When you’re younger, you think your body is invincible. You do all kinds of things without thinking twice about what the repercussions will be. Drinking too much soda, smoking cigarettes, and even binge eating after eight are poor health habits that some adapt when they’re younger. Unfortunately, it’s not until the late 30s and early 40s that you start to realize how much those bad habits impacted you.
If you want to live a long, prosperous life, taking care of your health and ditching bad habits much be a choice that you make early on. Below are some obvious and not so obvious bad health habits and solutions for kicking them:
- Poor Posture: When you were younger, your parents and teachers likely told you to sit up straight and stop slouching. As a kid, you pay it no never mind and continue sitting how you please. The truth, however, is that poor posture can lead to significant back and neck issues later.
The Fix: The fix to poor posture is easy. No slouching in chairs, sit up straight, and don’t walk hunched over.
- Snacking on Junk: Candy, potato chips, sweets, and fast foods always taste great. While these cravings may taste good, what most don’t realize is how much junk you’re actually dumping into your body. Prolonged and excessive consumption of unhealthy snacks and junk food can lead to medical conditions light diabetes and heart disease. Not to mention, obesity is likely in your future.
The Fix: Find alternative snacks to munch on and eat the sweet, fried, and salty treats on occasion.
- Experimenting with Drugs: When you’re younger, the temptation to try out drugs is likely something that goes through your mind. Smoking a little pot here and there, a molly or two when you’re going out to a club, and whatever other drugs your friends might offer you. The only issue as you know is that with the use of any drug there is the potential risk for becoming addicted.
The Fix: Obviously, the quickest fix would be to avoid the use of drugs period. However, if you’ve picked up a habit, started abusing drugs, or are struggling with addiction, going to a rehab facility in your area such as Georgia Drug Rehab can provide you with long-term solutions to fighting addiction.
- Too Much Stress: Stress is normal in anyone’s life, however, when you’re enduring too much stress it can lead to serious health issues. Modern life for most means busier schedules, more responsibilities, and the same 24 hours – which means more stress. Too much stress can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, a weakened immune system, and obesity. It can also lead to self-medicating.
The Fix: There are several ways you can combat stress. Start by evaluating your life and looking at where the most stressful areas are. Start saying no when you have too much to do, ask for help when you need it, and more importantly, take time for you doing things like yoga, meditation, and even a nice massage to unwind.
- Skipping Breakfast: You get up, you’re late for work or school and you dart out the door without so much as a piece of toast. Skipping breakfast is probably the worst thing you can do for your health. Failure to eat the first meal of the day can lead to issues with your hormones, memory loss, changes in mood, and slowed metabolism, loss of concentration and weight gain.
The Fix: Quite simply, eat breakfast daily. If you don’t have time for a full meal, consider smaller and faster things for breakfast. This might include cereal bars, yogurt, a piece of fruit, oatmeal, toast, or a breakfast sandwich.
- Not Drinking Enough Water: Water is essential to a good quality of life. However, most don’t like the tasteless drink and opt to skip out on it. However, since the body is comprised of mostly water, not drinking enough can lead to dehydration which can cause basic symptoms like dry skin and fatigue, but can also lead to more serious issues like kidneys that don’t function as well causing toxins to accumulate in the body.
The Fix: Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. If you don’t like the taste of water, adding fruit or water flavoring to the mix can make it more appetizing.
Bad habits are easy to start and hard to break. However, failure to break those listed above can really lead to a decline in your health. If you want the opportunity to live a full, healthy, and complete life, it is imperative that you begin taking the steps towards kicking these bad habits, and getting help for those you can’t kick on your own.