19 Random But Useful Life Hacks, According To Me

1. Never ask “And what do you do…?”

When you’re meeting someone for the first time, never ask “And what do you do [for a living]?” – I always think it’s such a dreaded (and uninspired) question. Instead, ask “And what do you love doing with your life?“. It gets you a far more interesting answer and gives people (with a job they don’t love) to talk about something in life that they DO love. I’m not interested in someone’s computer programming job, but I DO want to hear about their passion for keeping albino ferrets or the medieval festivals they go to in Cornwall every summer.

And if they’re totally passionate about their job as a marine biologist or dog groomer, they can choose to talk about that if they want.

2. Remembering someone’s name

When being introduced to someone, always repeat their name back to them: “Hi Persephone, nice to meet you!” – and then repeat their name to yourself (under your breath). You have a greater chance of remembering their name if you’ve said it “out loud” twice. Also, it gives you a chance to ask them to repeat their name if you missed it the first time.

3. Emulate the people you like most in life

Think of the nicest people you’ve ever met in your life, and think specifically why they made you feel good or why you liked them so much. Strive to be the same to other people or treat others the same way – make them as happy as your favourite person made you.

For example, a retail supervisor of mine years ago was a lovely girl – really nice to work for/with… she just had this wonderful way of saying “No, that’s okay!” if you apologised for something you did wrong. Since then I’ve always, always tried to say that in the same way to people. It was just super friendly and reassuring, like she really meant it, and you never felt bad for making a mistake because she had a genuine way of telling me it wasn’t a problem.

4. WFH? Make a walk your ‘commute’ to work

If you work from home, go for a morning walk before you start work if you’re able. Treat it as your new “commute” – when you get in you’ve arrived at work, so make a cup of tea and start your day. Starting your day with fresh air starts you off in a better and more positive mood, and the health benefits of walking are massive. I’ve always said that if you only do one form of exercise, WALK.

5. Be super nice to those in the service industry, always

Be incredibly nice and well-mannered to everyone in the service industry, no matter whether you’re being a regular customer or making a complaint in person, on the phone, or online. No one ever gets treated well if they’re being rude or an arsehole (I worked for years in customer services, I know). Nine times out of ten you can get what you want – or more – even if you’re complaining about something… and you do it NICELY.

6. Learn to take flattering photos of yourself

When asking someone to take a photo of you, get them to stand back further back and zoom in. Most camera (phone) settings are on wide-angle as default, so you’ll end up with a big head and body and then tiny legs. You’ll look far more correctly/realistically proportioned if they’ve zoomed in, and you’ll stop hating photos of yourself.

As a side note, I recently read that if you constantly avoid having your photo taken, your loved ones won’t have any photos to remember you by. Don’t avoid the camera, someone else may regret it in years to come 😭

7. A brilliant conversation starter

If you’re stuck for a conversation starter with someone/a group of people you don’t know (e.g. at a table at a wedding), get people to talk about food… nearly EVERYONE likes talking about food. My go-to question is: “If you could only choose to eat pasta, bread or potatoes ever again, which would it be? So, you could have every type of potato from mashed to boiled to chips, but you’d have to give up pasta and bread“. In case you’re wondering, my choice would be potatoes. I’m not bothered about pasta and would find it hard to give up bread, but gaaaaad I love jacket potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled baby potatoes, chips, potatoes dauphinoise… the list goes on.

You can ask the same question as a “sweet” version: “If you could only choose to eat chocolate, cakes or biscuits ever again, which would it be?” Mine would be cakes: it’d mean I could have everything from chocolate brownies to birthday cake. Best of both worlds.

It’s a type of question that can be answered by anyone of any age, background etc. and gets people thinking (and often quite animated when deciding).

8. How to buy a gift for someone you don’t know at all well

If you want/need to buy a present for someone you don’t know very well, choose something for their house (let’s say flowers) based on their personal style. People who dress in bright colours often choose the same for their home decor, and likewise for minimalists who wear black and/or neutrals. Buy bold, bright bouquets for the maximalists and (e.g.) all-white roses for the minimalists.

9. Become a great gift-giver

Buy birthday and Christmas presents and birthday cards for friends and family throughout the whole year – don’t wait till the week (or day!) before. If you see something that’s perfect for somebody, get it straight away even if Christmas/their birthday is months away. It takes the stress out of shopping, spreads the cost and makes you an expert present-giver. (Just don’t do what I’ve done in the past and forget you already bought them something ages ago #Facepalm).

10. Avoid ironing altogether

If you hate ironing as much as I do (I hate it so much I’d rather clean the toilet), invest in an upright clothes steamer (this one comes with good reviews and is currently under £100). I can count the number of times I’ve used my iron on one hand since I bought my steamer eight years ago. It’s life-changing: no more piles of laundry waiting to be ironed (which is a WIN in Catherine’s Book of Life). I also bought a hand-held steamer that I take in my suitcase if I’m away and have packed something that’ll crease during travel. I find economy hotels rarely have irons and boards so a portable version is brilliant for me.

11. Have water before every meal

Drinking a glass of water just before every meal will stop you overeating as your meal will fill you right up, and will help you increase your water intake. If you really want to up your intake of water, get a water bottle with times of the day measured out on it to stay accountable for how much H2O you drink.

12. No more damp towels in winter

When you get out of the shower, dry yourself roughly with a flannel first. You’re then mostly dry when you use the bath towel, and it doesn’t get too damp and potentially smelly, especially during winter. Change the flannel every other day and you’ll always feel fresher when drying yourself. I know towel radiators dry towels fast, but you don’t want them on in the summer and it still doesn’t stop the towels from getting a bit smelly from being damp in the first place.

13. Call someone what they want to be called

Never shorten someone’s name without their say-so. Always call people what they want to be called, they’ll like you a whole lot more for it. If someone says their name is Peter, don’t start calling them Pete unless you ask if it’s okay to do so. Remember Pretty Woman?

Vivian: Can I call you Eddie?
Edward: Not if you expect me to answer…

As someone whose name can be shortened a multitude of ways, it grates on me when people just start calling me Cat or Cathy (and it makes me feel like a d*ck if I have to correct them).

14. Don’t pet without permission

If you want to pet someone’s dog, always ask permission first. Offer the back of your hand to doggo to sniff if the owner says yes. Some dogs who appear friendly may not be or they might be nervous, or vice versa. Some rescue dogs may have traumatic backgrounds and will react badly/unexpectedly to being petted without warning.

For example, Suki looks super cute and friendly but she is totally unpredictable with who she lets pet her and who she doesn’t. Unfortunately, when we first had her we had a couple of close calls when she decided she didn’t like being petted on the back of the head (always men for some reason), and they could have been bitten badly if we hadn’t pulled her back quickly when we saw she was about to go for their hand. We now say to EVERY stranger “Please don’t pet her” straight away. She chooses who pets her by going up to them and sniffing, or she’ll just back away. It’s not fair to force her into a situation where she feels threatened and – in her eyes – has to defend herself.