5 Habits That Could Be Damaging Your Health More Than You Think

We all have some bad habits that we manage to justify to ourselves. It can be easy to brush off these bad habits as not doing any real harm, but in reality, some of these guilty pleasures and bad habits could be harming your health more than you might think. Here are some habits you should kick now to improve your health and happiness.

Forgetting To Floss
Flossing might be boring to do but it’s more important than you might think. If you’re in a rush in the morning, it’s tempting to skip on flossing to save yourself some more time when you’re trying to get ready to go out.

However, flossing not only keeps your teeth healthy, but it’s good for your gum health too. Your oral health can have an effect on your overall health too. If you don’t floss, harmful bacteria can build up in the mouth, which is damaging not only to your teeth and gums, but can be damaging to your internal organs too. To combat this, remember to floss daily.

Social Smoking
You’re not a smoker really, but when you’re on a night out with any friends who do smoke, you sometimes have a cigarette with them. Lots of people who don’t consider themselves smokers will smoke after a few drinks, and justify it that it can’t do much damage. In reality, even occasional smoking or social smoking can damage your health just as much as smoking regularly. Smoking is very bad for your skin, your lungs and your overall health. Ask your friends not to give you cigarettes if you ask for one when you’re out together or switch to something like Aspire E Cig UK and try a vape instead. Don’t sit in the smoking area when you’re out so you’re not tempted to join in with those having a cigarette near you.

Going To Bed Late
We all lead busy lives and sometimes our only free time is in the evening. This makes it too easy to justify staying up too late, so you can catch up on your TV, spend time with your partner when the kids are in bed or just sitting up late looking at social media. Sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health, both physical and mental. People who don’t get enough sleep are more prone to suffer from anxiety, high blood pressure, depression and may struggle to lose weight too. If you’re well rested, you’ll feel happier and more productive.

Head to bed a little earlier and get some proper sleep.

Skipping Breakfast
Many of us try and compress our morning routine into as short a time as possible so we can spend a little more time in bed. That extra bit of sleep is great, but don’t squeeze your morning routine so much that you don’t have time to eat breakfast.

Lots of people skip a proper breakfast in favour of eating something quick like a cereal bar on your commute. Skipping breakfast means the energy stores that depleted overnight aren’t topped up, making you feel sluggish and tired. If you don’t eat a proper breakfast, you’ll crash mid-morning, making you far more likely to indulge in unhealthy snacks to tide you over until lunchtime.

Not Drinking Enough Water
Alongside sleep, water is one of the best things for your overall health. Being properly hydrated helps your organs to function probably, helps you to stay alert and focussed and can even aid weight loss. Lots of us aren’t great at getting enough water, and drink too many things like tea, coffee or soda instead.

Swap some of your drinks during the day for water, or match every cup of tea or coffee with a glass of water. Carry a water bottle with you and keep sipping at it throughout the day to keep your hydration levels topped up.

Dehydration can lead to headaches, constipation and muscle pain. Aim to get between six and eight glasses or cups of fluids a day. You can mix in juice and other drinks, but aim to drink some plain water every day. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try mixing in some fruit to add flavour, or keep a jug of water in the fridge if you find cold water more appetising.

A great way to tell if you’re getting enough water is by the color of your urine. Dark urine means you’re dehydrated. You should be aiming for a pale straw color to tell that you’ve drunk enough.