We all love staying healthy, and are all aware of how important it is to take care of ourselves. Whether it is being more aware of personal hygiene by washing your hands properly and using hand dryers, or keeping an eye on the amount of fatty foods we consume, there are plenty of good habits that make it easier to stay healthy. However, there are more unknown bad habits that have a detrimental effect on our health and wellbeing. In this article, we will take a look at these habits in detail, outlining why you should avoid them. Let’s take a look.
Knuckle Cracking:
Cracking your knuckle can be incredibly satisfying, but it can be harmful for you. The crack you are hearing is actually the popped bubbles in the synovial fluid that keeps your joints working. A popular belief is that cracking knuckles can lead to arthritis. Whilst this is not true, continuing to crack your knuckles over an extended period of time can lead to swollen joints and a weakened grip.
Nail Biting:
Nail biting is an unintentional, subconscious way of coping with stress for many people. However, biting your nails can make you more prone to skin infections, as the damaged area of your skin around the nail is more exposed to the germs. Moreover, our hands are not always clean, and might carry bacteria and viruses. When you bite your nails, you are more likely to catch colds and flus by ingesting these bacteria and viruses. Using a nail trimmer and making sure your hands are clean is a great way to prevent illness. If you are prone to biting your nails due to stress, consider wearing nail polish as a deterrent, or find another object to fidget with in times of high anxiety.
Not Getting Enough Sleep:
We often work ourselves to the bone without worrying about the impact this can have on your health. Working from 9 to 5 without proper sleep, instead keeping yourself awake with caffeine can disrupt your sleep cycle completely. For a normal human body to function correctly, 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is essential.
If you are not paying attention to the quality and duration of your sleep, you are more prone to depression, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sight problems, and can even put you more at risk of an early death. To combat this, try and implement a strict routine for when you get to bed to ensure you get the required hours.
Screen time Before Bed:
We all have developed the bad habit of using our phones at night, or falling asleep while watching TV, all without realising how harmful the blue light emanating from screens can be to your health. Some studies suggest that increased screen time, particularly at night, is linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity risk. When going to sleep, you should put your phone aside, switch off the TV, and instead focus on relaxing your body. Keep your room dark and peaceful for more of a chance of an interrupted sleep.
Sitting Too Much:
The modern workplace requires you to keep sitting upright for most of the day. Even if you work from home, you will likely spend your time using a laptop or desktop, and will have to sit still constantly. The bad news is that sitting for a long duration slows down your metabolism, which makes weight gain easier. Instead, taking a five to ten minute short walk every few hours, or better still, asking your management to invest in standing desks, can be incredibly helpful.
Eating Quickly:
Whilst many people are aware of what they eat, few people pay attention to how they eat their food, making it a true hidden bad habit. If you are eating your food too quickly, you are likely to eat more, leading to increased body weight. Obesity is linked to a vast range of health problems. To try and change this habit, take smaller bites and eat your food more slowly, and this could potentially stop you from any further overeating.
To conclude, these small and unnoticeable habits can lead to many health issues. You need to be more considerate about the way you eat, sleep or even sit. Paying closer attention to these habits can improve your health going forward.