It’s difficult to go through life without developing unhealthy lifestyle habits. Maybe you like to have a glass of wine or two after work, or perhaps you can’t help but go through the fast food drive-thru several times a week. Indulging in these unhealthy habits can make you feel good — for a short time.
In order to stop unhealthy lifestyle habits, you first need to take a step back and reevaluate your life. Identify the habits you want to quit and consider what you are actually getting out of indulging in these habits in the first place. The answer is probably “not much” for those who are able to think about it with a clear mind. However, for those who suffer from addiction — especially addiction to drugs or alcohol — quitting unhealthy habits can be more complicated than you might think.
Interested in learning more about addiction and why it’s so difficult to quit bad habits? This article will go over 10 unhealthy lifestyle habits you need to stop indulging in right now, as well as some actions you can take to quit your bad habits forever.
Excessive Drinking
Alcoholism — otherwise known as alcohol use disorder — is an extremely common problem that affects people all over the world. People who suffer from alcohol use disorder often start drinking and find that they cannot stop. Binge drinking can cause long-term health problems, especially with your heart and liver. If you struggle with drinking too much, consider seeking treatment at a rehabilitation facility. You can find plenty of helpful treatment programs through Achieve Wellness and Recovery at achievewellnessrecovery.com.
Smoking Cigarettes
Like with excessive drinking, smoking cigarettes is not an easy addiction to quit. Everyone knows smoking is bad for you — it literally says so right there on the package — but persistent smokers aren’t likely to quit based on that fact alone. Smoking can lead to serious health problems like cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and stroke. Consider what you’re really getting out of smoking. Does it truly make you happy? How does your smoking habit affect the people around you? Yes, it’s difficult to quit smoking, but don’t let it get the best of you. You can do it.
Doing Drugs
Indulging in drug use, drinking, and smoking are at the top of our unhealthy habits list for a reason. There’s no way you can go through life without hearing “drugs are bad” more than a few times, and that’s because drugs are, in fact, bad. The withdrawal symptoms are often horrendous when it comes to drug abuse. This can lead to relapse, so attempting to quit can become a vicious cycle. Thankfully, with medication-assisted treatment, withdrawal symptoms can be reduced.
Eating Junk Food When You’re Stressed
Eating a little junk food is fine in moderation, but if you’re eating junk food every day — especially when you’re feeling stressed out — it can become a real problem. If you use junk food to take the edge off (much like an alcoholic might use alcohol to take the edge off), you are going to start associating junk food with feeling good. While it might feel good to eat junk food (at first), eating too much junk food can lead to health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Staying in Unhealthy Relationships
You’ve probably been in or have witnessed at least one unhealthy relationship in your life. Maybe your parents went through a divorce when you were younger, or you had a partner who didn’t treat you right. It can be hard to leave an unhealthy relationship because oftentimes the abuser will make you feel like you can’t leave. They will try to make you feel like no one else will ever love you, but this is obviously so untrue! Leave your unhealthy relationship today. Make sure you have a safe place to go, and get back to living your life in the way you want to live it.
Having a Negative Attitude
There is such a thing as toxic positivity, but when positivity is appropriately encouraged, it’s for a good reason. Maintaining a positive attitude is necessary when it comes to having a healthy mind and body. Having a negative outlook on everything can lead you into the dark depths of depression and anxiety — which can in turn lead to even more problems like substance abuse and loss of meaningful relationships. Practice mindfulness in your everyday life and try your best to see the positive side of things.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
This is a bad habit commonly seen in young adults who have a lot on their plates. Things like school and work can keep us up at night, but it’s important to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Not getting enough sleep can lead to mental health problems like depression and anxiety as well as physical health problems like fatigue. If you’re having trouble sleeping, talk to a healthcare professional as you could be suffering from insomnia.
Watching Too Much Television
Watching too much t.v. greatly limits your physical and mental activity, which can lead to health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although it’s okay to be a couch potato sometimes, you certainly don’t want to spend all of your time sitting on the couch. Watching too much television can also negatively impact your relationships. If you find that you spend more time watching your favorite shows than you do interacting with others, it might be time to reevaluate your priorities.
Laying Out in the Sun Without Sunscreen
Your parents used to get on your case about wearing sunscreen while you were growing up for a good reason. Not wearing sunscreen in very sunny weather can lead to health problems like melanoma. It can also make your skin look wrinkly and leathery as you get older. Bring sunscreen with you everywhere you go! You won’t regret it.
