35 EVERYDAY MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEMturn dangerous.” Aspirin overdose
canhappeniftoomanydosesbuild
up in your system at once (dehydra-
tion,kidneyproblemsandoldage
maketheriskmorelikely);symptoms
rangefromtinnitustodrowsinessto
coma.Choosesafety,andstick to the
recommended dosage.28
Cramming your head-
phones into your pocket.
The theory that the universe tends
towards chaos should be gospel to
anyone who has ever tried to untan-
gle a pair of headphones. Movement
causes wires to knot up. That’s why
your earbuds tangle in your pocket
but not while sitting on your desk. Try
this knot-prevention trick: loop the
cord around your hand until there’s
no cable left dangling, then cinch it
in the middle with a plastic bread tag
to make a compact igure eight.25
Refusing to even think
about exercising.Letting
apastpositiveexerciseexperi-
ence enter your head actually can
motivateyoutogetupandmove,
foundUniversityofNewHampshire
researchers. Even participants who
thoughtofnegativeexercisememo-
ries still hit the gym more than those
whodidn’tthinkofany.26
Trying to go it alone.Peo-
plewhoexercisewitha
partnerexercisemorethanpeople
whoexercisealone,especiallyifthat
palisemotionallysupportive.27
Popping too much aspirin.
Moreisnotalwaysbetter,
saysneurologistDrVernonWilliams.
“Formany,thethoughtisthatifone
pill helps a little, two must surely
help a little more. This can quickly