, such as gorging on pizzas and cupcakes for late night cravings, sleeping less than six hours a day, not exercising and so on and so forth. These habits can impact your health in a very bad way not just in a short term but from a long term perspective as well!
There are many habits that we know are bad for us, while there are many which we do not even know are bad but they are evil for our bodies. Here, we have listed 20 such habits that are wreaking havoc on our health. You need to stop following them immediately and make your life more positive, healthier and happier.
Nail-biting
A nervous tic that a lot of people have, biting your fingernails doesn’t just convey a sense of anxiety and insecurity—it’s also pretty gross. We carry a lot of bacteria underneath the fingertips.Your fingertips touch a lot of different things, so don’t welcome all that bacteria into your mouth, which could lead to gastrointestinal problems or sickness.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death globally.
In just the United States alone, about 500,000 deaths are attributed to smoking-related diseases annually. A recent study estimated that as much as one-third of China’s male population will have significantly shortened life-spans due to smoking! Gender-wise, male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life respectively — that’s over a decade of life right there.
Not only that, smoking causes pre-mature skin aging (i.e. wrinkles), yellowing of teeth, bad breath, and worse of all — jeopardy of the health of people around you, including your loved ones. Studies have shown that non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk to many of the health problems associated with direct smoking.
Eating when you’re not hungry.
We’ve all done it, and sometimes we don’t even realize when it’s happening. Maybe you graze when you’re bored, or reach your hand into the office candy jar each time you pass by. Perhaps when you’re feeling sluggish in the afternoon, you head to the vending machine for a pick-me-up. All of these are opportunities to eat for reasons other than hunger.
Turning to food for whatever reason won’t resolve the underlying issue at hand. Try tracking your eating habits with th Loose it or My fitness apps and note your emotional state when you in head for those mid-morning, afternoon or late-night snacks.
Sitting for too long
Sitting for long periods of time has been linked to a number of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, abnormal cholesterol levels, etc. Also, research has linked prolonged sitting with excess body fat around the waist.
A 2015 study showed that women who sat for more than 6 hours a day had a higher risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma - a form of blood cancer - compared to women who sat less than 3 hours a day.
Even if you have a desk job, try to get up from your sit and take regular small breaks to reverse the habit.
Using your cell phone or tablet in bed.
Using your phone in bed has a negative effect on both the hours you are sleeping and the quality of sleep you’re getting. A study published by Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, M.D., Ph.D., revealed how the artificial blue light emitted from electronic devices like cell phones, smartphones and tablets activates arousing neurons within the brain, preventing us from feeling sleepy.This blue light plays an important role in your mood, energy level and sleep quality. In the morning, sunlight contains high concentrations of this blue light. When your eyes are exposed to it directly, the blue light halts production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and makes you feel more alert. In the afternoon, the sun’s rays lose their blue light, which allows your body to produce melatonin and start making you sleepy. By the evening, your brain isn’t prepared for any blue light exposure and is very sensitive to it.
The best thing you can do is to avoid these devices after dinner. Try engaging in conversation instead.
Skipping sleep
Just as electronics in bed is a no-no, so is skipping sleep. In fact, losing sleep has a negative impact on your entire body. Lack of sleep can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. It can also prevent our brains from getting the rest and repair they need and can disrupt other systems in our body.
Instead of skipping sleep, plan for seven to nine hours of sleep. For most of us, that means we will have to pick a bedtime based on the time we need to get up. For example, if you need to get up at 6 a.m., and you want to get eight hours of sleep, you will need to be asleep by 10 p.m. Not on your way to bed, actually asleep. Plan your bedtime and give yourself time to wind down.
Not Taking Proper and Regular Bath
Unhealthy body leads to an Unhealthy Mind. this bad habit of not taking proper and regular baths not only makes the body stinky but at the same time causes many diseases.
Nose picking
This is something everyone does and never thinks that it can harm anyone in a bad way. Satirised as ‘gold digging’, the habit of picking our nose is very unhealthy and can even land you in the hospital. When you touch various things, which may contain bacteria and viruses and then take the same finger in your nose, you make your body more prone to infections. If you pick your nose frequently, you are more prone to colds and flus as many viruses reach your body through the mucus. So, you must stop picking your nose right now. On a similar note, you should also not try to fetch the leftovers of foods in your mouth from your hand.
Holding in farts
It’s not you—blame society for this one. Holding in your farts for long periods of time is definitely bad for you, as you might suspect from how awful it feels to do it. Research has shown that holding them back can cause severe bloating and stomach discomfort. So let ‘em rip, or if you’re at work, release it and try to keep it quiet, while of course, staying as far from your boss’ airspace as possible.
Binge drinking
Despite knowing the fact that consuming alcohol in excess is bad, many people can't just give up the habit of binge drinking. Several harmful and long-lasting side effects of binge drinking include liver disease, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.
Alcohol also slows down the fat-burning process. So, if you're trying to lose weight, giving in to heavy drinking, even once in a while, can hinder fat loss.
Skipping meals
Lucky for me, I never even consider skipping a meal. In fact, I look forward to them! But if you tend to skip meals in the hopes that you'll lose weight, you should know that doing so may have a negative impact on your health
Enright explained that eating regularly keeps your energy levels and metabolism where they need to be. While many women who are trying to lose weight think cutting calories and skipping meals is the way to go, Enright said this can actually result in a slower metabolism and even weight gain. Not to mention you'll probably feel "more tired, sluggish, and irritable" when you don't eat enough
Not Taking Regular Exercise
Improper and irregular exercise creates many problems for a person and leads to many unwanted diseases, one of the main problems seen due to irregular exercise is obesity
Wearing earphones for many hours
Be it while ravelling, working out, working or studying, many of us have a habit of incessantly plugging in the earphones for multiple hours. This habit is really bad as it can spell hearing loss in the long run. Make sure that you do not spend hours with earphones plugged and keep the volume to an audible enough and not loud as that is the main culprit.
Holding in sneezes
Ever held in a sneeze out of politeness, trying to stay quiet? Well, it turns out that’s a pretty bad idea. “Our sneezes move at up to 100 miles per hour, so holding it in, in extreme cases, can cause fractures in nasal cartilage, nose bleeds or even detached retinas,” White says. “So, that’s something you really want to let out.” Next time you feel one coming on at a less-than-perfect moment, just do your best to muffle it in your elbow.
Doggie kisses and licks
If you are a person who really enjoys when you dog leaps up and showers you all over with doggie kisses and licks, you better read this first. The hasty smooches from the dog can lead to severe bacterial infection. A similar incident happened when a 70-year-old woman had been treated with a life-threatening infection she got from her dog. The woman was found to be infected with Capnocytophaga canimorsus - a bacteria found in the mouths of dogs and cats - after Italian greyhound licked her. Her case was outlined in the medical journal BMJ Case Reports in 2016.
Washing your hands too quickly
You probably know you need to wash your hands frequently to ward off infection and disease, but how much time do you spend washing your hands each time you do it? If it's less than 15 seconds, chances are, you're not actually getting rid of germs.
The Centers for Disease Control says that when washing our hands the goal is to do so for 20 seconds to remove the majority of germs. I recommend aiming for 20 seconds of good hand washing with soap and water
Spending less time washing your hands puts you at risk for contracting viruses and bacteria that lead to illness. If you're already taking time to wash your hands you might as well do it right. Instead of rushing through it, take your time to wash completely and thoroughly.
Making Sound with the mouth while eating
This is the also very popular bad habit seen one should always take a small bite and eat the food gently with no sound of their mouth and cutlery
Sleeping with your makeup on
A lot of times women reach back home tired and all ready to hit the bed. Many do this without removing their makeup. This habit is hazardous to the skin as it can lead to clogged pores, spots and congested skin. Not removing eye makeup is worse because eyes are more sensitive and strong products can even cause vision loss if they are let to stay.
Constantly staring at a screen all day
If your eyes hurt at the end of a long day of work, you’re not alone. Several studies have found that the human eye, for some reason, feels compelled to stare at screens for far longer periods of time than other things, like books or the outside world, hence the often dry, tired feeling you get in your eyes after long periods of time on the computer. To avoid a case of computer vision syndrome (a rare, harsh result of long hours at the computer), or at least to avoid having some particularly fatigued eyes, be sure to keep the screen at a distance and shift your focus every so often.
Poor Posture
lack of irregular exercise, meditation and yoga destroys our physical and mental structure and results in poor posture.
Excessive contact lens wearing
For those with contact lenses—not the extended wear users—giving your eyes frequent breaks is imperative. Aside from helping you see things, of course, contact lenses block the tissue of your eye from receiving oxygen, which explains why it’s tough to keep them in for a particularly long day, and also why your eyes feel awful after a night of sleeping with them left in by accident. Overuse can cause damage to the corneas, so use your lenses sparingly.
conclusion
So here you find the 20 most common bad habits and their consequences on your mind and body. The good news is that you can quit them all.
Just spot out your own bad habits and take my suggestions to quit them. Then you’ll find your life a lot healthier and happier!
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