Do you wish to live longer by getting rid of unhealthy habits? Of course, you do! But that can’t happen without some effort from you, can it? According to America’s Health Ranking, around 71.9% of US adults have one or multiple unhealthy habits.
Remember, your current lifestyle shapes your future. Even if you are still in your twenties or early thirties, the habits you adopt and let go of will greatly determine your longevity and future health.
Habits are a big part of your life and daily routine. Adopting unhealthy habits negatively affects your body and mind, as it harms your health and often wrecks your relationship with your family and friends.
Here’s a list of some unhealthy habits to eliminate from your life and how to take the first step to quit them:
Smoking is one of the most common, unhealthy, and harmful practices that soon turns into a habit. Nearly every organ in the body suffers damage from smoking, which also increases the risk of illness and deteriorates the smoker's overall health. It increases the chance of many lung and cardiovascular diseases. It also leads to conditions like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. All of which have a horrible impact on life expectancy. Each year in the US, nearly 1 in 5 deaths are caused by smoking cigarettes.
Smoking cigarettes is difficult to break, as it contains nicotine, a highly addictive chemical substance. For treating this addiction, the most effective strategy is using a combination of medicines and therapy. Ask your doctors for antidepressant drugs. You can also get support from friends, family, and health groups like The Delphi Health Group. For more information, visit www.delphihealthgroup.com.
They provide individualized treatment facilities, including counseling, medication, and medical detox services to treat addiction.
Alcohol is a popular mood-altering substance. Excessive alcohol consumption poses major health risks, including chronic illnesses, high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, and liver diseases. When you drink recklessly, you may harm yourself and those around you, causing accidents like falls, car crashes, and drowning. You may also develop obesity, digestive issues, and liver problems over time due to excessive alcohol consumption.
Limit the amount of alcohol you consume to get rid of this habit. For men, drinking 1 or 2 drinks a day is fine, but women should stick to 1 drink per day. You can also reserve your drink for your mealtime. This way, you would take a small amount of alcohol at a time, which helps you limit your daily alcohol intake.
Indulging in a double cheeseburger, soda, and fries is the best way to lift your taste buds and give yourself a treat. However, making it a regular habit can lead to many serious health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. The trans fat in many junk foods may affect your brain functions, causing learning problems and fatigue. It also raises the risk of being overweight.
Avoiding junk foods won’t be easy at first. But with a little effort, you can easily take care of the amount of junk food you consume. You can switch unhealthy food with healthier food options. Baked items can easily replace fried snacks. However, soda can easily be switched with a cup of coffee or water. You may avoid rushing to fast-food restaurants and instead go grocery shopping and try to make a delicious and healthy snack of your own.
Gadgets are a useful source of information and communication. However, excessive use of gadgets can sometimes be life-threatening, leading to severe diseases, including insomnia and repetitive stress disorders. Studies show that those who spend too much time on electronic devices spend less time outside and have fewer social interactions. It could cause a lack of interest in daily activities and poor attention during work. Excessive use of technology can result in ill health, poor physical fitness, and poor eating practices. It can also result in discomfort, weakness, or numbness of the neck, shoulder, and nerves. Prolonged electronic device usage can also negatively affect the eyes, wrists, and arms.
To treat this unhealthy habit, you can set a time limit for the gadgets. Instead of playing games on your cellphones, you can choose to play outdoor games, such as cricket or football, with your friends. You can invite your friends and family to your house for a party instead of connecting with them through social media.
Sitting idle and watching TV is always relaxing. However, insufficient physical activity can contribute to fatigue, weakness, and sleeplessness.
According to health professionals, those who maintain inactive lifestyles are more prone to anxiety, depression, and gaining weight. Various risks, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, might also develop from a lack of physical activity.
You can try regular exercise as it lowers your chances of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and many other diseases. You can walk, do push-ups or run on a treadmill while watching TV to improve your bone health and muscle mobility. A great way to stay active is to choose stairs instead of lifts, relieving stress and improving your mood.
Easy accessibility of painkillers and sedatives has enabled people to treat their mild illnesses on their own without visiting a doctor. However, it has occupied people with a life-threatening habit of using painkillers and sedatives excessively. Overdosage of these drugs causes more problems than it solves. It can increase the risk of ulcers and high blood pressure and sometimes results in gastrointestinal bleeding. Taking medicines in more amounts than the prescribed dose can often lead to severe dizziness and fatigue.
You can try stress-relieving and mood-uplifting activities to lower your depression instead of your preferred medications. If you have a long-term illness, you can always consult your doctor. You may also try physiotherapy to reduce your joint and muscular pain as a replacement for painkillers. Routine health checks can also ensure your well-being and limit your intake of painkillers and sedatives.
Adopting unhealthy behaviors harms your body and mind since they adversely affect your health and frequently ruin relationships with family and friends. Unhealthy habits can also lead to problems, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, and obesity.
You can easily take care of them with a little effort and physical activity. Health experts claim that those who have active lifestyles are more likely to live longer than those who live idly.
So regardless of age or gender, start quitting unhealthy habits today and improve your quality of life!
