Modern WisdomLife Hacks 202 | Modern Wisdom Podcast 234
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:20
Banter, memory tricks, and why this episode exists (Life Hacks format recap)
The trio opens with jokes and a quick discussion about remembering things by putting them somewhere impossible to ignore. Chris then explains the Life Hacks roundtable format—each person brings a tool, food, app, or process and they riff on it.
- •Using ‘friction’ as a memory aid (put items in the middle of the floor)
- •Comedic cold open and group dynamic
- •Chris outlines the roundtable Life Hacks rules and intent
- •Theme: small tweaks that improve day-to-day productivity
- 2:20 – 4:47
Food hack: Nutritional yeast on eggs for easy extra nutrients
Yusef shares a nutrition add-on: sprinkle nutritional yeast on eggs for a cheesy taste and a nutrient boost. They clarify the form (flakes/powder) and compare it to brewer’s yeast capsules.
- •Nutritional yeast as a nutrient-dense topping (amino acids, B vitamins, minerals)
- •Practical use: sprinkle on eggs for flavor and nutrition
- •Brewer’s yeast vs nutritional yeast confusion
- •Low-effort ‘micro-hack’ framing
- 4:47 – 9:44
iOS 14 ‘Back Tap’: turning taps into shortcuts (TickTick, read screen, automation)
Jonny introduces iOS 14’s Back Tap feature, demonstrating triple-tap to read the screen aloud and double-tap to open a planning app. The group explores how it can trigger many Siri-capable actions and discusses practical setups.
- •Back Tap allows double/triple tap gestures to trigger actions
- •Examples: open TickTick, read screen content aloud
- •Works as a buttonless way to add quick controls
- •Discussion of what actions are sensible vs gimmicky
- 9:44 – 12:58
Instagram growth hack: hide @tags on Stories to keep one clear call-to-action
Chris explains how to tag accounts in an Instagram Story without leaving visible/clickable tags that distract from your main CTA (swipe-up, poll, DM). He describes shrinking and sliding tags off-screen while preserving the notification and repost ability.
- •Principle: only one actionable/clickable element per Story
- •Technique: shrink tag text and push it off-screen (still registers)
- •Use-case: notify guests/brands without distracting viewers
- •Maximizing tags without cluttering the Story visuals
- 12:58 – 14:46
Don’t update early: beta OS horror stories and ‘wait two weeks’ rule
They warn against installing beta software or even updating immediately after release. Jonny recounts a disastrous Mac beta that broke his spacebar and rewired his muscle memory, underscoring why stability matters.
- •Rule of thumb: avoid betas on primary devices
- •Even after release, waiting ~2 weeks reduces bugs
- •Anecdote: beta Mac OS crash tied to spacebar usage
- •Humor: betas as an unintended ‘use your phone less’ strategy
- 14:46 – 17:53
Build an anti-distraction home screen with iOS shortcuts + Screen Time guilt widget
Yusef shares an iOS home screen redesign using Shortcuts: single-tap buttons for the few actions he actually needs, while burying everything else in the App Library. He adds Screen Time to the home screen as a constant behavioral nudge.
- •Identify the main reasons you pick up your phone, then surface only those
- •Use Shortcuts for quick actions (low power, capture tasks, call someone)
- •Hide most apps in App Library to add friction to distraction
- •Screen Time widget as a visible accountability mechanism
- 17:53 – 21:57
Default fallback activity: replacing ‘scrolling’ with productive micro-tasks
Jonny proposes choosing a low-effort ‘fallback activity’ for idle moments—like cleaning a downloads folder, sorting photos, or tidying. The group expands the idea into managing boredom thresholds and preventing two-minute waits from becoming 20-minute rabbit holes.
- •Idle moments are inevitable; decide in advance what you’ll do with them
- •Choose low-friction, chip-away tasks (files, photos, small tidying)
- •Fallback behaviors already exist—make yours intentional
- •Reading (Kindle always nearby) as a powerful fallback option
- 21:57 – 27:03
Blocking compulsions: Cold Turkey for email + recognizing low boredom tolerance
They connect fallback behaviors to compulsive checking, especially email. Yusef describes using Cold Turkey to block email by default and being shocked by how many times per day he reflexively tried to open it.
- •Email checking as an unconscious ‘default’ behavior
- •Cold Turkey blocks apps before they open (strong friction)
- •Metrics reveal habit severity (30–40 attempted opens/day)
- •Modern impatience: even 30 seconds of waiting feels intolerable
- 27:03 – 30:59
Phone-free zones: never take your phone to the toilet (and stock bathrooms with books)
Chris suggests a simple rule to cut screen time: don’t bring your phone into the bathroom. He broadens it into ‘no phone zones’ in the house (especially the bedroom) and creating alternatives (books) to reduce mindless scrolling.
- •Bathroom phone = small task becomes a long scroll session
- •Create ‘no phone’ areas, especially bedroom
- •Keep books in bathrooms as a ready substitute
- •Most phone tasks can be done on desktop with less compulsive use
- 30:59 – 37:45
Sleep optimization gear: ChiliPAD water-cooled mattress topper (data-driven results)
Yusef reviews the ChiliPAD, a water-cooled mattress topper that controls bed temperature. He shares tracked sleep changes (notably increased deep sleep) and discusses comfort, maintenance, cost, and temperature settings.
- •How ChiliPAD works: cooled water circulated through mattress pad
- •Reported results: deep sleep up ~30% (REM unchanged)
- •Tradeoffs: cost (~£450 single), occasional ‘too cold’ moments
- •Maintenance: change water about monthly; adds white noise
- 37:45 – 45:11
The ‘Scoby problem’: over-optimizing, novelty chasing, and self-created messes
They define the ‘Scoby problem’—trying to avoid cost/inconvenience via quirky workarounds that create bigger issues. A standout example: Jonny’s brother falling into pseudo-legal credit card loopholes and trademarking his name in capitals.
- •Scoby problem anatomy: optimization + FOMO/novelty as multipliers
- •Workarounds that backfire into higher long-term cost or hassle
- •Example: ‘credit card is a scam’ pseudo-legal loophole letters
- •Broader commentary on high-street decline and Amazon’s scale
- 45:11 – 48:58
Food hack (again): Lindahls Quark as ‘upgraded Skyr’ for cheap high protein
Chris recommends Lindahls flavored quark pots as a high-protein snack with minimal carbs and fat. They discuss taste, cost effectiveness, and the universal ‘everyone needs more protein’ framing, plus a funny fasting/macros misread story.
- •Macros: very high protein, very low fat/carbs; tastes like thick yogurt
- •Cost-effective protein add-on after meals
- •Flavor recommendations (e.g., white chocolate)
- •Cautionary tale: misreading labels (Volvic Touch of Fruit on fasting day)
- 48:58 – 53:07
Wind-down routine: Insight Timer sleep meditations (switch-off, not sleep stories)
Yusef recommends short (10-minute) Insight Timer evening meditations to ‘wipe the slate clean’ before bed. They contrast this with celebrity Calm sleep stories and discuss using guided relaxation despite some ‘woo-woo’ framing.
- •Use: 10 minutes pre-bed to decompress (often on sofa, not in bed)
- •Guided visualizations (e.g., ‘inbox is clear’) reduce cognitive load
- •Distinction: wind-down vs audio meant to be played during sleep
- •Commentary on Calm’s celebrity sleep-story trend
- 53:07 – 55:24
Tea + microplastics: ditch pyramid ‘silky’ bags, use loose-leaf strainers or paper drawstring bags
Jonny suggests reusable tea strainers or disposable paper drawstring bags for loose-leaf tea, partly to avoid plastic micro-/nanoparticles from pyramid-style tea bags. They riff on ‘picking battles’ and practical low-cost options.
- •Pyramid/silky tea bags may shed plastic microparticles
- •Alternatives: metal tea strainers or eco paper drawstring bags
- •Low-cost sourcing (e.g., simple strainers for ~80p)
- •Humorous ‘war on estrogen’ framing about endocrine concerns
- 55:24 – 1:07:45
Communication hack: respond to criticism by asking ‘What would you do?’ + goal-first thinking
Chris shares a conversation tool: when someone complains or criticizes, ask them to propose a solution. Yusef adds a complementary framework—start with the goal, list options and obstacles, simplify routines, and when possible ask the best expert directly.
- •Shift from complaint to problem-solving: ‘What would you do?’
- •Debate becomes solution vs solution, not solution vs criticism
- •Goal definition → options → obstacles → short experiment period
- •Shortcut: identify best expert and ask for their recommended path
- 1:07:45 – 1:12:33
Home heat therapy: ‘poor man’s sauna’ infrared bag + benefits of heat/cold contrast
Jonny describes a portable infrared sauna setup (a heated wrap/bag) as a cheaper alternative to installing a full sauna. They discuss practical usage tips, cost, and why heat exposure may improve mood and cardiovascular/metabolic markers.
- •Product concept: wearable/portable far-infrared heat ‘sauna’
- •Usage lessons: wear sports clothes; manage sweat and cleanup
- •Claimed benefits: mood lift, cardiovascular and metabolic effects
- •Contrast therapy (heat then cold shower) as a state-change tool
- 1:12:33 – 1:20:30
Evening rules: no TV after shower, read instead; plus living-room TV-free social design
Chris explains a hard stop rule: no TV after his nighttime shower, replacing it with reading or earlier sleep. He also praises TV-free living spaces for better conversation and more intentional social time.
- •Use a trigger (shower) to enforce a bright-line rule (no TV after)
- •Reading (especially fiction) improves sleep and increases book volume
- •E-readers vs phones/TV: less melatonin disruption
- •No living-room TV encourages circular seating and deeper conversation
- 1:20:30 – 1:40:27
Rapid-fire wrap-up: OmniFocus, ‘keys in the fridge’ memory hack, gear recs, and watch list
They close with quick-fire tips: OmniFocus task management (and a course to learn it), memory hacks like putting keys on/with items you must remember, and Chris’s training shorts recommendations. The episode ends with Netflix/documentary suggestions and show outro.
- •OmniFocus recommendation + Peter Akkies course for setup
- •Don’t forget items: put keys in fridge / keys on top of what you need
- •Training shorts: Reebok MyoKnit, Nike Flex Repels/Pros
- •What to watch: The Platform, Money Heist, American Murder, The Fall, The Staircase
