4 Unhealthy Habits To Kick From Your Daily Routine

Healthy lifestyles are largely achievable if you cut out some of your unhealthy habits. We’re all guilty of them - some more so than others - yet making small changes to the way we live our lives can make a profound difference in our health and well-being. ​

We could list a huge variety of unhealthy habits that might creep into your daily routine, but we’ll start with four of the most common (and most unhealthy!). Read through them below and be sure to completely kick them if you’re guilty of any. 

Not Getting Enough Sleep

There’s always been a raging debate about how much sleep you need every night. Some people swear they get along fine with 6 hours while others need at least 9 to feel refreshed. The general medical consensus is that adults need at least 7 hours of sleep every night. 

If you’re always falling below that, you need to snap out of this bad habit! 

A lack of sleep can cause endless health problems during your life. It leaves you with less energy, making you less motivated to move and be active. Not to forget it increases your stress levels as you don’t feel relaxed or refreshed. A lack of sleep is also linked to binge eating and hunger as your body produces more hunger hormones. 

In short, get more sleep! Aim for 7 hours and see how that feels - you might need more, especially if you’re a woman where you may need to aim for closer to 9 or 10 hours. 

Snacking On Too Many Sugary Treats

You’re eating healthy meals, yet you’re not seeing positive changes in your body. If anything, the opposite seems to happen. You’re fairly active, but you’re putting on weight. Not only that, but you feel rather sluggish all the time. 

Sound familiar? It’s likely because you’re eating too many sugary treats between meals. You’re piling in junk food as a snack but then eat healthy meals. Your snacking habits undo all the healthy eating, so you still end up harming your health. 

Sugary treats are particularly bad as they contain loads of excess calories with hardly any additional nutrients. In other words, they never fill you up or provide anything beneficial other than a sweet kick. Focus on eating meals with more fiber and protein so you feel fuller for longer and don’t have the urge to snack. When a snack feels necessary, be sure you have healthy options around you - like fruit, some cheese and crackers, or even a protein bar. 

Taking Pain Medication Whenever There’s A Slight Problem

Are you one of the many people who reach for pain medication whenever there’s a slight problem? You get a headache during the day, so you’re immediately downing a couple of pills. There’s a slight ache in your back, so you down a couple more. 

Needless to say, this is one of the unhealthiest and most dangerous daily habits out there. 

Consuming too much pain medication does things to your body. Certain types can irritate your stomach lining and lead to painful ulcers. Others are extremely addictive and you start feeling sick without them. This encourages you to take more as you might have headaches every day or feel nauseous. It creates an awful cycle that’ll leave you searching for a detox near me in no time at all. 

Stop reaching for pain medication the moment there’s a slight problem. Often, you can fight through it and little aches and pains subside. Other times, you need to figure out why the pain keeps coming. For instance, are you getting headaches because you need glasses? Or, are the constant stomach pains stemming from an allergy or intolerance? 

Find out why you’re in pain and you can sort it out rather than taking medication. 

Sitting Down For Extended Periods

Your job may force you to stay seated for extended periods, but you need to snap out of this habit. Sitting for too long will have horrible effects on your health, leading to: 

• Bad posture
  
• Chronic pain
  
• Excessive weight gain
  

Force yourself to stand up at least once every hour. Even if you’re in the office, stand up, walk around for a bit, do a few stretches, and then sit down again. When you’re away from work, get into the habit of being as active as possible. Walking is an easy way to do this; walk to work if you can, or walk to the shops instead of driving. The more steps you take, the healthier you’ll be. 


Kick all four of these unhealthy daily habits if you want a healthier life. They’re easy to do, but even easier to snap out of!

​