It often feels like things are slipping out of your hands. But the best place to get back control over life is to start with your very own body.
Thanks to the TikToker Andy Jiang and his video series “Tricks That Give You Power Over Your Own Body,” we now can start from little things. Like dealing with cramps on your morning jog or avoiding getting your ears painfully stuffed on a plane and so much more.
So let’s see Andy’s useful advice right below which amassed him a total of 12.1M likes and may well make our lives if not easier, then slightly more bearable. And that’s already a win.
Image credits: learntoday
#1
If you feel like you’re about to fall asleep when you definitely shouldn’t be sleeping, try holding your breath for as long as you can. This increases your heart rate and blood flow, waking you up quickly.
Image source: learntoday, Marcus Aurelius
#2
If you feel very hot or that your body is about to overheat, pour cold water over your wrists, this helps the entire body to cool down.
Image source: learntoday, Anna Shvets
#3
If you ever have a really itchy mosquito bite that doesn’t go away, putting deodorant on it can help it stop itching.
Image source: learntoday, Th145
#4
If you ever get that nasty static-y feeling when your arm has fallen asleep all you have to do is shake your head for a couple of seconds and the feeling will go away.
Image source: learntoday, Anete Lusina
#5
If you ever feel your gag reflex come on when you’re eating food, brushing your tongue or doing something else, literally all you have to do is grab your left thumb in your hand and the gag reflex will go away.
Image source: learntoday, drmutt1369
#6
If you want to remember something easier, you should think about it right before you go to bed. This gives whatever you’re trying to remember a better chance of getting stored in your long term memory.
Image source: learntoday, Ivan Oboleninov
#7
If you ever find yourself doing some last minute studying, find a pack of gum and chew it. This will give you around 20 minutes where your memory, attention and cognitive skills are boosted.
Image source: learntoday, energepic.com
#8
Chewing gum when a plane is taking off or landing helps equalize the pressure in your ears.
Image source: learntoday, STOCKSNAP
#9
If you feel tears building up and you don’t want to cry, hold your eyes wide open without blinking, the feeling will go away. If you already started crying but you want to stop, look up with your eyes and keep your jaw relaxed, it will help stop the tears.
Image source: learntoday, Rene Asmussen
#10
If you feel an uncontrollable itch inside your throat, try scratching the back of one of your ears, this helps the itch to go away.
Image source: learntoday, Alena Shekhovtcova
#11
If you ever find yourself in a dreaded situation where you just really need to use the bathroom but do not have access to one, scratch the back of your calf really hard. This stalls your brain and gives you more time to find a bathroom.
Image source: learntoday, Kindel Media
#12
If you get that feeling where your nose itches and you really want to sneeze but it doesn’t come out, try looking into very bright light. Studies show that this can help the sneeze come out.
Image source: learntoday, Mikael Blomkvist
#13
If you’re ever doing a project and need some creativity, raise your eyebrows. Believe it or not, it’s been scientifically proven that this makes you more creative.
Image source: learntoday, Polina Kovaleva
#14
If you can’t fall asleep, blink with your eyes really fast for a minute. This helps you tire your eyes out and lets you fall asleep easier.
Image source: learntoday, Armin Rimoldi
#15
When you’re cutting onions, move your tongue to the roof of your mouth, this prevents you from crying.
Image source: learntoday, Promodhya Abeysekara
#16
If you find it hard to swallow big pills, a really easy technique you can use is just lean your head forward. This causes the pill to move to the back of your throat and makes it easier to swallow.
Image source: learntoday, nhs
#17
If you want to temporarily improve your vision and see further, hold your hand into a fist and look through it like a telescope. This allows a narrow beam of light to enter the eye, which reduces the size of the circle of confusion on the retina and increases the depth of field, letting you see further.
Image source: learntoday
#18
If you’re having trouble thinking or remembering during a test, readjust your body position. This helps to change the way you’re thinking and helps to see the question from a new perspective.
Image source: learntoday, Monstera
#19
If you have a stuffed nose, hold your breath for as long as you can before you finally have to breathe. This actually activates your survival mechanisms and your nose will consequently unclog.
Image source: learntoday, Polina Tankilevitch
#20
If you want to experience night vision: sit in a dark room and get your eyes accustomed to the darkness. Then close one of your eyes and turn on very bright light. After you turn the lights off again, the eye you closed will have night vision.
Image source: learntoday
#21
If you have acne or poor skin, at the end of every shower you should change the water to cold for around a minute. This can help seal your pores and stop dirt and bacteria from getting into your skin.
Image source: learntoday, Armin Rimoldi
#22
When taking a photo, you should always push your tongue to the roof of your mouth when you smile. This makes your smile look more natural and helps chisel your chin overall making you look more photogenic.
Image source: learntoday, Andrea Piacquadio
#23
If you get a cramp while you’re running, all you have to do is breathe out when your left foot hits the ground and breathe in as your right foot hits the ground. This will take the pressure off and make the pain go away.
Image source: learntoday, Mikhail Nilov
#24
If you’re ever feeling sad, put a pencil between your teeth. This moves your mouth into the shape of a smile, which tricks your brain into feeling happier.
Image source: learntoday, JESHOOTS.COM
#25
If you’re experiencing anxiety, blowing air on your thumb can help reduce your stress.
Image source: learntoday
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