by Shameera Nair Lin

I used to be a skeptic when it came to ‘life hacks’. In 2009, it felt like a trend my peers would outgrow at some point — surely there aren’t enough cables in the world to roll up properly? Or if you’re adventurous, perhaps you’ve tried building a DIY air-conditioner out of bottles, ice and a fan? I have, and that did not go down well — the mess was not worth the constant toil of mass-producing ice in my fridge. However, one evening in 2019, I found myself re-converted: there are life hacks that are simple and efficient, after all. Here’s a small selection of neat and time-efficient life hacks:

1. Phone in cup as a makeshift speaker

A staple favourite for college students and desperate hosts who do not have costly JBL or Bose speakers (me), I was pleasantly surprised at how well this works. It’s even better when you’d like to share a song with a friend and listen to it simultaneously, but do not have earphone splitters. Use a glass mug for clearer effect, and tilt your phone slightly so the speaker isn’t touching the base of the cup. This will ensure better projection quality.

2. Lighting a stick of spaghetti to light a candle wick

If you spend most of your evenings at home unwinding to the soothing scent of Yankee Candle’s Beach Walk or whatever else (hint: my birthday’s in October, all Beach Walk candles are welcome), but dread the moment you’re about to finish the candle — knowing you risk torching your fingers — look no further. Light the end of a stick of spaghetti, and use that to light your candlewick.

3. Binder clips as cable catchers

Get long binder clips, line them up at the edge of your work table and voila, as pictured.

4. Podcasts and Audiobooks

Here, we have a truly life-changing habit. Dreading that long commute to work? Tired of staring at a screen? Podcasts and audiobooks allow you to focus in a different way, if you’d like to kill time without more screen time. One of my favourite podcasts is PJ Thum’s ’The History of Singapore’, where he explores different historical events. As for audiobooks, you could either get an Audible subscription — allowing you to choose any book you wish to read — or you could download an app called ‘Libby’, which allows you to borrow audiobooks from public libraries in your country of residence. The Malaysian National Library has an array of selections; this is a great, free option. Personally, I enjoy starting my day listening to a book. Podcasts and audiobooks can be sped up too, which means you are able to listen according to your preferred speed.

5. Chew mint (or store mint) while wearing a face mask

EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, needs to know this. Now, more than ever, ‘mask breath’ is becoming an overly familiar scent. If you’d like to avoid ‘mask breath’, chew gum while you’re wearing a mask. And for stronger effect, leave a pack of mint in your mask when you’re not using it — your mask will smell minty fresh. (Sorry, I know this image I’ve chosen is misleading, unless your choice of breath mint has a flowery scent.)

If you have more life hacks, feel free to send them over to us! In the meantime, these should make life slightly easier on a day-to-day basis.