—and who could blame you—it can make a noticeable difference in the final result.

5. Use the juices

“Chicken au jus” sounds fancy, but it really just means the chef saved some of the chicken’s natural cooking juices and reincorporated them into the dish. Anyone can do that at home.

Pan drippings from a chicken breast are often rich in flavor, despite the meat’s low fat content, and can easily be turned into a sauce or gravy that really elevates the dish.

The jus can even be stored with leftover chicken to help keep it moist when reheating.

6. Salt and butter

Chlebowski is adamant that you’re probably not using enough salt on your chicken breast.

“Undersalted chicken tends to taste like diet food,” he says. “Properly salted food tastes like dinner.”

If all else fails, add butter. Chicken’s dryness problem can be easily solved with a little butter in the pan before and toward the end of cooking, while its flavor problem can be fixed with the right amount of salt. It may make the dish slightly less “healthy,” but the flavor improves dramatically.

Anthony Bourdain famously said that butter is the main reason restaurant food often tastes better than what we make at home.

7. Wrap or stuff it

Croft says stuffing chicken is one of the best ways to impress at a dinner party or date night at home—and it’s not nearly as difficult as it looks.

Some great fillings for chicken breast include:
- Mushrooms
- Cream cheese mixtures
- Spinach
- Sauces (pesto, BBQ)
- Mozzarella
Inviting someone over and serving chicken breast isn’t likely to wow anyone. But a mushroom-stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon? That’s guaranteed to have people’s eyes popping.

Chicken, when cooked right, is a good choice amid rising prices

The price of most foods is going up. While chicken breast may be hard to describe as a “cheap” option (especially a quality cut) it is still more affordable than ground beef, lunch meat, ground chicken or turkey, and many other protein options. That’s what makes it such a great building block for your family’s meal plan.

With a few chef-approved techniques up your sleeve, you can make it taste like a dish from your favorite restaurant.
Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – Carry-on packing secrets for long flights.

Life Hacks, Nature, Travel

12 carry-on packing secrets frequent travelers and flight attendants swear by

“Bring a cup of instant ramen and ask for hot water”

Kat Hong

4/1/2026

Taking a 20-hour economy flight can feel incredibly daunting. Your back aches, your legs cramp, and finding a comfortable position can seem impossible. Recently, a viral TikTok video brought this shared experience into the spotlight. User @hiera.coffee asked her followers for their “most outrageous carry-on travel tips” before embarking on a massive journey.

@hiera.coffee
i’ve found the 360headrest what’s next #travel #carryon #flights #traveltips #longflight
♬ original sound – NYES | Fashion

The Internet did not disappoint. The video racked up more than 256,000 views and nearly 5,000 comments from expert flyers, flight attendants, and long-haul savants who shared decades of hard-earned travel wisdom.

We combed through every tip, cross-referenced the best ones with what frequent flyers and cabin crew actually swear by, and compiled a definitive list. Whether you’re facing a four-hour hop or a soul-testing 20-hour marathon, these are the secrets you need to know before you buckle in.

Sleep enhancers and comfort must-haves

Finding a way to sleep comfortably in an airplane seat is a universal struggle. Thankfully, a few specific items can make a world of difference when your seat feels less than ideal.

1. The Sleeper Hold and mini massage guns

Sometimes, investing in some special gear can really help you unwind. One traveler shared a great way to deal with restlessness and sore muscles:

“The only time I’ve been able to sleep on a plane was thanks to a Sleeper Hold pillow. It keeps your neck supported so you don’t wake up in pain. A miniature handheld massage gun is also a game-changer. If I needed to stretch but couldn’t get up, I’d use it to massage my legs when they started to ache. Tremendous help!”

2. Sacrum pillows for spinal support

Sitting for hours at a time puts intense pressure on your lower back. A simple cushion can significantly reduce discomfort, especially for those prone to back pain.

“A sacrum pillow placed under your bum alleviates the pressure on your lower spine and helps prevent Sciatica. It’s a small adjustment, but it makes a big difference.”

3. The backwards hoodie trick

You don’t need to splurge on expensive travel blankets or specialized gear to stay warm and comfortable. A simple hoodie can double as a cozy travel accessory:

“Bring a big, zip-up hoodie and wear it backwards. It works like a blanket, and you can pull the hood over your head to block out light and create a mini cocoon. Best of all, it’s easy to tie around your waist when navigating the airport. Combine with food, water, and a neck pillow, and you’re set.”

Basically this photo, but the hoodie is reversed. Photo credit: Canva

Wellness and hydration strategies

Taking care of your body at high altitudes isn’t just about comfort—it’s crucial for your health. Flight attendants know these tips well after spending countless hours in the sky.

4. Essential hydration

It’s tempting to avoid drinking water on flights to skip frequent bathroom trips, but staying hydrated is non-negotiable. One flight attendant shared this vital reminder:

“HYDRATE. I know people don’t want to be the person constantly getting up to use the bathroom, but you lose water faster on a plane. Staying hydrated will significantly improve how you feel on arrival, preventing headaches, fatigue, and more.”

Flight attendants know best, after all. Photo credit: Canva

5. Nausea-busting oils and wipes

Airplane cabins can be full of unexpected and unpleasant smells. A small aromatherapy kit can help combat motion sickness and keep you feeling fresh, another flight expert explained:

“I always carry a small bottle of eucalyptus oil and some alcohol pads. If I get nauseous or there’s an unpleasant smell, I dab a little oil under my nose. It works wonders.”

6. Medical compression socks

Poor circulation during long-haul flights often leads to heavy, tired legs or even swelling. Compression socks, especially medical-grade ones, can help keep your blood flowing.

@victoria.marano
please wear your compression socks ladies 🫶🏻 #travelhacks #compressionsocks
♬ Vogue (Edit) – Madonna

“Compression socks are a must! Put them on before takeoff and take them off after landing. Medical-grade compression (15–20mmHg) works best. Your legs will feel less fatigued, which is especially useful if you’re planning to walk and enjoy good food once you arrive.”

Food, perks, and mind hacks

Travel is always better when you prepare for your own needs and show kindness to others. These tips will help you stay nourished and may even brighten someone else’s day.

7. Flight attendant goodie bag

Showing appreciation to the flight crew can go a long way—and sometimes comes with unexpected perks:

“My friends and I make goodie bags for flight attendants. We fill them with local snacks and include our business cards since we’re stylists. We usually pack six bags per trip. I’ve never paid for alcohol on a flight since starting this!”

It can’t hurt to get on your flight attendant’s good side, can it? Photo credit: Canva

8. Instant ramen on the go

Airplane food can be hit or miss. Bringing your own comfort meal ensures you won’t go hungry:

“Bring a cup of instant ramen and ask for hot water, either from a restaurant before boarding or during the flight. This trick has saved me from starving when plane food options weren’t great.”

9. Pavlovian sleep training

You can train your brain to fall asleep more easily on flights by creating a routine before your trip:

“Use the same sound or playlist to fall asleep every night leading up to your flight. Then your brain associates it with sleep. I have two airplane playlists that immediately put me to sleep because I’ve used them for 12 years. Add a neck pillow, an eye mask with built-in flat speakers, and layers of cozy clothing. A boring audiobook and noise-canceling headphones seal the deal.”

Maximizing space and ultimate relaxation

When space is tight or patience runs thin, these tips can help you stay organized and calm through every stage of your journey.

10. The airport bag hack

Sometimes you need creative solutions to bring extra items on board without hassle:

“If your carry-on is full but you absolutely need to bring more, buy something small like gum at the airport and grab a large shopping bag. Put your stuff in there and keep the receipt. Works every time.”

Say goodbye to your packing woes. Photo credit: Canva

11. Heated eye masks and layered comfort

Creating the perfect sensory cocoon can help you tune out the busy, crowded cabin and fully relax:

“Use a heated eye mask underneath a regular one for total darkness and warmth. Pair it with an inflatable travel pillow (the J-shaped kind), a foot hammock, a cozy blanket, and a dose of melatonin or Tylenol PM an hour before lights out. Add noise-canceling headphones and a boring audiobook, and you’ll sleep through most of the flight.”

12. Embracing the journey

Even with the best preparations, long-distance flights can be exhausting. One traveler humorously admitted their ultimate strategy:

“I just suffer through all the pain until it’s over, to be honest.”

Arrive rested and ready to explore

These clever packing secrets prove we have the power to make long flights more bearable. By planning ahead and packing a few supportive items, a grueling 20-hour journey can feel less like a survival mission and more like a wonderful adventure. Good luck, bon voyage, and safe travels!

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Photo credit: Canva – A man plays the guitar.

Life Hacks, Skills

Happiness expert shares simple ’20-Second Rule’ to make bad habits harder and good ones easier

Small changes can lead to life-changing gains.

Cecily Knobler

3/27/2026

Life can be full of roadblocks, but what if there were little things we could do to make it a little easier? While nothing is guaranteed, what if those small changes only took a handful of seconds?

According to happiness expert Shawn Achor, the “20-Second Rule” might be all you need to make a big difference.

In his New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work, Achor explains that we often get stuck in everyday patterns. To “unstick” ourselves, we need to make it easier to build the habits we want and harder to maintain the ones we don’t.

Here’s how to do it

In the book, Achor gives the example of wanting to learn to play the guitar. But because he had spent so much of his life not playing, it was hard to break that cycle: “The guitar was sitting in the closet, a mere 20 seconds away, but I couldn’t make myself take it out and play. What had gone wrong?”

To make learning even possible, he simply had to take 20 seconds to remove the guitar from the closet and place it nearby. The result? He practiced 21 days in a row. He also brought in a bit of science: “In physics, activation energy is the initial spark needed to catalyze a reaction. The same energy, both physical and mental, is needed for people to overcome inertia and kick-start a positive habit.”

Works for negative habits

Those same 20 seconds can just as easily be used to take away the temptation of bad habits. Achor offered this example: If someone wants to watch less television, they can spend 20 seconds removing the batteries from the remote control, making the experience just a bit more difficult.

“The next few nights when I got home from work, I plopped down on the couch and pressed the ‘on’ button on the remote – usually repeatedly – forgetting that I had moved the batteries,” Achor wrote. “Then, frustrated, I thought to myself, ‘I hate that I do these experiments.’ But sure enough, the energy and effort required to retrieve the batteries – or even to walk across the room and turn the TV on manually – was enough to do the trick.”

The rule is this: “You need to decrease the activation energy you need to do positive habits and increase it to do negative habits.”

It’s that simple.

Many swear by it

On a Reddit thread, an OP shared that the 20-Second Rule “transformed” their life:

“I recently stumbled upon a simple but incredibly effective life hack that has made a profound difference in my daily routine. I wanted to share it with you all in the hopes that it might help someone else too. It’s called the 20-Second Rule.”

They continued, explaining how it works:

“I noticed that I often procrastinated on tasks that I knew were good for me but required a bit of effort. Whether it was working out, practicing a musical instrument, or reading, I’d always find excuses not to start. Then, I learned about the 20-Second Rule, a concept from author Shawn Achor. The idea is to make good habits 20 seconds easier to start and bad habits 20 seconds harder. For example, I placed my guitar right next to my couch, so all I have to do is reach over and start playing. I put my running shoes by the door, making it convenient to go for a jog.

It might seem insignificant, but it eliminates the initial friction that keeps you from starting a task. Once you begin, it’s often easier to keep going.”

The spark before motivation

The post received quite a few upvotes from people who seemed to like the idea.

One user shared, “If you can get outside of your head and stop relying on motivation, you can basically accomplish anything. People tend to rely on motivation to get started, but motivation comes once you have started.”

Another Redditor described the spark needed to get started: “If there’s something I really don’t want to do but really need to do, I promise myself all I have to do today is five minutes. You’ll be amazed that before you know it, an hour has gone by and you got over the initial hurdle of starting.”

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Photo credit: Canva – Some "cheat codes" for life are deceptively simple.

Life Hacks, Skills

People share ‘adult cheat codes’ that changed their lives. Most are surprisingly doable.

Sometimes the simplest life shifts are the most effective.

Annie Reneau

3/25/2026

Sometime in the 2010s, the word “adulting” entered our cultural lexicon. Many people found it a useful umbrella term for the more challenging parts of adult life, from managing finances to juggling work-life balance to dealing with the piles of paperwork adulthood requires.

Adulting isn’t easy. But are there ways to make it easier? People on Reddit are sharing their favorite “adult cheat codes” that changed their lives, and most are surprisingly doable. Some are simple reminders of things we know but often forget. Others are one-line mindset shifts that make an outsized difference in how we navigate the world.

Here are some of the most popular responses:

Sleep and hydrate

Take care of your sleep needs and drink enough water. Yes, it’s basic. It’s literally the most basic of human needs, but a lot of people unfortunately neglect them. It’s remarkable how many other issues fall away when you start really focusing on the fundamentals of well-being.

“Sleep and drinking water. Funny how something so simple is linked to so many of your normal functions.” – RepresentativeStooj

Sleep is an underrated life hack. Photo credit: Canva

“Being properly rested and hydrated is WILDLY underrated. I work with a guy who complains of constant headaches. One day he said they were really bad so I asked how much water he has drank today. He goes ‘none’ and I’m like, well dude…” – Dr_A_Mephesto

“Fixing my sleep schedule changed my life. I feel sooo much happier.” – salty_mate

“Life hack: address your most basic biological needs.” – flyingcircusdog

Just take the first tiny step

Sometimes adult life can feel overwhelming. When you add a mental health struggle or neurodivergent challenge, that overwhelm can feel paralyzing. That’s when the “one small thing” cheat code comes in. When everything feels too big, think small. Super small. Break it down as far as you can and just do the very first step. Any progress is still progress.

“If you are bed rotting and depressed to the point that you can’t get out of bed or do anything and dishes, laundry or whatever have piled up, do 1 chore today. Wash one dish. Put 3 pieces of clothing in the laundry hamper. Tomorrow wash 2 dishes. Keep going. Sweep one square yard of your floor, etc… It will give you a sense of accomplishment and may even lead you into a snowball effect where your place starts feeling cleaner and cleaner making you clean more. Sorry you are going through it, I have been there many times.” – MSPCSchertzer

“Surprised to find this, literally how my last three months have had to be handled. My idea became ‘Well, I let it get this way. If I at least leave today looking better than yesterday or before I do something productive (even if only a little bit) then eventually it will all get caught up!’ This worked for that slump incredibly well. Especially if you have some pretty hard-hitting ADHD, don’t tackle a project; just chip away around the house to where something looks better than when you started. Period. Any progress is good.” – Sir-Hamp

“After my dad passed away and I had a mountain of things to deal with that I was avoiding. I decided to do one thing every day. Might only be putting something in the mail or making a phone call. It didn’t take long and it was all done. I’ve done it with other things since then and it definitely works.” – Goldie1976

“Yep, applies to being overwhelmed by any project, tell yourself, I’m not trying to finish now, but let me just start one part, tiny as it may be. Lets your mind ‘off the hook’ and once you get going it also often snowballs as well.” – No_Gur4351

Stop obsessing about people obsessing over you

Do people ever think about you when you’re not around? Sure. Do they gossip about you? Perhaps. Do they think about or talk about you nearly as much as you think? Probably not. Most people are concerned with their own lives, not yours.

“Realizing most people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think. Takes away a lot of unnecessary pressure.” – AcanthisittaSea3279

“Everyone is so busy starring in their own mental movie that they barely have time to be a background extra in yours.” – ConstructionMany6315

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“You wouldn’t care what people thought about you if you knew how rarely they did.” – DukeoftheRiver

“I saw a neat quote once… You spend your 20s worrying about what everyone thinks of you. You spend your 40s not caring what everyone thinks of you. You spend your 60s realizing no one thinks about you.” – RunawayRogue

Learn how to avoid committing

Some people automatically say “yes” to everything because they have a hard time saying “no.” While there’s value in learning to just say “no,” it’s helpful to have responses on hand that allow you some wiggle room.

“Saying ‘let me check my calendar’ instead of immediately saying yes. Buys you time to actually decide if you want to do something, and people respect it way more than making up excuses later.” – GroundbreakingMall54

“Similarly, if you have a partner: ‘Let me check with my partner’ functions the same. I usually say that in the same way too. See if she has anything going on, I do and forgot, or if she just doesn’t want me to go for some reason. and if I don’t want to go I can use either of the first 2 as an excuse. Would never throw her under the bus to avoid the responsibility of saying no.” – leonprimrose

“If you don’t want to do something, like someone invites you out for dinner, just say ‘sorry I have plans.’ Those plans may be to sit in your oodie eating icecream infront of the tv. But they are still plans. You dont have to tell people what your plans are.” – Grumpy_bugger

“Always lead with ‘no’ or ‘I will need to check and get back with you.’ Your tendency is to be nice and say ‘yes’ and then you regret it. Say ‘no’ or ‘not sure.’ You can always check if the invite it still good if you want to go.” – MathiasAurelius

Be kind to your future self (procrastination hack)

Ah, procrastination. The habit that makes us our own worst enemy. Or rather, it makes our present self the enemy of our future self. When we shift our mindset to being kind to our future self instead of indulging the resistance of our present self, it becomes a little easier to Do The Thing Now.

“I saw a video where someone said that by putting something off because you don’t feel like doing it ‘now’, it will still be ‘now’ for your future self, so may as well get on with it the first time. It’s definitely helped me in terms of housework or menial day to day tasks. I’m procrastinating a lot less.” – youshewewumbo

“I view it as doing a favor for my future self. I don’t want to do the dishes, but I will so that tomorrow Future Me will see it and say ‘hey thanks Past Me! What a great guy.’” – Epicjay

“I often tell my wife, ‘If you do it now, later you will be grateful.’” – Recent_Weather2228

“Yep. That changed my thinking as well. Taking care of your future self is the only way to actually feel like your life is getting better and not harder.” – silverace00

Normalize not having an opinion

Social media has made it feel almost imperative to have an opinion on everything. But in reality, there’s a lot we don’t know, and uninformed opinions can exacerbate all kinds of societal problems. Normalizing the idea of saying “I don’t know” goes a long way toward a saner way of being.

“‘I don’t know enough about that to have an opinion yet.’ People respect this way more than a half-baked hot take, and it instantly kills 90% of arguments you were about to waste energy on. Took me way too long to learn that not every conversation needs me to have a stance.” – fan_ling

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“Agreed. It’s also remarkable how much displays of humility short circuits the kind of people who argue online as a hobby.” – Thoth17

“People who don’t know how to say ‘I don’t know’ when asked a question are people that you can never trust.” – Dumbname25644

Sobriety

Many people report that giving up alcohol or other substances, even just for a while, has drastically improved their lives. While everyone’s experience differs on this front, research shows that cutting out alcohol can benefit sleep, mental health, and overall health, including reducing cancer and liver disease risk. There’s also a financial upside to consider.

“Completely quitting alcohol. Improved my life in so many ways, mentally and physically.” – hisokard

“A few years ago I fully quit drinking for about 2 years or so. I felt so much better in essentially all aspects, it was pretty amazing. I was drinking what society would probably consider a ‘normal’ amount on the day to day, with the occasional big night every now and then, especially when I was younger.

Now, I have the rare beer or glass of wine. What that 2-year sober period did was break a lot of habits: the ‘well the day is done, time for a beer,’ or a consistent glass of wine with dinner, or whatever.

Looking back, so much of my drinking was habitual and just not really necessary. Breaking the cycle of the habitual drinking has been amazing. I do appreciate a nice drink every now and then, but it’s almost always just a single drink: I don’t have any drive to have another.

I’d guess that if someone has a real problem with alcohol, going back and having a drink after being sober is a bad idea. But if you’re just stuck in a habit, the sober break is a great reset.” – bitzandbites

Many people find sobriety to be life-changing. Photo credit: Canva

“I second that. I still drink but rarely, maybe one glass of wine or one beer in gatherings but that’s it. My life improved so much when i quit alcohol and weed 2 years ago.” – Hour-Ad6874

“Getting a Garmin watch really alerts you to how much alcohol ruins your sleep. So many metrics get thrown out of whack by just a couple of drinks!” – ProbablyStillMe

“I know a guy who got shredded in his late 40s from quitting alcohol, he felt better, exercised more consistently, and was already eating healthy so over the course of 2 years he just looked like a superhero.” – Realistic-Buy4975

See more responses on Reddit.

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Photo credit: Canva – College grads entering the job hunt are finding that things have changed dramatically.

Life Hacks, Skills

College grads get real about how drastically job hunting has changed and what’s helping them survive

How to find work in the age of ghost jobs and AI screenings.

Evan Porter

3/25/2026
Looking for a job has never been easy, but it used to be simpler. In 2026, job hunting is more competitive, frustrating, and exhausting than perhaps ever before.

Recent college grads and people transitioning in their careers have been sounding off on social media about how different the career landscape is now versus just a few years ago, and what it takes to finally get hired.

AI screenings, and yikes, even interviews

More candidates than ever are being filtered out of consideration almost immediately. Not by recruiters, but by robots.

ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) have become more advanced and more prominent. They can eliminate resumes based on keywords, experience or lack thereof, and plenty of other “red flags” set by employers. An estimated 99% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to screen applicants before they ever have human contact.

Then there are interviews conducted not by humans, but by virtual chatbots.

“I went through one, it was [extremely bizarre],” a Reddit user wrote. “It cuts you off at pauses to move on to its next question.”

To be fair, this overuse of technology goes both ways. With modern tools and AI, job seekers can churn out custom resumes and apply to hundreds of jobs with almost no effort. That creates huge backlogs for recruiters and more competition than ever for open positions.

“There are a lot more candidates, fewer jobs and it’s easier to apply than it ever has been so recruiters are overwhelmed and looking for the easiest ways to weed people out, whether that’s over relying on tools, only looking at the first few applicants or only taking people referred in,” a Reddit user noted.

Ghost jobs galore

“This is the worst job market I have experienced,” one Redditor lamented. “Most of the jobs don’t even really seem real.”

Ghost jobs are listings that get posted but never filled, and they’re everywhere these days. The same roles are posted and reposted again and again, and job seekers are noticing. A job seeker recently wrote on Reddit:

“I’ve noticed recruiters on LinkedIn posting the same job over and over, collecting 100+ applications and then remaking the same job. Word for word, exactly the same. I’ve seen the same 6 jobs ads at least 100 times in the past few months. I report these to LinkedIn, but they find ‘nothing reportable’ with this.”

Companies may post jobs they have no intention of filling in order to:
- Give the illusion of growth
- Collect data on the candidate pool and job market
- Develop a passive talent pipeline
Many ghost listings also pop up when companies plan to hire an internal candidate. Laws often require the job to be posted publicly for fairness, but that doesn’t mean those external candidates will be seriously considered.

It can be extremely frustrating for anyone who’s seriously looking.

Offshoring and remote work

You’re no longer just competing with job seekers from your area. With the rise of remote work, many companies are accepting candidates nationwide (or, in some cases, worldwide), opening up an incredibly deep and competitive candidate pool.

Worse, offshoring is sending many positions overseas, where workers are often more affordable—and it’s on the rise.

“Worked at a Fortune 500 company. Started there in 2019 and it was great, all US employees about 100 people in IT,” a Redditor shared. About six months ago, they wrote that their company had outsourced the majority of its work internationally and was planning to lay off 80% of its staff.

“I worked with people who were employed with this company for 25-30 years, many people retiring here as they paid very well,” the Redditor added. “That opportunity will no longer exist for the millennial generation and onward due to rampant offshoring and cost saving tactics.”

200+ applications is the norm

Brace yourself. It might take over 200 applications to land a single interview. Photo credit: Canva

Depending on who you ask, it might take 50, 100, or even more than 750 job applications to get an interview or land a job. Regardless of the exact figure, that number has risen dramatically in recent years.

When you need to write a custom cover letter and tweak your resume for each application, it can be exhausting for job seekers.

One Reddit user recently shared a success story about finally landing a job as a Kroger grocery clerk—after submitting more than 500 applications.

“500 apps for a grocery clerk is insane,” read the top comment.

Rounds and rounds (and rounds and rounds) of interviews

One Redditor shared that they recently had to fill out a 172-question personality test with “weirdly invasive questions,” including ones about how they feel about their appearance. After that, they had to record a video introducing themselves.

All just for a chance at getting a real interview.

Experts agree that more companies now require far more extensive interview processes than in years past. These rounds can include homework, tests, personality assessments, intelligence quizzes, and several traditional interviews.

You need experience to get experience

This has been a conundrum for years: the entry-level job that requires five years of experience. But recent job seekers say it’s only gotten worse.

Entry-level jobs have become really hard to land—if they haven’t been replaced altogether by AI.

So is it all doom and gloom out there?

The process has become harder, more complex, and more competitive. That’s for sure. But people who have made it through successfully say there are a few strategies that can help.

What’s new that works, and what’s old that still works

LinkedIn is the place to be

Though not without its own issues, many people say LinkedIn is a good place to look for jobs because the listings are usually tied to a real person, like a recruiter. Putting a face to a job can go a long way. Job seekers say it’s more reliable than many aggregators, like Indeed and ZipRecruiter.

If you can apply via the company website, even better. In fact, much better. Just avoid Easy Apply at all costs.

Networking and referrals still work

This is harder than ever, but also more important than ever. Some estimates suggest that getting a referral from an employee makes you about seven times more likely to be hired than a job board candidate. It may not be the advice anyone wants to hear, but keeping your network “warm” is a must in this job market.

“I’ve had 2 interviews recently and the only reason is because I’ve reached out to the far limits of my network to find anything … it’s really the only way,” one Redditor suggested.

Just get employed

Traditional career paths are all but gone, and they’re not as stable as they once were. There’s no guarantee you’ll land an entry-level marketing job and stay in the industry for decades, working your way up. The most important thing is to take a job that pays your bills and worry about finding something better later.

In a Reddit thread, a user debated whether they made the right decision in turning down a decent but not great job offer. In the past, they might have been advised to hold out for a better long-term position, but modern job seekers overwhelmingly agreed that being employed was the best outcome. “This is called a transition job. Take it, and use your free time to find a different job. Get paid in the meantime,” one person wrote.

Job-hopping has traditionally been frowned upon, but younger people are finding, often the hard way, that the only way to get ahead—and earn a raise—is to leave for greener pastures. The BBC calls the stigma against job-hoppers “outdated.”

Above all, hang in there

The statistics aren’t on your side, and it may take over a year and hundreds of applications to find the right fit. It’s not just you. Finding community (through social media groups, friends, discussion boards, and more) can go a long way in helping you stay motivated.
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Photo credit: Canva – How to dust your home the right way.

Life Hacks, Skills

Pro cleaner shares ‘trap’ method to stop dust from returning and allergies from raging

“Dust is such a massive problem for so many people simply because almost everyone cleans it the completely wrong way.”

Emily Shiffer

3/24/2026

As spring arrives, it’s time for the annual spring cleaning ritual. From decluttering your home to cleaning up messes and washing sheets and duvet covers that feel a bit dank, it’s a great time to reset and refresh.

A deep clean usually involves getting rid of dust that has accumulated on various surfaces. While you might reach for a duster and swipe surfaces in one fell swoop, cleaning expert Sergio of EDGE Cleaning Service says most people are dusting completely wrong.

In an informative Instagram video, he explains why dust always seems to come back so quickly after you’ve cleaned. It all comes down to technique.

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How to dust properly

According to Sergio, most people pick up a duster and simply swipe it across surfaces, thinking the job is done. However, he explains that this method is just pushing dust back into the air, where it will soon settle again.

“Dust is such a massive problem for so many people simply because almost everyone cleans it the completely wrong way,” he says.

The goal, he says, is to “trap the dust instead of just moving it around.” To properly dust, he recommends first cleaning your duster by vacuuming it, a step many people neglect, often starting with an already “dusty” duster.

Next, he says you should adjust your dusting speed.

“Dust surfaces slowly so the dust sticks to the duster instead of flying into the air,” he says.

After dusting each room, he says you should vacuum your duster again to prevent trapped dust from spreading to the next room.

Finally, you should wipe down surfaces with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. “The damp cloth helps trap dust so it doesn’t float back into the air,” he says.

Reduce allergies by dusting

Dust is a leading cause of allergies in homes due to dust mites, which feed on human skin flakes shed every day and on moisture in the air, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Sergio offers an extra tip for managing dust in your home: clean and replace air filters regularly.

“Dirty filters can push dust around your house through the vents,” he says.

He also recommends dusting your home once a week to prevent buildup. If that’s not possible, aim for once every two weeks.

The AAFA notes that bedrooms are a haven for dust mites, where they tend to live more than anywhere else in your home. To reduce them, it recommends washing blankets and sheets weekly in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) and using dust-proof mattress and pillow covers to prevent mites from penetrating them.

Since humidity is also a factor, the AAFA notes that your home’s humidity should not exceed 50%. If it does, consider investing in a dehumidifier.

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