Thursday Tips – When You Gotta Go and Can’t Hold it, Do This!

When you gotta go and there's a line to the bathroom (or it's out of order), a researcher says try doing this to hold it a little longer.

Thursday Tips – hacks and tips gathered from a host of sources throughout the week.

Tip 1.  Take a towel with you to the grocery to save a few cents.  Did you know that misting produce with water causes its weight to increase.  It keeps it fresh but it also weighs more on the scales.  So if you’re buying by the pound, you’ll be paying more.  Be sure to shake that extra water off before going to the checkout lane.  It might save you a few cents! Broccoli and carrots lose up to 7 percent of their weight when not misted.

Tip 2.  Take a towel or a napkin with you to your next trip to the self-service soda machines- the ones where you have to press against a lever!  A lot of places still let you fill your own but before you put you place your cup use a clean napkin and wipe the inside of the clear soda nozzle.  For starters, some re-filling may transfer their germs if they didn’t use a straw.  And secondly, if the napkin reveals a colored residue it could mean it hasn’t been cleaned properly.

Tip 3.  Cricket your feet.  Rub your feet together like a cricket does. It’s a self-soothing, biofeedback technique that impacts your nervous system (both to the central and peripheral).  Rubbing feet together also builds warmth and gives the same sensation as a gentle foot massage, which contributes to pre-sleep relaxation.

Tip 4.  Next time you’re stuck in traffic and really gotta go, try scratching your calf.  We couldn’t find any neuroscience data on this but an Australian researcher found that doing this vigorously may interrupt the message from your bladder to your brain that you need to go.   Some say if that doesn’t work, cross your legs. That works 73% of the time!

Have a tip to share or one for Greg and Audra to test?  Email: agrant@wfxb.com.