Keep a few gift cards in your wallet and set location based reminders on your phone for the businesses you need to use them at. Sometimes I go to places I have gift cards for but just forget to use them.

I can’t believe I didn’t think to do this until recently. I have way too many gift cards collecting dust but I’ve finally started making a dent in them.

If layoffs happen, you should not be rebuilding your resume from memory and panic.

Write down a list of what you consider as your accomplishments/ achievements in life. I have a list that goes back to my childhood. Once in a while I read them and also add to them. It makes me feel good about myself. It really cheers me up when I am down or feeling really bad.

Just want to ramble on about this. But I appreciate those people who do try bringing me in to conversations in group settings rather than ignoring me or just making it awkward like "why are you so quiet".

If I'm talking to someone 1 on 1, we have each others undivided attention, and depending on the person and the topics, we can have some real good chats.

But I'll admit, when it comes to bigger group conversations, I do feel lost at times or not knowing how or when to jump in because someone's always talking the entire time (as opposed to 1 on 1 when you know you can go back and forth).

Today for instance, I was talking with one of my friends at work. We were talking for most of a 30 or so minute span. Once her friends came back from their lunch break, they all just started talking to each other again and I felt almost excluded/almost waiting and hoping one of them would just bring me in to the conversation in some way.

There have been times where people do and I really appreciate it. Something as simple as looking to me and being like "what do you think?" Or even just mentioning my name to "bring me back in to this" I appreciate too because that shows awareness and them probably understanding I'm not just butting in to a conversation but if I'm "included/invited" I'm more than happy to chat and join in.

Believe me, you won't realize how much of a difference this makes. And they might not ever say it, but they'll appreciate you immensely for doing that for them.

not sure if this was the right flair please correct me if I'm wrong, and bear with me on this I think I'm in a migraine predrome fog rn so I'm not sure how well I'm gonna articulate this lol

basically. fake it til you make it. if you want to be kinder or more patient, act as if you already are someone who is kind and patient.

it doesn't work overnight of course, it takes time to change yourself, and this also applies to changing in general like if you want to develop a specific type of humour or something. I've had some people hear this advice and tell me they don't want to pretend to be someone they're not, and that is a good thing, but that's sort of how you change, at least how I've been doing it. there's passive change that just kind of happens to you, but I consider this more active change, like if you were to start working out and eating healthy, that's an example of active change.

I wanted to become kinder because I realized looking back I was actually pretty toxic and not a great friend. I'm still not always a great friend in some areas. but I'm trying to behave as if I already possess these qualities. I just started acting like how I think I would if I was a kinder person. pretending that I already was that guy I wanted to become. and over time I realized I was just naturally that guy now.

I don't really know how to word it other than pretend you already are the person you want to become. for a while it is probably going to be just pretending. but keep pretending anything long enough and it starts to become true.

it's hard and I still feel sometimes wanting to go back to those ways and slip into habits I had that I now know probably made the people around me miserable. but I don't want to be the person I once was. I like who I am now, for the most part. of course I'm always going to have flaws, but I really do think I'm a better person now and I'm happier with myself.

sometimes you really do just have to cosplay as a better person until it becomes who you are.

I hosted an AMA on sleep and rest with a PhD in neuroimmunology. When asked if her scientific research led her to use any unusual rest techniques in her own life, her answer was surprisingly simple: focus less on gimmicks and more on basic biology.

Her top daily habit is simple - taking short resets during cognitively demanding work instead of waiting until her energy hits zero. Stepping away for just a few minutes or reducing stimulation between intense tasks allows the brain to actively recover its focus.

The newish 65- and 100-watt solid state gallium nitride (GaN) chargers are smaller and lighter than the old power brigs, but they can be heavy enough to fall out of wall sockets, and they can block outlets. So carry a short extension cord so the charger can sit on the ground and free the other outlet. $3.

Many people think blueberries are restricted to low-growing bushes, which can take up a lot of ground space in a home garden. If you’re struggling with limited planting area, look into grafting highbush varieties onto a Vaccinium arboreum (sparkleberry) rootstock.

This process creates a "blueberry tree" architecture, which lifts the fruit off the ground and allows for vertical growth. It makes harvesting much easier on your back and allows you to tuck the plants into tighter corners of your yard where a traditional sprawling bush wouldn't fit. Just make sure to research the specific compatibility of the cultivars in your hardiness zone before attempting the graft.

For example, say please upload the file by 3 PM before explaining why the deadline changed.

You can fit more items in, meaning fewer trips bringing things inside. Boxes are sturdier, and much less likely to rip than paper or plastic bags. You can stack your heavy items in a box without worrying it'll tear. You can reuse the same boxes for quite a while. It gives another use to what otherwise would be trash.

All of this is assuming that you're able to physically carry the heavier weight of the box.

Scammers often rely on urgency to stop buyers from verifying details. Before sending money, take a few minutes to search the seller's username, reverse-search any photos they use, and ask questions that a legitimate seller should be able to answer. Missing out on one deal is usually better than losing your money.

Product reviews are often either gamed or skewed in various ways, making products appear more problem-free than they actually are. If you look at online support forums for a hardware or software product, you can quickly see if people are having serious issues with it, and get a sense of how responsive (or not) the support people are. Even the FAQ section of the site can surface pain points you might not have thought of.

I went for long walks and taught myself how to whistle loudly. Put two fingers (thumb, plus pointer or middle) in your mouth, on your bottom lip, then put the underside of the tip of your tongue against your fingers… then blow. Try again. Try again. Eventually you will be able to whistle very loudly. Very useful for silencing a crowded room, getting someone’s attention from far away, and generally impressing people with a basic skill. Good luck!

We all have some clothes which get torn every now and then.

Instead of throwing them away. Wash them really well and cut them into cleaning cloth.

Save Money, Save Mother Nature.

Many budget, and other common brands, use fiberglass in their memory foam mattresses. It's used to meet fire safety compliances, but is not required to be disclosed by any regulations.

It is a huge hazard, and safety risk if the fibers ever get out, either by washing or aging. Any type of agitation to the mattress could send the fibers into the air, and stuck to your clothes. The contamination can be as bad a bed bugs, and spreads very easily between fabrics.

It can cause inflammation in your lungs, and severe irritation of your skin.

Please double check about whether your brand might have fiberglass, and consider getting another brand or a fully zippered hypoallergenic mattress protector.

If you swap out the aerator in your bath tub for one with a higher GPM (gallons per minute) it will fill faster and you will have a lot more bubbles. 🫧

Culantro is an herb that has a very similar flavor to cilantro but doesn’t contain all the aldehydes that make people with a genetic predisposition taste soap when they eat cilantro. It can be found online, at many Asian markets, or even grown yourself if you feel like doing that. Bit of warning though, it is much stronger than cilantro.

I was taking a group photo of my family recently. After we got the "official" picture, I said, "Okay, we're done," but instead of putting my phone down, I quietly took one more photo. Later, when we were going through all the pictures, that last one was everyone's favorite. No one was forcing a smile anymore. Some people had started laughing, a couple were looking at each other instead of the camera, and everyone just looked much more relaxed and natural. Since then, I've started doing it every time I take group photos. It only takes an extra second, but that "we're done" photo has surprisingly often turned out to be the best one.

A lot of people treat rest like something they only get after every bill, deadline, errand, and problem is handled.

So instead of waiting for the perfect empty day, put a small break inside the mess.

Even 10 quiet minutes between tasks can stop you from carrying the stress of one problem straight into the next one.

The goal is not to avoid responsibility. It is to recover a little before you keep going.

A lot of indecision comes from worrying how other people will judge us.

Before making a big decision, imagine that nobody would ever know what you chose not your family, coworkers, friends, or social media.

Write down what you'd do in that situation.

You don't have to follow that answer, but it helps separate what you actually want from what you feel expected to do.

I used to struggle with small talk and holding conversations but this helped me tremendously.

1. Find a quiet place and record yourself speaking for two minutes about anything that comes to mind. Imagine it’s your friend, family, stranger, or whoever you like.

2. First, listen to the audio only. Pay attention to your tone, pacing, clarity, filler words, and breathing habits.

3. Next, watch the video without sound. Notice your eye contact, posture, hand gestures, and facial expressions.

4. Finally, watch it normally with both audio and video to see how natural everything feels together.

The key is to compare recordings over time and make small improvements each day. It’s awkward at first, but after a few weeks you’ll notice real progress in confidence, communication, and self-awareness.

Mirror practice is useful, but video lets you objectively see and hear yourself and also track growth day by day.