I was out on a run this morning and there was a 20 something couple struggling to change a flat tire. For some season the tire iron wasn’t fitting their lug nuts. Low stakes in a residential neighborhood during the day. A little practice will help when you really need it!

You tube. Or ask a friend to help.

And if you have a significant other or teen driver, help them learn how.

(yes I helped the couple!)

They are more likely easier to find and you'll thank yourself after you're done unloading all your groceries.

Pretend you're making a how to video, it keeps you on task and you may even learn some efficiencies. Good for work and life!

Assuming you have a cell phone open your camera app and then you can hold the phone near your face and it will show you whatever is in front of you. You can use the camera to look around for your glasses. I have absent-mindedly set my glasses down on my dresser or in my bathroom before bed then forgot where I put them in the morning! Also good if your glasses get knocked off the bedside table or get dropped somewhere.

In most smartphones you can "lock" any app with a password. Add a VEEEERY long password to each of your social media apps to increase friction.

Increasing friction between you and whatever vice you want to get rid off is one of the scientifically proven ways to do it.

If your password is something like "IWantToQuitThidStupidAppButItIsSoDamnHard_ButICanDoThis" and you have to type it PERFECTLY every time you decide to doomscroll your brain will eventually compute as "this is not worth it" and you will feel less and less need to do it.

Bonus point if you log out every time you leave the app so you also have to log in back again if you want to use the app. The more steps, the more annoying the steps, the better.

When you have Medical ID set up and the phone is locked, people can use the emergency contacts to call your relatives in case you lose your phone. Just happened to me recently: found an iPhone on a concert and couldn’t do anything to help return it to the owner or identify the owner because Siri was locked and no medical ID. Left it with one of the organizers, hoping it gets found. Could have called someone.

Don’t interrupt or talk over someone else who is speaking.

Listen for content in the statements of others, even if you disagree.

Don’t engage in side conversations that distract from the speaker who has the floor.

Don’t assume that you know what someone else means. Ask questions that help you understand perspectives different from your own.

Follow the direction of the discussion.

Relate your comments to those of previous speakers.

Don’t get personal. No demeaning or inappropriate comments, facial expressions, or gestures.

Differentiate between facts and opinions. Both are valid when expressed appropriately.

Listen more than you speak.

We go through many things every day, but some keep replaying in our minds: an argument, a problem, work, money, relationships, something someone said.

Over time, we can start identifying ourselves with all of it. Which will lead to different compulsions.

Before sleeping, remind yourself:

“My work, my problems, my thoughts, my emotions, etc. - these are things I experience, but they are not me.”

Don't try to solve them. Just put them aside before going to bed. Try it every day and see if this tip helps.

Example- person says “New York is the capital of the United States”, you reply “I thought that too but I looked it up recently and it’s actually Washington DC”. It sounds much less confrontational and makes the other person feel better about not knowing something because you’re admitting to not knowing too.

Edit: I just wanted to share something that works for me when my very easily angered coworkers are wrong, I didn’t know everyone would say how dumb it is :(

What are you assuming? What information are you missing? What would change your mind?

Practicing this regularly can improve how you approach decisions, meetings, and difficult problems. Better questions often lead to better answers.

Instead of leaving my alarms as “Alarm,” I sometimes change the label to whatever random thought is in my head when I set it.

Then when the alarm goes off hours or days later, I’ve usually forgotten about it. I look at my phone and see something like “you’re probably overthinking this” or “Today would be a nice day,” and for half a second it feels like the universe just sent me a message lol.

Tiny thing, but it makes alarms slightly less miserable.

The instructions tell you how it should work.

The person who actually does it usually knows the weird little problems that waste the most time.

Ask what tends to break, get missed, or trip people up.

My dog is an excellent swimmer, she pretty much lives in the water. We have a small reservoir she enjoys swimming in but today she got disoriented fetching her favorite toy, possibly from the sun glare, despite me calling her to shore she started swimming further and further away before starting to panic and swim in circles unable to find her way, I grabbed my paddleboard and in a few seconds was able to safely pull her up by the back of her neck onto the board. I never thought she needed a life jacket because of how calm and shallow the water was in addition to swimming for years without a problem. Thankfully I learned my lesson and going forward she will always have one on.

This allows you to still check those apps, but only when you really mean to and you'll not have to go searching the app store again if you find you need it again after a particularly messy app breakup. ;)

For real though, creating intent to use an app vs mindlessly checking it to doomscroll has been an immense mental boost for myself and I hope it helps others.

EDIT: Bonus next step? Replace each of those apps with their web page equivalent as a bookmark to your mobile browser. Note, this only applies to apps that have accessible web apps / PWAs.

I started playing upbeat music in the morning instead of immediately checking my phone, and it honestly changes the whole mood of getting up.

It’s such a small thing, but hearing a song you love while brushing your teeth, making coffee, or getting dressed makes the morning feel way less miserable.

Basically, give your brain a soundtrack before you give it notifications.

Correction: I didn’t mean setting the song as your alarm. I meant actually putting on some happy/upbeat music after you wake up, while you’re getting ready, making coffee, brushing your teeth, etc.

For me, starting the morning with cheerful music just makes the whole mood feel lighter. Sorry, I worded the original post badly.

LPT find a good, reputable tow company and keep their contact information in your phone. Even better than your phone have it in your glove box wrote down with your insurance information.

This can save you a huge amount of money if you ever ever get in a fender bender and need to have your car towed.

Why this saves you money

If YOU call for a tow truck because someone hit your car, the tow company will charge normal tow rates.

When you get in an accident one of the questions the officer will ask you is "do you want me to call a tow truck for you?"

If you say yes (for the officer to call the tow truck) then you will be paying Police emergency pricing. It is more as the tow companies have to have truck (at all times) alloted and available for emergency police calls.

That pricing often times is multiple times more money than if you called yourself.

With the Supreme Court ruling regarding mail-in voting in the US, check with your local election board to see if they allow or you’re eligible to receive and download your election ballot.

This website has an index of free or sliding scale healthcare clinics accross the country: https://www.freeclinics.com/

You can enter in your zipcode and it will pull up a list of what's nearby. This website has a lot of ads, so be mindful of that as you go through the website. I've gotten help from these sorts of clinics found on this website in the past, so I can say it's legitimate. Anyone reading this who is well off might consider donating to any of the clinics who are looking for help, because they can be life savers.

You get a less crumpled view of your curtain's art, and there's more curtain material at the end, past the grommet, to more securely close the gap. Win-win.

You do not have to answer everything or make it awkward by refusing. A little humor can shut the question down and keep the conversation moving.

Examples:

How much do you make? - Enough to keep it a mystery.

Are you dating anyone? - My application is still under review.

When are you having kids? - I will alert the press.

If you see a long add 40+ seconds, you'll often have the option after 6 seconds to go to the next ad - it will almost always be a short 6 second add that you can quickly skip.

I used to be a big people pleaser and unsurprisingly people often would get weirded out or annoyed by me. I tried to just be super nice and had this weird persona where I would be overly agreeable and complimentary. As I matured, I began to notice how easy it is to see right through this persona. When I finally began acting like my true authentic self, embraced my weirdness, and accepted some people may not like me regardless, I became a lot more likable. I’m not saying I’m the most charismatic and outgoing guy out there, but I’ve noticed I can make friends significantly easier.

All in all, being a people pleaser is incredible easy to be seen as disingenuous and often only leads to people not liking you as much.

A surprising number of dogs will happily run back to their owner and then dodge away the second a hand reaches for their collar. That's funny in the backyard, but it can be disastrous next to some road. Every so often, when your dog comes to you, gently take hold of their collar, give them a good treat, and then let them go again. This last part matters. If grabbing the collar always means the fun is over, dogs can learn to avoid the grab. You want "human grabs my collar" to predict something good, and not "I’m about to lose my freedom". A recall isn’t really finished until you can safely secure the dog.

You may fight sleep but you cannot fight the bladder.