Why life hacks might be stopping you from feeling fulfilled

Hannah Millington
·Health & Wellness Reporter
Updated ·3-min read
Life hacks woman planning day in diary. (Getty Images)
Do you have life hacks in mind when planning out your day? (Getty Images)

Whether you've adopted a great new one from a friend, social media or your own genius, life hacks feel like the ultimate win for those living busy, fast paced lives (and for those who want to continue on the content stream with shareable bite-size actions).

'Life hacks' alone currently has 922 million posts on TikTok, with videos ranging from how to peel an egg more easily and pour a coke without too many bubbles to organisation, storage and productivity hacks.

However, a mindset psychologist has warned the perpetual hustle and desire to take shortcuts could be preventing us from feeling truly fulfilled. Of course, some hacks like laying a wooden spoon over a pot of pasta to stop it from boiling over can be considered more acts of logic, but others aren't always necessary.

"In the age of digital devices, packed schedules and instant gratification, it's become all too common to live life in a perpetual rush. From trying to cram as many activities into a day as possible to scrolling through social media at lightning speed, many of us are habitually skimming the surface of our experiences without really diving deep," explains Dr Rebekah Wanic, also a university lecturer and self-optimisation coach at Vent to Reinvent.

Hot pasta water boiling on a stove with a wooden spoon to prevent boil over.
Some 'life hacks' might be more beneficial than others. (Getty Images)

If you've learnt to speed read, for example, you might want to take the time to slow down and fully immerse yourself in the task and experience. This, Dr Rebekah Wanic, explains, will not only make you more efficient, but make you enjoy life more too.

But why aren't life hacks always as productive as we think they are and how can slowing down – in a world where we have limited time and a never-ending to-do list – help us to get more out of life when many assume the opposite?

"Life hacks encourage a 'more is more' approach to life," says Dr Wanic.

"They signal that the way to fulfilment is packing as much as possible into our limited time. This is in many ways the opposite of what cultivates fulfilment – it is derived from deep engagement in meaningful experiences.

"People feel as if they need to be busy all the time because they outsource control of their decision-making by feeling like they constantly need to do things that they are in fact choosing to do."

So, how can we shift our mindset while still getting the essentials done?

Watch: Man demonstrates easy hack for removing egg yolks

"The key is working to embrace missing out – seeking to do everything will always be a losing endeavour. When you accept that you will only be able to do certain things, you can orient yourself to making an active choice about what to do."

The psychologist encourages engaging more fully in fewer activities. "Where possible, choose those that help you work towards things you value and those that strengthen connections with those you care about," the psychologist adds.

"This will also help to slow down the pace of life, reducing anxiety and the sense of urgency that fuels the drive to keep trying to hack life."

So if you didn't manage to hack your way into reading 30 pages, doing a HIIT workout and making a healthy meal in under 10 mins, but properly embraced and enjoyed either reading, running or cooking that day, it could be considered more of a win.

Read more: The truth about 'airplane skincare' and how to look after your skin while flying (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)

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