 1. Do a stretch routine Stopping your daily activities for a stretch is very helpful to prevent stiffness in the neck. A good method is to follow these steps:
 2. Apply cold or heat To reduce local inflammation, a hot or cold pack might do the trick. Putting some ice in case of a flare-up is helpful against inflammation and heat on the neck can stimulate blood flow. Both treatments are effective and it’s up to the patients to choose which one they like best — they can even be used alternately.  3. Reduce your pillow count Too many pillows in your bed can be harmful to your neck during your sleep routine. The height of the pillow pile keeps the neck flexed, leading to pain as soon as you wake up. Also avoid very stiff pillows, because they don’t allow much neck motion.  4. Ask for a professional massage When done properly, a gentle massage on the painful and sore areas can stretch your neck and back muscles. Besides that, a massage can also reduce neck pain, increase your range of motion, and even relieve stress.  5. Move around If you work in an office or just spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, it is possible that you experience a lot of neck pain. If you get up and exercise every once in a while, you can free your neck from staying in an unhealthy position for too long.  6. Try acupuncture This technique has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine and consists of inserting needles into the pressure points of your body which relieves tension and helps with chronic pain in the neck region.  7. Poke the base of your tongue with a fork Our tongues contain valuable information about our body’s problems, including neck issues. As we mentioned before, acupuncture can offer assistance to relieve pain, and there’s a specific type of it that can help a lot. This technique is called lingual acupuncture and consists in stimulating the tip of your tongue 10 to 30 times with a fork (or your fingers). The pain in your neck will subside quickly.  8. Don’t look down at your phone A final tip is to avoid placing your phone, or any other smart device, in a lower position while looking at it. Forcing your head down aggravates your neck and increases the pain, so make sure to hold your phone at eye-level whenever possible.
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 1. Belly button Most of us generally either ignore the cleanliness of the belly button or clean it the wrong way. Your belly button is supposed to be cleaned once a week and in a specific manner. Dip a cotton swab in some rubbing alcohol and use it to clean the insides. Repeat until the swab comes out clean. Follow up with a fresh swab to get rid of the rubbing alcohol. Avoid using body lotion.  2. Ears This goes without saying but using your nails or any other pointy thing to clean out your ear wax is an absolute no-no. Instead, apply a few drops of baby oil or glycerin to soften the wax. After 1-2 days, gently pour in warm water using an eyedropper or rubber bulb syringe. Turn your head to the other side to let the water out. Wipe it with a towel and repeat the process as necessary. You can also use a swab to clean the outer area of your ear.  3. Tongue According to experts, scrapping your tongue is the most effective way to clean it. Your tongue needs to be cleaned just as often as your teeth. Place a scraper at the back of your tongue and slowly bring it forward with a little pressure. If you feel like gagging, avoid it by adjusting the placement of the tongue scrapper as often as needed.  4. Elbows To avoid a build-up of dead skin cells that darken your elbow, it’s advised to exfoliate them once or twice a week. You can use your homemade scrub or buy one from the store but the key here is to rub in a circular motion, softly. Too much pressure will only make it worse.  5. Scalp Scalp buildup can be caused by dead cells or even excess use of hair products. To clean it, rinse your hair completely before using shampoo. Then, mix water in with your shampoo and apply it to your scalp area. If you use conditioner, put it on the ends of the hair only.  6. Face Foaming soaps and washes actually make your skin dry, so avoid them. Use a mild cleanser along with lukewarm water to wash your face. Let it sit on the face for 60-90 seconds before washing it off.  7. Back Washing your back has to be the trickiest thing when it comes to body cleansing. To ensure you are doing it the right way, start with dry brushing. Then proceed to your regular scrubbing using a long loofah or an exfoliating band.  Bonus: How to clean your body when you have piercings According to a piercing expert, the best way to clean and care for your piercing is to make use of saline soaks. Mild compression of salt and warm water can clean the debris and stimulate blood flow in the area.
 1. You’re drinking water after your workouts. While it’s true that drinking water after going to the gym helps with hydration, it’s also important to drink enough before and during exercise. If you start your workout almost dehydrated, you will lose even more fluid while you’re training, and it may be dangerous for your mental and physical health. But you don’t have to stick to just water to restore your fluid balance. Coconut drinks, black and green tea, and even chocolate milk will hydrate you just as well as water.  2. You think coffee and tea don’t count. Your morning cup of coffee or tea can serve as a slightly hydrating beverage. Although these drinks mostly contain caffeine, they still add to the amount of fluids you get each day. Drinking about 3.5 cups of coffee per day will keep you as hydrated as drinking just water, according to a study.  3. You’re eating too little salt. Although a high-sodium diet can dehydrate the body, sodium supports the fluid balance of the body. We naturally lose sodium and other trace elements through sweat, and both water and sodium need to be replaced.  4. You’re drinking 8 glasses of water a day. This popular advice isn’t always accurate. How much water we need depends on different lifestyle factors, such as how physically active we are, what we eat, where we live, and more. To calculate the amount of water in liters your body needs daily, multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.033.  5. You’re drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning. We lose body fluids during sleep, and even if we drink enough before going to bed, we’ll feel thirsty by the next morning. But drinking plain water on an empty stomach isn’t the most effective way to hydrate. It is easier for our bodies to absorb and retain water when there are other nutrients present. So if you’re trying to keep your fluid balance, drink your water with a snack or have a glass of orange juice or milk instead.  6. You’re skimping on water during your workouts. When we’re exercising, our bodies lose water through sweat and breathing. Staying hydrated during a workout is important to regulate your body temperature and blood pressure. Fitness experts recommend drinking 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.  7. You’re forgetting about water-rich foods. Many fruits and vegetables count toward your total fluid intake. Some of them, like tomatoes, watermelon, and cucumbers are also rich in potassium that helps your body stay hydrated for longer.
 “Chemical-free” is false advertising. Let’s start with basics: if you see the word “natural” on the label, it doesn’t mean it’s chemical-free, and the word “chemical” sounds unnecessarily threatening. Water is a chemical too, you know. In addition, dermatologists explain that “natural” products aren’t as well researched as the properly regulated ones. Bottom line is, start reading the ingredient list on the back instead of trusting what the front label says.  All-natural products have a very short shelf-life. Now, while this point might not be a deal-breaker for some, you still need to be mindful of when your natural product expires, especially if you’ve made it yourself. Organic ingredients last, on average, 3 months, so restocking is going to be your priority. Do not use natural products past their expiration date as they can grow mold and yeast, especially if they contain water.  Unprocessed natural ingredients can be extremely harmful. When ingredients are formulated in a lab, regardless of whether they’re synthetic or natural, they’re manipulated in a way that retains only their best properties and that filters out the rest. Let’s take a look at aloe vera, a very popular soothing ingredient in many creams that do, in fact, work. However, raw aloe vera juice contains carcinogens that might cause cancer. This is exactly why processed doesn’t necessarily mean bad.  Physical exfoliation is more damaging than chemical exfoliation. Exfoliation is a very beneficial skin care treatment — it removes dead skin cells allowing for regeneration and an overall fresh-looking face. Obviously, when using natural exfoliants you can only go the physical route, which is much harsher on your skin. Sugar, which is one of the most popular ingredients in organic scrubs, has big molecules that scrape your skin leaving it with tiny scratches. Chemical exfoliants on the other hand, are surprisingly much more gentle and effective. Both methods of exfoliation have to be performed properly, so always consult a dermatologist first.  The allergy and hypersensitivity risk is too high. Very often people who turn to natural skincare suffer from skin sensitivity and assume that their breakouts are a reaction to chemical ingredients. However, many things that we consider natural can cause allergies, like for example eucalyptus, rosemary, tea tree oil, and especially anything citrus-based. At the same time, some products that are formulated in the lab are much more stable, less acidic, and are made specifically for sensitive skin.  Not all parabens are scary. “Parabens” are like the ultimate boogeyman word in skincare. However, parabens and preservatives are what keeps our products stable and helps our skin absorb them. There are no conclusive studies that they harm us, which is why they’re generally recognized as safe, as long as they make up less than 0.1% of the ingredients. In addition, parabens can naturally occur in fruits, like blueberries, strawberries, and olives.
Now you see why “all-natural” and “chemicals” are just words that conceal a completely different picture. Where do you stand on natural vs. formulated skincare? Have you ever had a bad experience with organic products?  1. Luminous lamps and figurines Ceramic, plastic, and wooden figurines or lamps that run on batteries and are designed to decorate the interior, as a rule, only occupy space on the table. The fact is that we usually don’t use our built-in lighting as often as we planned when we buy these decor items.  2. Old shoes We often have a whole collection of footwear that has been worn for a long time but will definitely never be used again. We understand this excess, but every time, an inner voice persuades us to just move all these shoes to the far corner of the closet.  3. Chinese souvenirs Unusual souvenirs of Chinese origin. We bought them with glowing eyes and childish delight, but after a couple of weeks, we simply stopped noticing them. Now, during cleaning, you have to remove dust from these purchases or move them from one place to another.  4. Old spoons and forks A whole bunch of old aluminum or steel spoons and forks that are kept in the same ancient container. We no longer remember the origin of each one of them. Perhaps, we got some of them at a housewarming 15 years ago, and maybe we were planning to use others when we went camping.  5. Another bag full of plastic bags Yes, exactly “another one.” From day to day, the number of plastic products increases, and the moment comes when you have to fold them into each other. And this goes in circles. When we go shopping, we hear the usual, “Do you need a bag?” And every time this happens we think about the heap that is sitting somewhere at home, taking up space.  6. Souvenir candleholders Porcelain or metal candleholders designed for custom candles. They look beautiful in the shop window and on the first day after purchase. Over time, this design element turns into another dust collector.  7. Empty perfume bottles The pleasant smell of new perfumes always cheers us up, and the bottle that is an unusual shape pleases the eye. But at some point, there are quite a lot of these bottles on the shelf, and there is not enough space for all of them. In these situations, the easiest thing to do is to send them to the trash can, rather than trying to neatly rearrange them on your shelves.  8. Newspapers and magazines Numerous magazines about beauty and creating comfort in the house and a whole bunch of newspapers with a TV guide — all this gradually accumulates on the balcony or beside the bed. Most likely, from this heap of paper, you’ll probably only need a couple of pages from the tabloids to put into your wet shoes.  9. Old computer monitors Modern technology has taken a great step forward, relentlessly displacing old computers from daily use. Many people have an old monitor with a picture tube in the closet or on their balcony — it’s heavy, voluminous, and collects a lot of dust. And the need to have it has completely disappeared, so you can safely sell it or dispose of it.  10. Cardboard boxes from household appliances Every time we unpack new household appliances, we say, “We don’t throw the box away as long as there is a warranty.” And a few years later, it turns out that no one has touched this package. At best, the box will be neatly disassembled and folded flat, and at worst, it will be used as a stand for ironed items.  11. Rolls of wallpaper after renovation House renovations are always a long and laborious process, after which a large amount of unused materials remain. We try to buy spare wallpaper so that we are sure we have enough of it. And often, after we’re done with the renovation of the walls, whole wallpaper rolls remain untouched and take up a lot of space.
 1. Bananas You can use bananas to make a trap for fruit flies. Put an old banana and some dish soap inside of a jar. Then roll a sheet of paper into a funnel shape and tape it so that it maintains the structure and add it to the opening of the jar. The sweet smell of the banana will attract the flies and the funnel and soap will make it hard for them to get back out of the jar.  2. Soda water This popular drink makes for a great natural cleaner. Splash it over your bathroom mirror and then wipe it off with a sponge. You can also use it to clean your jewelry, your countertop, or to remove stains from your clothes.  3. Rice If you have irregularly-shaped bottles or vases that are hard to clean, rice can serve as a perfect scrubbing agent. Use raw, uncooked rice and a bit of soapy water to reach the areas that can be hard to clean. All you need to do is put this mixture into a vase and swirl it around.  4. Potato peels The easiest way to clean your fireplace is to burn some potato peels in it. Let the peels dry for up to 48 hours because damp peels will not work for this cleaning method. Spread the potato peels on a baking sheet to keep them flat. As they burn, they’ll push burnt wood residue out of your chimney.  5. Lemons A mixture of lemon juice, peels, and water can be used to clean the microwave. Place an uncovered bowl inside and set it on high for 3 minutes. Leave the door closed for some time so the steam from the water can’t escape. Lastly, wipe the microwave down with a clean towel.  6. Grapefruit One large grapefruit and some rock salt serve as eco-friendly tools that can make your tub look like new. Cut grapefruit in half and sprinkle its top with salt. Wet your bathtub, sprinkle the remaining salt around the bottom, and scrub the grapefruit around the tub.  7. Ketchup A tasty dip for fries can make your copper-bottomed pots shiny and new-looking. Slather some ketchup onto the pots, leave it on for some time, and then wipe and rinse. The same method can be used for cleaning stainless steel.  8. Onions Using onions is an easy way to clean your grill without any chemicals. Place a halved onion on a grilling fork and rub it against the grate. This will easily remove grime and grit without much effort.  9. Tea Black tea can be used to clean and add shine to hardwood floors. Pour some tea into your mop bucket and let it cool off. The tannic acid in the tea will help to clean hardwood floors, but you shouldn’t use it for mopping laminate floors.
 We might be spending too little time washing our faces. This cleansing method was proposed by Nayamka Roberts-Smith of LABeautyologist on one of her Twitter posts. According to her, on average, we don’t cleanse our skin for long enough. Instead of the usual 15 seconds we spend washing our face and neck area, we should do it for at least 60 seconds.  Letting our face wash get into our skin is essential. During the day, a lot of bacteria can accumulate on the skin along with makeup that can get deep into the pores. Giving yourself a long-lasting facial cleanse allows the ingredients of your face wash to start actively working, breaking down and removing the dirt more efficiently. This leads to an improved look, softer skin, and dissolved sebum blockages. According to Nayamka, oil cleansers work best for this method, but things like foam, cream, and gel face wash can also be used. However, abrasive cleansers like scrubs need to be avoided, as they can damage your skin if used for too long.  Every area on the face is handled with more care this way. This procedure can be useful, especially for your pores. When dead skin cells and bacteria on your face get mixed with your natural face oil (which is produced by our sebaceous glands), pore-blocking sebum plugs can appear. They can later lead to blackheads and whiteheads. In this case, cleaning your face extra carefully might help in reducing them.  The way you wash plays a big role too. The esthetician emphasizes that everything should be done by using your fingers only. Do not use face washing brushes, sponges, or washcloths but give yourself a nice and beneficial massage instead. By doing this, you can also improve circulation, which also has positive effects on your face, like reducing wrinkles and improving your skin’s appearance. She also adds that this method is suitable for every skin type, from oily to dry.  This can have other benefits for your face. You can take this rule as a chance to slow down and give yourself some more relaxation time. Think about the areas around your eyes, nose, forehead, and neck and give them a nice massage too. To make the procedure even more pleasant and keep track of time, you can gently rub down your face while listening to your favorite songs and sing along.
 Kitchen furniture without doorknobs Kitchen cabinetry without ordinary knobs, that opens by having you press the surface, looks really cool and modern. But in reality, the surfaces will all be covered in fingerprints and the opening system is not always that convenient. The tip-on system will take a long time to get used to because we’ve always opened doors by pulling them. Also, you might accidentally press the doors with your knees, hips, or other body parts. Obviously, these systems also cost quite a lot of money.  A kitchen wall with a lot of seams The modern world offers a lot of different materials for the walls in the kitchen. But remember: the smaller the elements, the more difficult it will be to wash off the grease. Especially from the seams.  Complex chandeliers in the kitchen Many people still think that big chandeliers with a lot of decorative elements are appropriate to have in the kitchen. In reality, it’s pretty hard to wash all of these small lighting elements. And the grease, together with the dust, will definitely build up on the chandelier. Nothing can prevent this from happening.  Chandeliers with cup-like shades Chandeliers with cup-like shades may look pretty, but they are definitely not practical. There will be a lot of dust inside, you can be sure of that. So, if you decide to get this kind of chandelier, be prepared to have to wash them regularly.  Door handles with sharp edges There are a lot of different door handles to choose from. And sometimes you don’t realize that some of them are dangerous until it’s too late. This is especially true for the handles with the sharp edges. You can get stuck on them with your clothes all the time and you can even tear your clothes. This has happened to the author of this article several times.  Bright colors in the kitchen For a long time, people have been buying kitchen cabinetry in bright colors. It might look pretty in the beginning, but then you get used to these colors and they may even irritate you. You can and should use bright colors as an accent or to highlight something.  Upper kitchen cabinetry with pneumatic doors Kitchen cabinetry with pneumatic doors seems very modern, convenient, and practical. But not if there are short people living in the house. Once, the door opens, you either have to jump to close it or climb onto a chair. Also, sometimes the shelves are too close to the ceiling and the doors might not open to their fullest, so the shelves will be hard to use.  A cup-like sink made of glass These sinks look amazing in photos. But in real life, they are really impractical. First of all, they can’t hold a lot of water, so you always have to watch and make sure the water doesn’t splash out or overflow. Also, after each use, there will most likely be water stains on the sink and you will see them. So you will have to wash it every day.  Lights on top of the kitchen furniture These lights look good, but they are not functional at all. They light up your head, but not your work surface. It’s better to put in lights right under the cabinetry.
 1. It helps us to stay fresh and youthful looking. Sleeping in a room with a lower temperature promotes the production of melatonin, also called the body’s “sleep hormone.” It is also an antioxidant, which means it serves as an anti-aging hormone for the body.  2. It could help prevent insomnia. Studies point out that several forms of insomnia are actually associated with higher body temperatures. Many insomniacs have difficulty regulating their body temperature, limiting their ability to lose heat. By making our bedrooms cooler, we can aid our bodies in cooling down and help induce sleep.  3. It keeps the stress away. Higher temperatures mean that the body releases more “stress hormones” called cortisol. A cooler room can help keep our cortisol levels in check, and that means less stress and a better quality of sleep.  4. It decreases our risk against certain diseases. Sleeping in a cool room can lower our chances of developing metabolic diseases like diabetes. It also improves our growth hormone levels that help prevent heart disease, depression, and obesity. The increased melatonin also lowers our chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.  5. It can result in deeper and uninterrupted sleep. When we are in a deep sleep, our body does essential tasks like cellular repair and memory consolidation, but is unable to regulate our body temperature. An increase in the temperature can wake us up from our deep sleep, so being in a cool room decreases the chances that that will happen.  6. It prevents yeast infections. Women can prevent yeast infections by sleeping in a room that is a lower temperature. Bacteria and fungi like to live in warm and moist environments, so keeping the room cool will stop them from spreading like wildfire overnight.  7. It may also help improve male fertility. This is because prolonged exposure to heat can affect male fertility in a bad way. Sleeping in a cold room, along with wearing loose underwear, can prevent this from happening. If you’re planning on making a baby anytime soon, this is another reason to lower that thermostat.  8. It keeps the “bad” fats away. Sleeping in a cold room can improve our body’s metabolism, activating our “brown fats” that burn calories from our body. It could also help eliminate unwanted fats from our body, which can result in weight loss.  9. It can help relieve pain and inflammation. Just like putting ice or a cold compress on a swollen or inflamed area of your body, sleeping in a cold room may have a soothing effect that can aid against pain and inflammation, which could otherwise interrupt your sleep. This could be part of the reason why many athletes prefer to sleep in a cold room after a game.
 1. Use white beans in your next smoothie. “Beans” and “smoothie” are 2 words you rarely put together in the same sentence. However, as it turns out, this is a priceless idea and it results in a magnificent taste. Indulging in smoothies is the perfect way to “eat your rainbow,” as well as balance your meal with many macronutrients. White beans are the answer here. They’re known as a tremendous source of protein, so next time you’re mixing different fruits, don’t forget some of these “magic beans” to enhance your body in a simple way.  2. Mix peanut butter with a bunch of different seeds. Finding a breakfast that fills you up and keeps you satisfied in a healthy way can be hard, but we found a way to brighten up your morning. Take your regular jar of peanut butter and mix it with all types of seeds. Your next peanut butter toast snack will be just as delicious as always but now loaded with nutritious elements, vitamins, and protein in an easy way.  3. Steep your herbal tea with a lid on it. Covering your tea while it steeps is very important for herbal teas because of the essential oils it contains. If you keep your cup without the lid, then essential oils will evaporate in the air and diffuse. When this happens, you lose many beneficial properties of the herbs.  4. Indulge in watermelon seeds. It’s always fun to snack on a big piece of watermelon straight from the rind, but one of the greatest things about that is it can fill up your body with protein at the same time. Watermelon seeds contain more than 30g of protein in one cup and are rich in fiber. You can eat them right away or save them for later and add them to your favorite smoothies.  5. Cook carrots whole. Carrots are packed with beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants. They’re crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious. What’s more, is their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer. When cooked whole, carrots have 25% more falcarinol, a cancer-fighting compound, than carrots that have been chopped beforehand.  6. Cook your grains in green tea. Rice and other grains are fine when cooked in water, but we have an even brighter option for you. Here’s a simple and innovative way to add rich flavor and make them even healthier. Cooking with green tea will enhance your grains with lots of antioxidants, improve mental alertness, relieve digestive symptoms, and promote weight loss. Because of this, it might be one of the best ways to cook your grains.  7. Dice garlic, then let it rest. Garlic is an essential product for every kitchen. It serves as a flavor powerhouse that brings food to life. Garlic is also great thanks to the fact that it protects us from various viruses and colds. Next time you dice some garlic up for a dish, let it rest for 5 minutes. This will maximize this plant’s powerful medicinal qualities, like cancer-fighting compounds, antioxidants, and vitamin C.  8. Buy canned tomatoes over fresh ones. We all want to see our dishes full of vitamins and useful elements, and tomatoes are an incredible source of all these things. But what type of tomato is the healthier choice? Treat processed tomatoes as your top pick in the grocery store. First, processed tomatoes are harvested ripe, red, and full of goodness. The concentrated state will make processed tomatoes the richest known source of lycopene. Meanwhile, fresh market tomatoes are picked green and some of the fresh tomatoes are gassed with other fruits to promote consistent ripening.
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