13 Little Body Tricks That'll Make You Say "Why Didn't I Know About These Sooner?"

Whoooa...

1. Stop a sneeze in its tracks by pressing down on the area right above your upper lip.

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While most of the time you should just go ahead and sneeze, you can definitely use this trick when you're, like, meeting your idol or saying your wedding vows.

And when you do sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (and your hands) before it happens, or bend your elbow and sneeze into your upper arm.

2. When you get a brain freeze, press and hold your tongue up to the roof of your mouth.

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Or, have a drink or two of something warm like tea. Read more about what causes brain freeze and why these techniques help here.

3. Read a paragraph or so of sentences backwards, and you might be able to touch your toes.

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It's not a permanent fix OR a miracle cure for chronic back pain, but hey, it's a cool trick. Get three other tricks to help you touch your toes here.

4. Drain congested sinuses by alternating between pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, then pressing a finger between your eyebrows.

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This works for some people but not others, and tbh no one really knows why. (A redditor who claims to be a doctor has a theory here, take that as you will.) But hey, if it helps, go for it!

5. To hear someone talking next to you in a loud room, lightly pull back on the little flaps on both your ears — then push them in.

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Those flaps are called the "tragus" — by holding it in, you block out a lot of the peripheral sounds, making it easier to hear the person right next to you. H/T r/LifeProTips and r/LifeHacks.

6. Lie on your left side to help prevent bedtime heartburn after you eat a big meal.

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Well, step one is to wait three to four hours after eating before you go to bed. Then yes, lying on your left side does help.

7. Stop a nosebleed by leaning your head forward a little, then pinching your nose in a specific spot for five minutes.

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According to the Harvard Health Blog, start by lightly putting your thumb and forefinger on either side of the top of your nose, then slide them down until you feel the "drop off," and you reach the cartilage. Pinch there, so you're holding both sides of your nose against the septum in the middle, and hold for about five minutes. Read more details here.

8. To calm down when you're feeling extremely nervous, put your thumb in your mouth, close your lips, and try to blow out air, letting your cheeks puff up.

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Don't do it too hard, or for too long, but it's a vagal maneuver that could help slow your heartbeat.

9. Or just follow this calming gif to take a few deep breaths.

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And find six other breathing gifs here.

10. When you accidentally burn your tongue on hot coffee or tea, swish with very cold water (but don't suck on ice).

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"The cold liquid in your mouth will help remove some of the immediate heat in the burned tissue in the burned area and decrease inflammation," Dr. Alison Bruce, dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, previously told BuzzFeed Health. Read more about what to do when you burn the shit out of your mouth.

11. To quickly cure your hiccups: Deeply inhale, hold it, swallow twice, then exhale through your nose.

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You might have to do it twice, but one of my coworkers swears it works for her every time.

12. Make pooping easier by elevating your knees and feet, so you're in a squatting position.

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This is supposedly the ~more natural~ way for humans to poop. You can buy a Squatty Potty, made for exclusively helping with this purpose (get one on Amazon, $22), or fake it with a 7-inch step stool. Read a more in-depth review here.

13. Chew gum to stop that earworm song that's stuck in your head.

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And accept that the song's going to be there — don't try to block it out, you could make it worse! Read more about earworms on the Harvard Health Blog.