The editorial team was not exactly flooded with tips, but we did receive some great ones. So read on and enjoy!
Funnels and computing environment
The first tip to come in was about self-made funnels and a more efficient computing environment:
“Maybe already widely known, but I use PET bottles to make disposable funnels for handling sticky liquids, such as motor oil. Cut the top off a 1.5-litre PET bottle and you have a great funnel to use for any purpose. Saves me time and I don't have to wash ‘messy’ funnels. Once used, it can go in the plastic recycling.
I also like to have a large computer screen that allows me to work on several documents at the same time by sorting/placing several on the screen using the arrow keys and the Windows button.
Those are two things that make both my everyday life and my work a bit easier.”
Shopping and cooking
One person gave us a tip while passing in the corridor. She uses apps released by the supermarkets – apps where you can quickly review any offers and directly add the ones you are interested in to a shopping list in the app, plus write your entire shopping list in the app. The shopping list can then be customised at the touch of a button to suit the store you are shopping in. The contents of the list are laid out in an appropriate order to help you easily move through the store just once without having to run back and forth.
This type of mobile app is available both for different supermarket chains and from independent app providers and can be found on both Android and iPhone.
Speaking of food, another food-related tip was sent in.
“Here's something that simplified the constant question of ‘what are we going to eat today?’ in our family: once a week, write a couple of dishes on freezer tape and put them on the fridge. Write a shopping list or order groceries based on those dishes. Now dinners are solved for the entire week! The advantage of the tape is that it makes it clear to everyone what there is to choose from and allows flexibility in terms of what to eat on which day.”
Work environment and autumnal tips
Another tip is about the work environment when working at home.
“When I work remotely and from home, my office furniture is not entirely up to date. Grandpa’s old desk is a beautiful piece of furniture, but it is not height-adjustable. I have a back that protests if I sit too much. One day I had been ironing clothes in my study at home. The ironing board was left in the room when I was planning to work remotely. I then simply moved my laptop to the ironing board. To get the perfect height, I stacked some books under the computer – I have quite a few to choose from. I can then write or participate in Zoom meetings standing up. This way, I simplify my life and save my back when working remotely from home.”
Speaking of the work environment, the editorial team saw the TT article ‘Psykologernas bästa tips för att må bra i höst’ (Psychologists' best tips for a healthy autumn) which quotes researchers from the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University, among others.
It’s normal to feel a bit down when autumn comes around, as it always involves a transition from the undemanding pace of summer. One tip to make autumn a little easier is to write a list of things you like to do and then make a schedule for them – preferably different recurring activities. It's a question of not becoming passive and instead doing things that you enjoy and distracting yourself mentally.
Focus on money and the calendar
Next up are two tips which both involve a certain dose of irony but could still be thought-provoking. The first is about the climate, cars and salaries.
“My best climate tip – selling the car has been a real cash cow. If I were a manager, I would tell my employees to sell the car so I don't have to raise their salaries...”
The final tip in this article came to the editorial team from a retired employee who worked a little extra after going into retirement.
"To retire and then come back for a limited period when I don't have to attend meetings and other stuff has made me realise that this is how it should have always been.”