Good morning.
This year taught me that tiny tweaks can actually shift how I move through the day — and how many habits I’ve been doing on autopilot. Like, do I actually need to rinse my dishes before I load the dishwasher, or is a quick scrape into the garbage and a prayer enough?
With cold and flu season in full swing, I'm leaning on this grocery list of foods that help fight back — and are apparently better than some supplements — to keep me healthy. As far as my sleep routine goes, the "10-3-2-1-0" countdown promised to put us to sleep faster. Honestly, I don't know if it worked or if I just tired myself out. But I'm calling it a win — and setting my alarms for 2026.
If those hacks haven't changed your life yet, the most efficient way to have a meltdown will. Spoiler: Shower crying has competition. The point is, we can all be humbled by basic everyday tasks. So we pulled together our favorite cheat codes to save you even more time and stress in 2026 (because apparently winging it isn’t a strategy).
— Mallory Simon / Writer / New York, NY
We also relearned things the hard way…
This year taught us plenty… mostly that adulthood is a long series of oh, so that’s how you’re actually supposed to do that moments.
This year taught us plenty… mostly that adulthood is a long series of oh, so that’s how you’re actually supposed to do that moments.
Fork, yeah… Even if you know your way around a kitchen or a takeout menu, it turns out a few basics deserve a refresher. Bananas? They belong on the “please wash this” list — wild that no one mentioned this before we hit our 30s. One pasta-cooking method came out on top for your health, so consider this permission to tweak your timer. And if you rely on your nose to judge expired food… for these six foods in particular, the expiration dates are actual rules, not vibes.
Just do it (right)... We thought we had our go-to workout moves down — until that lunge started feeling like a personal attack. One small tweak, though, and it’s actually impactful. And if your heart’s still racing after a workout (or a brutal inbox), one breathing exercise can help bring it back down — no crystals or sage needed. We’re also adding this old-school workout back into the rotation. It requires no equipment, which is great because going to the gym on winter mornings is hard.
Cleaning (correctly) is no joke… You know how often you actually need to change your sheets, but this key step involving your pillow cases blew our minds. We've apparently botched laundry for years thanks to these outdated habits that can ruin clothes. In the bathroom, the secret to cleaning your toilet the right way isn’t fun, but it’s definitely overdue (don’t look at us, look at Martha). And the kitchen isn’t safe either — the dishwasher part most people don’t clean until it hits jump-scare territory is basically begging for attention.
And one size doesn’t fit all...
What works for one person doesn’t always work for everyone, so I thought I’d ask my fellow Daily Skimm staffers for their favorite tips. A gift from my pals, to you and yours.
⌛ Procrastinators assemble: The pomodoro method is a game-changer when the hardest part of any task is getting started (guilty). — Molly Longman, Writer, NY
🏃 I love my daily walks and boost them with these add-on workout tips whenever I can. As for the weighted vest, it’s a no-go for me. — Maria Corpus, Editor, WI
🥬 I need all the time I can get to convince my kids to eat their greens — and this method actually kept them fresh long enough for the negotiation. At least the produce cooperates. — Marina Carver, Senior Editor, NY
💪🏻 Even though I proudly stand at 5'5", sometimes the cable machines are a smidge too high for me to reach when I need to change the handle bar. And because we all know chivalry is dead/my gym crush doesn't know I exist, this hack has saved me a lot of embarrassment. — Rashaan Ayesh, Writer, NC
Game Time
Start your Tuesday off right with Typeshift, a fun new game that challenges you to create words from a set number of letters. Warning: It’s very addicting. Start playing.
Photos by Getty Images, Brand Partners
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*PS: This is a sponsored post.
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