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13 Clever Psychological Life Hacks to Make You Smarter

Try out these 13 phycological life hacks that will improve your well-being.


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Yousuf Rafi

2 years ago | 3 min read

Get an edge in life with these smart psychological hacks.

The next time you meet someone who talks a lot, drop something in front o them and they’ll shut their mouth. Or, if you have a talkative colleague and he is not leaving your desk, stand up, go to the printer, and return to their desk.

They’ll sit on their desk without even realizing and you can get back to work.

Luckily, psychology has presented us with phenomenal ways in which you can easily get an edge over people.

Try out these 13 phycological life hacks that will improve your well-being.

1. Long eye contact can do wonders

Science suggests that maintaining eye contact for a longer period of time will immediately increase your charm. Look directly in their eyes while talking or listening and they’ll consider you a likable person.

Another trick if you’re not satisfied with the answer is to stare into their eyes without saying a word. They’ll feel uncomfortable and provide you with a complete answer.

2. Calm your nerves with a chewing gum

Are you nervous about a presentation? Feeling edgy asking for a raise? Try popping chewing gum in your mouth to calm your nerves down.

Psychology suggests that when you pop a chewing gum you’re basically tricking your brain into making it comfortable, leaving no room to feel worried or anxious about anything else.

So, keep a packet of chewing gum with you at all times and when you feel tense, pop one and start chewing.

3. Sit next to someone who is angry with you

It’s proven psychologically that it is far easy to storm your anger on someone who is physically away from you.

But when someone sits next to you, it feels awkward to steam out on them. So, take control of the situation before the meeting by sitting next to the person who seems the angriest on you.

4. Observe their feet

Are you trying to find out if someone enjoys your company? Look at their feet. If they’re pointed towards you, it means they are genuinely engaged.

If the feet are pointed away or during the conversation they point them away, it means that they’re no longer interested in talking with you. Step away and find someone else to chat with.

Moreover, when joining a conversion, check the feet to see if the group is welcoming you or driving you away.

5. Asking questions will make you more likable

Dale Carnegie in his classical book, How to Win Friends and Influence People shares, ‘If you ask more questions from a person, they’ll label you as a charming person.”

A researcher on Reddit suggests, job candidates ask the interviewer about themselves. Asking the interviewer about their work and what they like puts them in a good mood and they will feel that the interview went great.

6. A friend-pleasing trick

When a friend shares something with you and you already know it, don’t interrupt them. Just let them finish and give them a smile. When you say, “I knew this, upsets them.”

You can try this trick with a stranger too and make them feel smart.

7. Catch someone watching you without making it obvious

If you feel someone is watching you, take a big yawn and look at them to observe how they react.

8. To make people accept your idea, ask them for a contribution

It’s challenging to present an idea to someone and expect that they’ll like it instantly. A smart trick is to ask them for suggestions and let them share their view. Add that to the idea and they'll surely accept your idea without any objection.

9. Leave a good last impression

We all know that the first impression counts, but psychology suggests that the last impressions matter too. So, next time when you leave a conversation, a meeting, or a friend, nail your last impression, because that is what they’ll remember about the meeting.

10. Use ‘The Benjamin Franklin Effect’ to like you

A psychological life hack known by The Benjamin Franklin Effect suggests that if you want someone to like you, ask them for a favor.

When you do a favor for someone you don’t like, it changes your behavior towards them and your brain thinks, “This is not a bad person.” and various other ways their brain will turn you into a likable person.

11. Put an end to that loop song playing in your mind

The Zeigarnik Effect continues to remind us about completing something that we’ve started. So, when a song continues to play in your mind for long, listen to the complete song once and it will get your mind off it.

12. Make people agree with you with subliminal signals

While asking a question, nod or shake your head and people will most likely agree with you without thinking much about the question.

13. Improve a bad day with a gratitude entry

Regardless of how bad your day goes, sit down and jot down 10 things that you’re grateful for, and within minutes your mood will shift and you’ll be happy again.

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Yousuf Rafi

A Caffeine dependent writer who loves writing on self-help, life, happiness & motivation.


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