Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual, which is precisely why so many people are confused. Why won’t the tinfoil roll stay in the box? How do you pronounce “gif”? There’s always Google, but the internet can’t give you answers if you don’t know what to ask. There are a ton of everyday things you’re probably doing wrong—and even worse, you don’t know you’re doing it.
Brushing Your Teeth
If you think you’re getting bonus points by brushing after every meal, you are sorely mistaken. Dentin, the layer underneath tooth enamel, will erode more quickly if you brush after eating. Just brush at night and in the morning, and go easy on the toothpaste. A pea-sized amount is all you need.
Eating Pizza
When you recklessly lift a slice of pizza, you’re risking an avalanche of cheese (and possibly pineapple.) How did you even get this far in life? You should bend the edges of your pizza enough to create a U shape while maintaining some flatness at the bottom, and all that greasy gooeyness should make it to your mouth. Don’t scoff; this technique is backed up by a mathematical equation called the Theorema Egregium.
Eating Cheetos
Keep your fingers free from all that radioactively bright orange powder: use chopsticks instead. There’s no scientific data to back this up, just pure snacking desperation.
Washing Your Hair
You’re washing it way too often, and that’s just for starters. Too much hot water and shampoo will strip away the oils your hair needs. Then the oil glands on your scalp can overcompensate by producing too much, and your ends up even oilier. Wash it every other day with cooler water, and blot your hair dry afterward with a soft T-shirt, not a towel.
Using the Ceiling Fan
In the winter, it should rotate clockwise, so the warm air from above will circulate in the room. In the summer, switch the rotation to counter-clockwise, and you’ll feel the cooler air you want.
Microwaving
Heating a mountain of food will just leave the middle cold. Dig a hole in the middle and spread the food evenly around the edges of the plate for a more consistent temperature.
Breathing
Of all the everyday things you’re probably doing wrong, this is the most common by far. After all, you breathe about 17,000 times a day. If you’re breathing from the chest, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Slower, deeper breaths from the lower diaphragm will relieve stress, lower your blood pressure, increase physical stamina, and reduce fatigue. Yep, you can’t even get breathing right—just when you thought you had it all figured out, too.
