We all have bad habits that we find really hard to let go. Give your life a major upgrade this 2017.
Start living a better and healthier life by nixing these 7 bad habits.
1. Smoking
We know it’s easier said than done. People who smoke have lower life expectancy than those who don’t. This bad habit does not only only harm the smoker but also affects the people around him. Smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancers and also causes mouth and throat cancers.
2. Spreading Misinformation on Social Media
Recently, Google and Facebook independently rolled out a campaign against fraudulent sites that spread false news. This was a response to a clamor that misinformation, that proliferated in the internet, influenced the US presidential election results. It’s now time for people to be more critical in what they read online.
Identifying fake or poorly researched contents online are easy to spot.
When reading content online, check the source and corroborate facts with other reliable sources. And when you believe that the content is suspicious, please, do not share. Instead, you can flag it as inappropriate or spam.
3. Sitting All Day Long
Spending all your day sitting can pose various health risks. It has also been linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. When you sit all day, your muscle growth is stunted, you burn less fat and you gain weight. Hunching and slouching causes wear and tear on your spine.
Did you know that improper sitting position affects your internal organs? Your lungs shrink. This then decreases your body’s blood and oxygen flow which attenuates your brainpower.
This video from TedxEd is instructive as to how our bodies are wired to move around and not sit all day.
4. Impulsive Internet Surfing
According to an article by the Entrepreneur, it takes 15 minutes of straight focus for us to boost our productivity on a certain task. But when we surf the internet, we break the streak and resets all over.
Set a goal to reduce the length of time you spend surfing the internet. Great self-discipline is vital. Try logging your time as you surf the internet and gradually reduce the time you spend online. Practice makes perfect. It will also help if you can substitute other productive activities instead of surfing the internet.
5. Procrastinating
Procrastination is often the culprit when we fail to achieve our goals. It is an illusion of comfort, but in reality, it steals opportunity and accomplishment.
To stop procrastinating, jot down your to-do list for the day in order of priority. Make sure that what’s on your list are realistic and achievable for your given deadline. Do one task at a time and only move on to the next once you’re done with the task at hand.
6. Not Getting Enough Sleep
There are times when school or work requires us to pull an allnighter. However, sometimes we just choose to do it. Lack of sleep weakens our immune system and negatively affects our mood and brainpower.
Time management is crucial. To get a good night’s sleep, avoid drinking caffeinated drinks nor eating 3 hours prior to sleeping. Remove distractions like mobile phones, gadgets, and any other electronics as well.
7. No Time to Exercise
We are aware that not having an active lifestyle poses serious health risks. It increases the chance of developing obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. This coming 2017, it’s your time to gift yourself with good health by regularly exercising and having an active lifestyle.
Ask professional help to jumpstart your wellness program. Having a workout buddy will also help and make regular work-out extra fun!
Do you know any other bad habits worth quitting this coming 2017?
Share us your thoughts by commenting below.
