They say that old habits die hard—especially if you do them on a daily basis. And I’m not just pertaining to undeniably deadly one like smoking or drinking alcohol. Sometimes, the seemingly harmless habits are the ones that could be dangerous to your health. And you might be wondering, what are they?
Well, we compiled a list of seemingly harmless habits that could be deadly. Read on the article to find out more.
Staring at screens all day
There’s a good reason why this is the top of our list. In this modern and technological age, it seems impossible to escape these glowing rectangles as basically every one of us has smartphones in our hands or has technologies in our homes like television.
Speaking of television, an article published on the website Insider entitled 10 everyday habits that are terrible for your health — and how you can fix them advises to you to refrain from spending too much time in front of your idiot box. The primary reason? Well, watching a lot of TV prevents you from getting any physical activity. According to the article, people who watched more than 2 hours of TV has consumed more food—high-fat and high-calorie snacks paired with sugary soft drinks than those who don’t. It seems like you need to cut down on your ‘Netflix and chill’ moments if you don’t want to become overweight or develop type-2 diabetes. Spending too much time watching TV can also speed up your memory loss.
To reverse this habit, you could follow the 2/30 rule: no more than hours of TV and at least 30 minutes of exercise. Avoid channel surfing and only turn on the TV if you have something specific to watch. As with the snacking, we all know that a movie marathon isn’t fun without a snack on the side, but instead of the usual salty chips and sugary sodas, opt for healthier snack options. Last but not the least, make it a habit to go out and interact with your family and peers.
Going back to smartphones, are you the type to scroll down through your phone before going to bed, thinking that the activity will make your eyes tired and help you fall asleep faster? Well, you might be doing the complete opposite.
According to an article published by Liz Meszaros entitled ‘These simple everyday habits could ruin your health,’ the blue light coming from your phone disrupts your circadian rhythm and thus preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. It blocks your body’s production of melatonin—the hormone responsible for your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
And we all know the effects of not having enough rest—irritability, insomnia and daytime sleepiness. To counter this habit, make sure that you’ve turned off your mobile devices, laptops, tablets, and even the TV at least 30 minutes to one hour before you doze off for the night.
Not getting enough sleep
Speaking of sleep, are you getting the minimum amount required? I bet you’ll say no. I bet it is more fun to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing games, watching movies, or reading books inside your house or condominium unit. Well, I’m about to spoil the fun.
On average, an adult, depending on age, requires 7-8 hours of full and complete rest. While the sleep requirement varies depending on the age bracket, it is still not an excuse not to get your much needed rest after a long day of work or school.
Just like batteries, our body recharges during sleep. It repairs cells, restores energy, and releases important hormones and proteins to help your body function well. Sleep is also vital for your nervous system as it stores new information while getting rid of toxic wastes. Your nerve cells reorganizes for a healthy brain function.
These are just some of the various benefit of getting enough sleep, so do your body a favor, take that book down, turn that TV or mobile off, and unplug that game console and let your body get that rest it deserves.
Holding sneezes in
I get it, you just want to be polite so you try to hold and stop your sneeze before it comes out and scare the people in front of you or startle your pet who’s comfortably sleeping on his bed.
According to a case report by The BMJ as mentioned in Meszaros’ article, a man who kept on pinching his nose when he sneezes suffered from perforations in his pharynx.
So how did this happen? When you hold your sneeze, you are also holding back the pressure from being released. A sneeze has a force powerful enough to rupture ear drums, cause damage to the blood vessels, and induce hearing loss and vertigo.
While these cases are very rare, you aren’t quite sure if you don’t belong to that rare group. So, for good measure, grab that tissue or towel and let that sneeze come out.
Skipping breakfast
Running late for work or school? Well, you’ve probably skipped out on your morning meal so that you can catch your school bus or make it just in time to present your work presentation. It should be fine if it happened once or twice, but if you find yourself in the same scenario every waking day then it’s time for some adjustments on your daily routine.
For starters, breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it will give your body the fuel it needs to survive another challenging day. So how will your body and mind be able to keep up if they don’t get the right nutrition at the start of the day?
Skipping breakfast makes you feel sluggish and can lead you to gaining more weight. You are more likely to fall into ‘starve-now-indulge-later eating pattern,’ causing you to overeat as a way to compensate for the food you didn’t get the chance to eat earlier in the day.