15 Bad Health Habits That You Need to Ditch Immediately
Three things cause most bad habits: boredom, stress, and the want to get rid of any inconvenience.
When you’re bored or stressed, you pick up bad habits like drinking, smoking, biting nails, or sleeping late.
When you feel like you don’t have enough time, you opt to have brunch instead of having breakfast and lunch. When you think you still have a lot of time, you put off tasks and procrastinate.
These are just basic examples of not-so-good habits. These habits are like chains that are too light to feel in the beginning until they are too heavy to carry if you keep on doing them.
How to break your bad habits? Replace them with good ones.
How soon should you stop them? Once you feel that something unhealthy or harmful has become a habit, stop immediately. Bad habits are easier to abandon today than tomorrow. And once you do this, your life will change for the better.
These are 15 bad health habits that you should ditch immediately and how to fix them
1. Binge drinking
It’s okay to drink but unnecessary to get drunk.
Too much drinking will lead to alcohol intoxication and major health issues like liver and kidney damage. And stress is never a good excuse to drinking alcohol.
The solution: If you’re drinking with friends, try consuming a small amount of alcohol. Remember, your goal is to have fun, not to showcase your drinking skills. Fun is the last thing you will have if you pass out because you went over your limit.
2. Not sleeping enough
There are many reasons why you’re not getting the proper amount of sleep: work, parental duties, homework, projects, business, anxiety, stress, and more.
It’s not always intentional, but as you develop this mindset of sacrificing your sleep because there’s no other way to manage your time, that’s the moment it will become a bad habit.
The solutions: Better time management, avoid overthinking, and plan things ahead of time so you will not be caught up in deadlines. Drinking Taking a 5-HTP supplement will also help you in times you have trouble sleeping, while Magnesium Complex will keep your anxiety at bay. Try either of these two supplements so you can have at least seven hours of sleep.
3. Being negative
Being a pessimistic person will do you no good. And if you make it a habit, you’ll always carry that negative energy that people around you might get affected with. Negative energy blocks the bigger picture of life and doors of opportunity.
The solution: Negativity sometimes comes from fear - fear of rejection and failure. You don’t have to be afraid of getting rejected, because that will make you stronger. Don’t be afraid of failing, because it will make you a wiser person.
4. Too much screen time
The problem with social media and technology nowadays is that people think they cannot live a day without them. The result? People have less time being in the moment, basking in the beauty of nature, and bonding with family and friends in person, not virtually.
The solution: Limit your screen time. Fifteen to 20 minutes of browsing is okay, going beyond that is quite unhealthy. If your job is related to social media or technology, avoid distractions so you can finish your tasks at a shorter time or at least take breaks in between.
5. Being a couch potato
Have you ever had those moments when you have so many things to do and you don’t know where to start? And then you become too lazy to do anything. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. But if you won’t start anywhere, things will pile up more.
There are also days you feel lazy for no apparent reason. That’s okay, it’s normal. But if you do this every day, it becomes an unhealthy and bad habit.
The solution: Finish the harder tasks first. Even if you cannot finish everything in one day, at least you’ve accomplished the most important ones. And once you feel lazy, don’t get yourself caught up in the moment. Condition yourself by standing up, stretching, and doing deep breaths. Focus!
6. Sleeping with makeup on
Too tired to wash your face? Want to make yourself pretty while sleeping? Want to have that “woke up like this” look? Whatever the reason that makes you sleep with your makeup on is not good. Sleeping with makeup on will clog your pores, making you look older.
The solution: If you want to have natural beauty, rest your face from makeup every once in a while. Appreciate the true beauty of a bare face by taking collagen supplements and products that will make you look and feel younger.
7. Bad eating habits
When you were a kid, your parents taught you to eat fruits and vegetables so you’d grow up with healthy eating habits. But as you grow older, you decide for yourself. Then eventually, you develop bad eating habits that negatively affects you overall health and these are:
- Skipping meals because you’re always in a hurry
- Ordering fast food because you don’t have time to cook
- Having brunch instead of breakfast and lunch
- Eating too much leftovers and junk foods
- Eating too fast (causing acid reflux)
The solution: Make cooking an interesting activity by looking for delicious recipes you can make at home. You can also cook for your friends or family so they can appreciate your recipe. Cooking is more fun when you share it with someone. And if you want to adopt clean eating, there are effective ways to stop your unhealthy food cravings. You just have to try it.
8. Smoking
People smoke due to certain reasons: stress relief, boredom, curiosity, pleasure, or peer pressure. But you already know in the first place that smoking is bad for your health (even tobacco companies say that in their advertisements and tobacco packaging).
The solution: If you’re one of them, stop now before it’s too late. Try different ways to abandon smoking before it becomes harder to let go.
9. Being too drug dependent
Prescription drugs are not always the solution for simple headaches, cough, colds, or even fever.
Your body will soon develop intolerance for medicines that they won’t be that effective anymore. Meaning to say, you will need higher dosage, which is not good for your kidneys.
The solution: If you’re feeling sick, try natural home remedies for colds and flu. Once you feel better, the other symptoms will slowly disappear. And for your everyday protection, don’t forget to drink immunity supplements. Always remember, prevention is better than cure.
10. Biting nails
Biting nails starts as early as childhood, and some parents don’t even notice it. It may seem like a simple habit, but it can progressively become worse. Because biting nails can damage your skin, leading to infection. Plus, it can also harm your teeth, and germs can easily get into your body.
The solution: Keep your nails short. Trim it as often as you can, so you won’t be tempted to bite them. You can also apply nail polish and nail arts so you won’t bite those beautiful, expensive nails. Additionally, identify what triggers this habit: nervousness, excitement, boredom, anxiety, etc. So you will know how to prevent them.
11. Being too harsh on your skin
Sometimes, you think your skin is doing fine, that you think it doesn’t need extra care.
You pop a pimple or extract black heads because you think it’s okay, since you’ve been doing it often and nothing bad is happening.
You use too many chemicals on your skin because you think it’s okay, since you’ve been doing it for years and your skin looks just fine.
But the truth is, all the skin issues you don’t want to happen might manifest someday. . And your skin will look dull, lifeless, older, and drier.
The solutions: It’s simple, avoid touching your face. Don’t be tempted to pop any kind of acne and always think of the infection your skin will get if you do that. Also, choose gentle skincare products if you have sensitive skin. If you want baby-soft skin, get the right products for your skin type that don’t have harsh chemicals.
12. Having too much caffeine
Coffee is good for your body. In fact, since coffee is one of the most natural beverages that we all love, the right amount of it will give you significant health benefits.
But adding extras will destroy its health purpose. All those whipped cream, sugar, and too much syrup will only give you calories and increased sugar levels.
The solution: Opt for natural sweeteners like stevia for your daily black coffee. And if you really can’t resist it, a cup of latte or cappuccino once a week is fine - but not every day!
13. Poor posture
Poor posture are results of either your day-to-day activities or genetic reasons that you cannot control.
But if you know in yourself that you’re often slouching, then that’s a different story.
The solution: For genetic issues, visit a doctor to know what could be wrong and what should be done to correct your posture.. For non-genetic issues, there are effective strategies to beat your slouching habit.
14. Wearing the wrong shoes
Loving those kicks, but you can’t kick them out even if the size doesn’t fit you anymore?
Bought those expensive shoes online, but they’re too big for your feet?
Fan of heels because you want to look as sophisticated as possible?
Keep in mind that wearing the wrong shoes can lead to foot pain, toe deformity, or calluses. Wearing heels too often can affect the blood circulation on your feet, and that’s what could cause varicose veins to slowly appear. The higher the heels, the more you’re susceptible to back, knee, and hip issues.
The solution: Always invest time looking for the right shoe size. And instead of wearing heels, wear kitten heels if you still want to rock that sophisticated style.
15. Not brushing your teeth every after meal
Your dentist will always ask you to brush your teeth when you wake up, every after meals, and before you sleep to avoid cavities and plaque build-up.
But when you’re too busy, you develop this habit of delaying or skipping toothbrush time.
The solution: For kids, find a toothbrush and toothpaste that can make brushing more fun. And everywhere you go, bring your handy dental kit. Don’t forget to floss too!
Keep in mind that:
You must make a change to see a change. And a change in bad habits can lead to a good change in your life.
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