Ask Lemmy

In a financial negotiation, avoid saying a number first, even if it seems like you're being rude, just say stuff like "what's your budget" instead. This trick sounds really stupid but somehow it is extremely effective.

When you sprain your ankle, DON'T MOVE. I used to try and walk it off because that's what everyone does and even coaches recommend it, but that's when the actual damage is done.

Spraining is usually just your tendons/ligaments going into emergency mode (getting very short/tight). So if you try to walk while they are still tight, they will actually tear, doing damage that takes weeks to heal. If you instead just keep that ankle perfectly still for like 30 seconds to 2 min, the ankle will be completely fine.

Trick is, you have to overcome the social pressure to hurry it along (i.e. on a hike at work, or on a sport field).

If you have a song stuck in your head, and it's driving you a bit mad: listen to it. Something about your mind trying to fill things in (it's been many years since I've read this bit of advice, and unsure entirely on why).

You are the first person I have ever met (other than my mom, who I learned it from) who does the "sleep upside down" thing. It totally works!

In your head, change the name of a food you wish to avoid. I've done this with McD's.

In my head, it's been called McDicks since high school. I, personally, don't enjoy eating dicks. So, when I see the sign, and I feel like a Big Mac would go down easy, I say to myself, "I don't eat dicks."

It works.

For those who enjoy eating dicks, well, you'll have to choose another association. Also, I didn't think the phrase "feel like a Big Mac would go down easy" would be so overtly sexual.

If you're stuck on a creative project or out of ideas on how to approach a problem, and you feel a little fatigued mentally, have a cup of coffee or something with caffeine and lie down for a short nap.

It'll take some time for the caffeine to kick in, so you might even drift off, and this way it seems to stimulate the mind in a way that produces insights and ideas more than just keeping you from feeling tired.

Don't be a cunt.

Simple advice that works. More people should try it.

I have another one: use coconut oil (thick one) as a mouthwash to improve gum health and whiten your teeth more. It also is great for neutralising any acidity or any bad taste in your mouth, if you're not yet ready to brush your teeth.

So if you ever get a random headache that is just a pinching pain in a random spot then try breathing there. I don't mean breathe deep or breathe into that spot but actually concentrate super hard into that spot and imagine this is where your lungs are. Concentrate when you breathe and think about how the air goes exactly into that spot directly from your mouth cause this is where your lungs are now, and how you breathe out from there. Keep concentrating and breathing there.

I don't know why it doesn't work if I just take deep breaths but this is legit the only way I can stop the pulsating stabs until they are gone. Concentrate hard tho because once you stop the pain returns unless the attack is over.

When you feel a sneeze coming and you don't want to sneeze, press the tip of your tongue firmly against the roof of mouth. Works nearly every time!

Seeing a horizon can fix short-term balance issues, or temporarily relieve long-term issues like labyrinthitis/vertigo, because it feeds the secondary ocular-vestibulo brain bit and gets you back settled and leveled. Unless you're drunk or damaged, it's a neat trick.

If your clothes have an odor, you can spray a cheap vodka over them to neutralize the smell.

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Drink more water. Eat more fiber.

If you can't find a comfortable temperature when you're sleeping under blankets, just stick one foot, and maybe part of your lower leg, out from under of the blankets. It acts like a radiator, and will release much of your excess heat.

A kid showed this to me at a childhood slumber party, and it's been a useful tip ever since.