Leading a healthy life is an essential part of life. A healthy lifestyle ensures that diseases don’t disrupt your daily life, and you have room to enjoy life to its fullest. But there is no doubt that people have bad habits. No one can be a health guru at all times, and everyone has their vices, but there are a few bad habits that take a slow toll on your body. The eventual buildup will lead to more significant life-altering problems. So it is worth the time to pay attention and correct some bad habits.
Some bad habits are:
1. SMOKING
While people consider smoking as something relatively normal, smoking holds a high percentage of death ratio. Smoking causes up to 30% of heart diseases, 30% of cancer, and 80-90% lung disease and cancer deaths. There are also eminent chances of a smoker developing mouth, tongue, throat, and bladder diseases over time. But when you quit smoking, you will notice a difference in your health. Within days of leaving, you will feel more energetic, focused, and face fewer breathing problems.
How to quit?
The temporary high a person gets from Nicotine makes cigarettes quite addictive. People use it to relieve stress, unwind, or cope with psychological problems. So the first step in quitting is to understand triggers and avoid them. Switch to nicotine patches or chew a piece of gum. If nothing helps, seek therapies like acupuncture, behavioral therapy, and motivational therapy.
2. EXCESSIVE DRINKING
Excessive alcohol consumption is extremely harmful. It can cause emotional and physical changes to your body. Not only do you put yourself through danger, but others around you too. Alcohol abuse can cause cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, depression, gout, cancer, and even nerve damage. Not to mention the danger a drunk person can cause others.
How to quit?
Controlling alcohol abuse is not easy. If maintained in the early stages, a person can easily manage their urges with friends and family support. But if the situation has gone out of hand, a person will need a rehab facility. There are many rehab facilities all over America, but the best are in California. The best Rehabs in Southern California not only offer a place to heal but an escape from hectic life. Many times, the cause of addiction is daily life stress, abuse, or bad company. But the beautiful scenery and comfortable facilities allow a healthy retreat that promotes healing.
3. LACK OF PROPER SLEEP
It may not seem alarming if you miss a few hours of sleep each night, but in reality, lack of proper sleep can cause many problems. Several problems, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and others, may cause sleep deprivation. But there are medical solutions present to those problems too. Sleep deprivation can lead to blood pressure problems, increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and much more.
How to maintain a schedule?
Avoid sleeping in on weekends, don’t take long naps, and expose yourself to sunlight each day. Avoid using a mobile phone or electronic device before you sleep. The blue lights from these devices can cause sleeping problems. In case of any medical issue, consult your doctor.
4. SKIPPING BREAKFAST OR OTHER MEALS
Sometimes you don’t feel hungry, and that’s alright. But you mustn’t develop a habit of skipping meals regularly. This bad habit can have a significant impact on your health. Studies show that up to 80% of the body’s energy reservoir depletes overnight. That can make you feel sluggish. Eating after 2-3 hours can help you maintain a healthy metabolism. A study also shows that students who have regular breakfast are more productive.
How to maintain a healthy eating habit?
The answer is not that complicated. The least amount of meals that a person should consume daily are three. Don’t skip meals or snack unnecessarily in the middle. If you don’t feel hungry often, consult your nutritionist, as there may be an underlying cause for that.
5. INACTIVITY
If you work from home or your office, you probably sit for long hours without any physical activity. And we all know that sitting for a long time can cause numerous health problems. Such inactive habits can cause obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and even type 2 diabetes.
How to maintain a balance?
An hour of vigorous activity every day can help you maintain your health. This activity can cancel the effects of sitting too much. Additionally, doctors also advise people to move around for a couple of minutes every half an hour to stay active.
6. NOT USING SUNSCREEN DAILY
Sunscreen isn’t something that you have to use when you go tanning by the beach or pool. It is an everyday essential. Due to rapid ozone depletion, harmful ultraviolet rays filter onto the earth, and such rays can cause skin cancer. Sunscreen can help prevent damages caused by those harmful sun rays. Use sunscreen each day before you go outside.
How to maintain a habit?
If you have difficulty remembering, you can use other methods. It is best if you incorporate sunscreen into your morning routine. Apply sunscreen after you wash and moisturize your face in the morning. That way, you can go about your routine without having to worry about applying sunscreen each time you go out.
7. EATING TOO QUICKLY
In our hectic lives, we often don’t have time to sit down and have our meal correctly. In such a situation, people often choose to stuff themselves quickly. But fast eating can cause acid reflux, bloating, and excess gas. If you make a habit of eating quickly, you are more likely to gain weight.
How to stop?
Take the time to appreciate what you are eating and taste the flavors. Take a snack if you are in too much hurry. Slow down your chewing habits, and pause between bites.
8. NAIL BITING
Nail-biting is often the mind’s response to stress. Bacteria can transfer from your mouth to nails, causing inflammation. Nail biters unknowingly pass millions of bacteria in their mouths, contracting deadly viruses and diseases.
How to quit?
Each time you get the urge to bite, file your nail instead. Focus on making a healthier habit for a stress outlet, such as using a stress ball.
CONCLUSION
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle works together to give you a healthier life. You gain emotional stability, better physical health, and much more. Start by introducing small positive changes in your life. Over time, you will feel the positive impact these changes had. If there are some bad habits you face difficulty dealing with, get help from professionals, friends, and your family.
Isreal olabanji a dental assistant and public health professionals and has years of experience in assisting the dentist with all sorts of dental issues.
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The content is intended to augment, not replace, information provided by your clinician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reading this information does not create or replace a doctor-patient relationship or consultation. If required, please contact your doctor or other health care provider to assist you to interpret any of this information, or in applying the information to your individual needs.
