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.”
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.
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
“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
“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
“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
“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
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.
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.
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.
Life hack advice abounds in the era of optimization and influencers, but the desire to live life a little better is nothing new. Even ancient philosophers pondered the wisest uses of our time, energy, and resources. But in today’s more complicated world, the answers to such questions can be a lot more specific.
Young adults have been asking for “oddly specific” life tips, and people are delivering their favorite hacks. These aren’t the “surround yourself with positive people” kind of tips we typically see, but rather random, specific bits of advice.
I’m 25. Give me oddly specific life tips. No general ”surround yourself with positive people” tips. I want the most random, specific advice possible.
Here are some of the most universally applicable ones shared on X:
Food
Thinking about what to eat, preparing what to eat, and actually eating it takes up a decent amount of our daily lives. It makes sense to give it a little extra thought, both for efficiency and enjoyment’s sake.
“When in an unknown small town, pick your restaurant based on the number of pickup trucks in the parking lot. Nobody goes on vacation in the pickup. Those are locals, who know where to eat.” – @KeelowSierra
“Learn to cook 3 meals extremely well. It will save money, impress people, and make rough weeks easier.” – @Alacritic_Super
“Make a weekly rotating menu so you never have to agonize over what to make for dinner. Like Taco Tuesday. Vary the specific item each week to keep it fresh but man it saves time, energy, and money.” – @RuralUrbie
Health
There’s a lot of health advice out there, and a lot of it is conflicting. But here are a few tips that seem solid no matter what your approach to health might be:
“Always wash your hands standing on one leg. We lose our balance with age and this simple habit forces you to consistently practice it without interfering with your life.” – @catpoopburglar
“Drink a full glass of water before you touch your phone in the morning.” – @EarthOriginHQ
“Speaking as someone who *didn’t* do this enough: Literally touch grass as often as you can. Go outside, get some sun, go camping, disconnect from your phone and social media and go explore the world without a filter. It’ll do wonders for your mental health, it’ll force you to spend some time alone with your thoughts, and you’ll gain some perspective about yourself and life in general.” – @CitizenAmedia
Money
Getting money advice from strangers can be dodgy, to say the least. But a few folks offered some pretty universal bits of wisdom:
“Before any purchase over $100, wait 48 hours. If you still want it after two days, buy it. You’ll be surprised how often the urge disappears. This one habit will save you thousands over the next decade without any willpower required.” – @BellaBaddie__
“I wish I had practiced minimalism. I’m spending the second half of my life getting rid of expensive junk for free that I thought I needed. I wish I had invested that money for my future instead. That’s solid advice.” – @starjaxranch
“Roth IRA and regular investment brokerage accounts. Contribute every month, even if it’s only $20. Just keep doing it and don’t stop. When people panic about the market crashing just keep contributing. It isn’t a loss if you don’t sell and it always bounces back higher, crashes are nothing but buying opportunities to increase your returns down the road. Just keep investing in funds. Learn how to get a shopping high from investing.” – @AnteEcho
Work
Most adults spend much of their day working, so advice in this area is particularly valuable. Here are some nuggets of wisdom that apply no matter what kind of work you do:
“Keep a ‘brag document’ – a running list of every win, project, compliment, or achievement at work. Update it weekly. When it’s performance review time or you’re updating your resume, you won’t be sitting there trying to remember what you did six months ago.” – @PursuDr
“At work no matter what your job is or how much you are currently being paid, if someone offers to teach you a new skill… Get out a notebook and a pencil and say ‘Thank you, I want to learn how to do that!’ This is how you increase your value.” – @TimothyMcGuire
“Always keep one skill you’re quietly improving that nobody knows about yet.” – @Alacritic_Super
“For all the jobs you have, don’t burn bridges when you leave a place. Keep your colleagues contact informing from each job. Leave on good terms. These things help in networking for a new job in the future.” – @daoc151
General
Outside of those big life categories, people offered all sorts of great tips born from experience. Keep these in your pocket when you need them:
“After you spend ages looking for something store it in the first place you looked.” – @floboflo
“Buy your concert t-shirts one or two sizes larger. You’ll likely be larger yourself for the reunion tour.” – @TeamToad
Buy your concert t-shirts one or two sizes larger. You'll likely be larger yourself for the reunion tour. pic.twitter.com/teJoxj8lpS
“When you find a pair of shoes or sandals or a bra that fits you comfortably and perfectly, buy three more just like it immediately and save them in your closet. Everything good gets discontinued.” – @Suzanne08053
“The mental energy associated with procrastination is costing you the same (if not more) as the energy required to take action. Pick action over mental suffering.” – @ConMcGovy
“Check the toilet paper holder in the gas station bathrooms BEFORE you sit down….” – @scdavem
“Treat every microphone like it’s on.” – @RobOps_xyz
“Never make a major life or business decision after 10 PM. You aren’t yourself when you’re tired; you’re just a high-stress version of yourself. Sleep on it. The solution is almost always waiting for you at 7 AM.” – @ria_rustagi
“When you drop something. Especially something small like a screw. Don’t grab wildly at it to keep it from falling. Concentrate on watching it fall with absolute focus.”– @GeorgiasGiant
“If you find a toilet in your dream, don’t use it.” – @Sandy166059 (If you know, you know.)
There’s a lot we need to learn on our own, of course. But we can also learn from the lessons others have shared, taking what works and leaving what doesn’t.
If you’re familiar with comedian Pete Holmes, you probably know he’s not afraid to go deep. He’s seemingly on a constant journey of self-improvement—physically, mentally, and spiritually—and his work as a stand-up comic, author, and podcaster reflects that with relatable, honest humor.
He recently appeared on Dan Harris’ podcast 10% Happier, where he discussed a simple three-word phrase that he claims helped change the way he views life.
Harris asked about his mantra, “Yes, yes, thank you.” Holmes gently corrected him, noting that it’s only three words: “It’s ‘yes, thank you.’” He then explained the concept: “I’ve heard really good teachers say that if you can really just say ‘yes’ to what ‘is,’ that’s all you need.”
“It just really short-circuits your brain if you say ‘Yes, thank you’ to it. And I mean almost instantly. Flight is delayed. ‘Yes. Thank you.’ It’s so weird. That’s why it works. Everything—attraction and aversion—right? So aversion is just charging it with all this push, like a basketball underwater. You’re giving it all the energy. When you just ‘Yeah’ as if it’s what you wanted.”
He gives an example:
“And then you realize you’re in an airport. You’ll be in an hour later. It can just be a clean breath and a recognition that you’re alive. Maybe you see the sun coming through the window. And maybe you remember that people used to die in covered wagons on the journey you’re about to take in four hours.”
Holmes explained that the concept is quite simple:
“But it can really be way less than that. Really, not debating with the bad feeling—just saying ‘Yes, thank you’ to it. That’s been one of the most powerful things in my life.”
10 percent happier
The clip was part of a larger discussion on the aforementioned podcast, with Holmes and Harris delving into faith, meditation, awareness, and how we learn to accept what is given to us.
Harris asked, “So the nature of existence is love because love is acceptance?” Holmes answered, “Even if you’re resisting it, what you’re resisting has already been welcomed into awareness.”
Stoicism
Much of what Holmes is describing is steeped in Stoic philosophy.
Former Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations, “And with that in mind I have no right, as a part, to complain about what is assigned me by the whole. Because what benefits the whole can’t harm the parts, and the whole does nothing that doesn’t benefit it.”
According to a site supporting Benny Voncken’s Via Stoicapodcast:
“Gratitude in Stoicism is not a mood but a moral stance, an expression of understanding that everything is given for a time, and that everything that happens can serve the good of the whole. When you practice gratitude, you move closer to what the Stoics called eudaimonia, a good spirit, a flourishing soul. You see life as it truly is: transient, interwoven, and deeply precious.”
Visual illusions offer a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse at how our brains work and their limitations. For example, you might see a simple image of two faces side by side, as if about to kiss, and struggle to find any hidden symbols or messages in the picture. Once you realize the image can just as easily…
Visual illusions offer a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse at how our brains work and their limitations. For example, you might see a simple image of two faces side by side, as if about to kiss, and struggle to find any hidden symbols or messages in the picture.
Once you realize the image can just as easily be seen as the silhouette of a vase or candle, your eyes immediately find it. You simply get “locked in” to the way your brain originally perceived it, and for a while it’s difficult to see it any other way.
This phenomenon isn’t restricted to the way our eyes and brains perceive visual images. Simple, everyday tasks or problems can have the same effect. Sometimes, a challenge seems frustrating, difficult, or even impossible when the blindingly simple solution is right in front of us the entire time.
These “duh” moments can take an embarrassingly long time—years, even—to occur to us. But we’re all equally guilty of overlooking the obvious from time to time. Thankfully, some brave souls on social media are sharing their most embarrassing “duh” moments so the rest of us don’t feel so alone.
1. You can wait for the shower to warm up before getting in
“I didn’t realise you can warm up the shower before you get in for years. Nobody told me the proper procedure so for years I would turn it on while I’m inside already, then kinda hide in the corner while I wait for it to warm up.”
Surprisingly, they’re not the only ones. While there’s a whole subset of people who believe a few minutes of cold water does the body good, there’s another—perhaps larger—group of people who simply never realized waiting for the water to heat up was an option.
2. You’re allowed to separate bunches of bananas at the grocery store
Another poster was eternally frustrated that the store never seemed to have a bunch of bananas in quite the right size. It was always either too few or too many. It took them years to realize there was an incredibly simple solution:
“I didn’t realize until I was 25yo that you were allowed to rip apart banana bunches at the grocery store to get the amount you want. I always thought you were required to grab a bunch that had the exact amount you wanted.”
3. Turn the electric toothbrush on once it’s in your mouth
A viral post on X had everyone laughing at the thought of specks of toothpaste flying across the bathroom:
“When I was 18 I bought an electric tooth brush. I would apply paste to the bristles, turn it on and try to shove it in my mouth as fast as possible without slinging the paste everywhere. One morning, my then girlfriend looked at me and asked ‘why don’t you turn it on after you put it in your mouth?’ Top 5 dumbest feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.”
4. A double scoop of ice cream can be two different flavors
One person had been living their entire life under the crushing weight of wanting to try multiple flavors of ice cream but not being able to—until it hit them:
“[Recently I learned] that if you order a double scoop of ice cream, it doesn’t have to be the same flavor for both scoops. I grew up poor and never had double scoops as an option. I learned this a few weeks ago and I’m 47.”
5. Scraping the dishes before washing them makes cleaning less disgusting
Another Redditor admitted they dreaded doing the dishes because of all the soggy chunks of food floating around in the water:
“It only recently occurred to me that I can use a dry paper towel to wipe away the bulk of the filth straight into the garbage can making doing dishes notably less disgusting. Why’d it take me so long to think of that?”
6. A dull box cutter blade can be saved
There’s nothing more annoying than digging your box cutter out of the junk drawer or toolbox and finding it dull past the point of use. If you’re like this X user and aren’t in the mood to sharpen it, you might be overlooking a far easier way to fix it: Flip it over.
“I threw away 3 box cutters before i figured out you can not only flip the blade when it gets dull but you can replace it too…..”
7. You can (usually) lift up the stove grates, or even the entire top
Cleaning the stove is a gross, annoying job. It’s made even worse when you’re unwittingly doing it on hard mode, like this person’s daughter-in-law, who must have been painstakingly scrubbing between the grates:
“I was cleaning the kitchen and had the stove top lifted up, my sons wife walked around the corner and was like ‘what the hell? I didn’t know stoves did that!! They need to teach these things in high school!’”
8. There’s an easier way to fill the coffee maker
How do you make sure you’ve added the right amount of water to the coffee maker before brewing? For some, it can be a painstaking, one-cup-at-a-time process—until they realize there’s an easier way:
“I used to always pour water into our coffee maker one glass at a time. It was such a pain … especially to fill the reservoir to the number of cups I wanted. Until I realized I could just fill the carafe with water, which has the exact same measurements, and pour the water in that way.”
“My coworker, in the first week of work, picked up the whole damn coffee maker and brought it over to the water cooler to fill it up. The whole. Coffee. Maker. He unplugged it and carried it across the office. Outstanding.”
9. Small cats can fit through big holes
Once upon a time, there was a busy man whose cats were always interrupting his work. He wanted them to be able to come and go through the door as they pleased without bothering him, so he cut two holes in it: One large hole for the mother cat, and one smaller hole for the kittens. It wasn’t until a carpenter pointed it out to him that he realized the smaller cats could just…go through the big hole.
This “duh” moment is alleged to have happened to Sir Isaac Newton, who—legend has it—went on to invent the cat flap. The story is likely apocryphal, but it’s probably based on some kernel of truth.
So, if it can happen to one of the smartest astronomers, physicists, and mathematicians who ever lived, you definitely shouldn’t feel bad the next time you realize you’ve been struggling with a problem that has a laughably obvious solution.
Hitting the gas station to fill up can be a tedious task. With gas prices constantly fluctuating and recently on the rise, many Americans are in the habit of waiting until they’re nearly on empty before filling up.
According to a survey by AAA, 24 million Americans reported that they continue driving even after their gas light signals “Empty.” Unfortunately, if you’re in the habit of doing so, it could cost you in the long run.
Three car mechanics from Aeschbach Automotive in Wisconsin explained exactly what happens if you drive until your gas light comes on. All three agree it can have serious consequences for your car—and your wallet.
Each mechanic was asked, “Is it bad to keep driving once my gas light turns on?” Here were their responses:
Mechanic #1
Mechanic Sandro answered:
“The general rule of driving with less than a quarter tank is gonna lead to overheating your fuel pump, ‘cuz the fuel pump sits in the tank and is cooled by the fuel that it sits in. And driving on ‘E’ consistently is going to lead to burning up your fuel pump much, much faster and [lead] to premature failure.”
Mechanic #2
Mechanic Justin had a similar response, but with some humor mixed in:
“I don’t know, ask my wife, considering she’s got it on 90% of the time. Yes, it’s horrible for your car. The gas helps keep your fuel pump cool. When you’re running it low the fuel pump’s not submerged in gas anymore so it’s not staying cool. Your pump’s gonna overheat, eventually die. Just hurting it. I wouldn’t go lower than a quarter of a tank, unless you have to. A quarter of a tank, fill it back up. Quarter of a tank, fill it back up. It’ll be cheaper in the long run ‘cuz you won’t have the repairs and you won’t be pumping so much gas into your tank every time.”
Mechanic #3
Finally, the third mechanic, Antonio, also shared his advice:
“Yes, because when your gas light’s on, you’re running low on fuel. And the fuel pump inside the tank needs to be submerged by fuel because it’s what cools the fuel pump. If you don’t have enough fuel in it, the fuel pump’s gonna get hot and prematurely fail.”
Viewers share their experiences driving on “E”
People had a lot to say about their experiences driving on empty and left a number of funny and relatable comments:
“Drove on E for a week, Toyotas were made by God😂.”
“Listen… If I’m gonna be struggling, my fuel pump gonna be struggling, too 😂”
“I drive my 4Runner on E consistently and always have. I’ve never had a problem. Therefore I keep doing it. 🤷🏻♀️”
“Great info! I knew the ‘tank rule’ but I never knew WHY it was beneficial.”
“So you’re saying my anxiety keeps my fuel pump safe? Perfect.”
“I’m in California $5 a gallon I’m always on E.”
“Oh wow! Didn’t know that – now I’ll look at quarter of tank as if it says empty.”
Fuel pump 411
The fuel pump is an important part of your car.
“The fuel pump, or fuel sender unit, is responsible for sending pressurized fuel to the fuel rail on the engine,” automotive repair YouTuber speedkar99 explained. “It is normally situated inside the gas tank, cooled by surrounding fuel.”
Keeping enough fuel in your tank can help prevent expensive repairs down the road. AutoZone noted that fuel pumps typically cost between $75 and $250 for the part alone. However, that doesn’t include labor. With parts and labor, the average cost rises to between $400 and $600.
Sometimes, a simple phrase or sentence of sagely advice can have a huge impact on our lives, whether it’s from a religious text, a mental health expert, or an old saying your grandmother lived by.
Chelsea Anderson, a content creator in Denver, Colorado, loves to collect these pearls of wisdom, so she asked her TikTok followers to share their favorite “life-changing sentences,” and they delivered by the thousands.
Anderson is a popular figure on Instagram and TikTok for what began as babysitting life hacks, but she’s since graduated to becoming someone who “explains it all,” a playful riff on the 1990s sitcom Clarissa Explains It All.
“I collect life-changing sentences,” she said in the video. “You know, something that you read and you’re just like, wow, this changes everything. I’m gonna give you some of mine, and then I wanna hear yours.”
“Growth can feel like grief when you loved who you were.”
“The only way to discover all of the talents that you have within you is to give yourself permission to be a beginner.”
“Don’t worry about disappointing people who do not impress you.”
Commenters chimed in with over 3,000 of their own life-changing pieces of wisdom
The most popular piece of wisdom:“Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.”
This quote is commonly attributed to Neil Strauss, author of books including The Game and The Truth. The message is pretty simple: if you expect something from someone and never tell them, the other person has no chance to meet that expectation, which can inevitably lead to resentment.
“People only see the choice you made, not the choices you had.”
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.”
“Twenty minutes of doing something is more valuable than 20 hours of thinking about doing something.”
“Birds do not land on branches because they are certain the branch will hold. They land because they trust their wings to carry them if it doesn’t. Trust your wings.”
“Easy and hard are just familiar and unfamiliar.”
“You’ll never feel ready. Ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision.”
“I trust the next chapter because I know the author.”
There is no clear origin for this phrase, but over the past decade it has become a popular meme. The phrase matters because it’s about setting fair boundaries. We all make mistakes, but when there is a pattern of behavior the other person can’t seem to break, you shouldn’t give your forgiveness so easily. Eventually, it becomes enabling.
“Over-explaining is a form of begging.”
“You don’t have to attend every fight you are invited to.”
“Sometimes the things that break your heart fix your vision.”
“Never miss anyone who knows how to find you.”
“Accept people as they are and place them where they belong.”
“Don’t work harder than the person you’re helping.”
“If you’re not allowed to question it, you’re being controlled by it.“
This quote offers a way of looking at the authoritarian forces in our lives. Whether it’s the government, the educational system, law enforcement, religion, the media, or even people in your family, when you’re not allowed to be critical or ask questions, those in authority are more interested in controlling you than serving you.
“Equality can feel like oppression to the ones who have held power.”
Quotes about mental health
“You can’t hate yourself into a version of yourself you love.”
This quote is attributed to Lori Deschene, the founder of Tiny Buddha. She’s also the author of Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal, Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, and more. The quote highlights the idea that self-improvement is more likely to come from self-acceptance than from self-criticism.
“If it doesn’t change my life, then it shouldn’t change my mood.”
“Avoidance is just prolonged suffering disguised as safety.”
“People of value don’t go around devaluing others.”
“You are not the voice in your head, you are the one that hears it.”
There’s something wonderful about having little pieces of wisdom in your back pocket that you can draw on whenever things get rough. Kudos to Anderson, who asked her audience to share the wisdom many people may really need right now.
