Life
8 Life Hacks For Short People
It's not easy being a small, so we have to come up with short person life hacks to get through the day the way any regular sized or tall person would. Being vertically challenged means that we can't just go around all "reaching stuff" and "seeing things at a distance," so we have to make the necessary adjustments so we don't miss out. Sometimes, there's nothing that can be done. For instance, at the back of a standing room only concert, there's always a chance that us short people will have to resign ourselves to watching the middle back of the person in front of us for the entirety of the show, rather than the band we actually came to see. Take it from me: I've paid a pretty penny to spend many a show watching someone else's back sweat accumulate.
While some situations are bleak, life, generally, for a short person, need not be. I am 5'1", and while I don't quite believe that I am a small person (in my own mind I am the same size as all my 5'5"+ friends), I do often find myself having to hack my way around various situations, which means that I must, indeed, be short. If you too are a short person, never fear. Here are a few little things you can adopt in your every day life to make yourself feel tall:
1. Keep A Step Ladder In The Kitchen
Why is it that kitchens always have shelves that are very high up? For the moments when your S.O./roommate/parents aren't around, or if you live alone, keep a small step ladder or stool (I have a two step ladder/stool wood hybrid I bought from IKEA for $20 odd) in the kitchen for those moments where you'd otherwise be opening and standing in low level drawers to reach things.
2. Learn To Sew
Being an adept seamstress is a short person's savior. When you're short, everything needs to be adjusted, whether it's the length of straps or hems. Knowing how to do this yourself will save you a lot of money and take the stress out of shopping for clothes.
3. Get A Claw
I've always thought it would be kind of neat to have one of those claw at the end of a pole thingys they have at the bodega. It would save doing the jump-and-hit method of getting things out of high places.
4. Perfect Your Doe Eyes
I mean, it's manipulative, sure, but if you can make your eyes go big and glassy like Puss In Boots on Shrek you can get taller people to do all the reaching things you can't do, and if you're lucky, even get out of your way when you're trying to catch a view.
5. Use Throw Pillows
Sometimes the ratio between the back of a chair and having your feet on the ground doesn't quite match up for a short person. Throw pillows can be cute and stylist apartment accessories and practical tools to bridge the weird gaps when you're just trying to sit comfortably on furniture built for regular sized people.
6. Roll Up Your Jeans At The Knee
A friend once showed me a nifty trick for skinny jeans: instead of cuffing them under at the bottom, roll them over at the knee where a natural crease occurs anyway. It looks much better at the ankle seam that way!
7. Have Photos Taken At Your Eye Level
As a shorty, it can be very frustrating when every picture comes back making you look like you have a disproportionately giant head. This is because everyone is shooting you from above, i.e. their regular height. If you get people to take photos of you at YOUR eye level, your head will look more in proportion to your body!
8. Wear A Top Knot
Instant height added. And the more hair you have, the taller you can make it.
