Unhealthy lifestyles are difficult to break. It takes discipline, determination, sacrifice, and a strong will to overcome the many barriers.
Unfortunately, we fail to acknowledge these lifestyles because of indifference, lack of knowledge, or the tools to avoid the habits and move forward with a healthier lifestyle.
Failing to recognize these habits increase the potential for significant health problems. It is never too late to make things right. Here are the top 10 most effective ways to avoid habits that destroy your health.
1. Stay Clear of Substances
Substances like tobacco, alcohol, synthetic drugs, and even prescription narcotics become nasty habits. The long-term use of tobacco and alcohol leads to serious health problems. Abusing prescription drugs or synthetic drugs can lead to addiction. Avoid these habits by finding healthier natural ways to manage sleep, stress, anxiety, or depression. According to Addicted.org, taking a more holistic approach to manage substance use has proven to have excellent results.
2. Always Keep Your Body Moving
It is easy to become a couch potato; the Netflix and chill option is appealing, and there are endless shows to watch. Yet, not having any exercise regime in your life may drastically affect your health. The couch potato habit may have developed during the pandemic, but now is the time to change. Avoid this habit by fitting in 30 minutes of exercise every day.
3. Avoid Binge Eating
Binge eating is likely one of the unhealthiest things, especially when combined with alcohol and drug use. Many people who struggle with binge eating have underlying eating disorders or depression. It can lead to significant health problems and even mental health conditions. Avoid binge eating by having a set eating schedule and regular exercise.
4. Reduce Intake Of Junk Food
Unhealthy snack food, junk food, and food with nothing but sugar or overly processed are everywhere and often cheaper than healthier food. Unfortunately, these foods become appealing when drinking and doing drugs, and people often binge on them. Avoid this habit by keeping other snacks on hand, like veggies, jerky, fruit, or nuts.
5. Drink Water Regularly
Avoiding drinking water and staying in a constant state of dehydration by not drinking water will have a major impact on your overall health. A lack of water causes fatigue, dry skin, irritation, and drastically impacts the functioning of the kidneys.
In addition, you lose focus and become unproductive. Avoid this habit by keeping a reusable water bottle with you, in the car, at work, by your desk, or on the table. If you can’t just drink water, there are many more ways to stay more hydrated.
6. Avoid Pornography
Pornography addiction is a real problem and has damaging effects on men and women. It may seem like a small habit at first, but it quickly spirals out of control.
Some of the damaging effects include addiction, isolation, increased aggression, distorted beliefs and perceptions, negative feelings, and neglecting other areas of your life.
Avoid the habit of pornography by developing healthy relationships or become familiar with self-help books about developing healthy relationships.
7. Reduce Phone Usage
Sure, social media is fun, it can be interesting and even informative, but it can consume every aspect of your life. It has a significant impact on young lives, especially teens.
It disrupts sleep and exposes people to bullying, spreading rumors, unrealistic views of other people’s lives, and peer pressure.
Avoid the habit of becoming consumed by social media by limiting your time, for example, two hours after you wake up, and leave it alone a few hours before you go to bed. There are many health benefits of leaving social media and reducing phone usage.
8. Ensure You Get Quality Sleep
Anything less than eight hours of sleep is not necessarily healthy. Not getting enough sleep leads to serious health problems. Becoming sleep deprived can cause high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, or even a stroke. It can also cause poor eating habits, anxiety, depression, and lead to substance use. Avoid the habit of poor sleep by setting a schedule for sleep time and wake-up time. Rearrange social activities and other interests to ensure proper sleep habits.
9. Eat Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is kind of important, which means an adequate breakfast that does not include tobacco, only coffee, or bloody mary. Not eating breakfast does impact weight, hormonal health, cognition, mood, and memory. Anytime you skip a meal, your metabolism begins to slow, leading to weight gain and sluggishness.
Avoid this habit by meal prepping breakfast the night before. You can also practice meal planning.
10. Maintain A Great Social Life
It is an easy habit to fall into, avoiding conversation and not talking about personal issues. However, talking to someone or even exploring therapy options has significant benefits.
Therapy helps individuals become more mindful of their surroundings and self while helping to resolve underlying problems. Avoid the habit of solidarity by taking time to talk to loved ones and friends or arrange for a therapist. Do not let it bottle up inside. You can still do more things to improve your social health.
Final Thoughts
Many of these bad habits seem like minor problems to begin with, which makes them easy to ignore. Many bad habits look harmless but end up doing more damage than good. Overall, it is best to look at anything that is being done in an unhealthy amount and is causing physical or mental harm; it should be considered a bad habit.
Changing these habits is not easy, and it takes determination and discipline. Yet, it is done every day, and it can be done with the help of others. Reach out to someone you know, ask for support, become knowledgeable about unhealthy habits, and take the necessary steps to make improvements.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
Marcel Gemme has been helping people struggling with substance abuse for over 20 years. He started as an intake counselor for a drug rehabilitation center in 2000. With drug and alcohol problems constantly increasing, he utilized his website, Addicted.org, and community outreach to spread awareness. His primary focus is threefold: education, prevention, and rehabilitation.
