Bad Habits You Need to Change if You Want to Live a Healthier Life

**Collaborative post**

Leading a healthier life isn’t just about eating good food and exercising regularly. It also entails a whole lifestyle overhaul, which includes beating some of those old bad habits. Bad habits can hinder all the hard work you are putting in, and result in no, or slow progress. It is important to take some time to review your current habits and start taking steps towards changing them. Here are some of the most common bad habits that hold people back, and need changing if you want to live a healthier, happier and longer life. 

Smoking 

Smoking is an extremely common habit that unfortunately holds a lot of serious risks to your health. Every time you smoke, you are increasing your risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, stroke, emphysema, and a range of other health complications. It can also make it harder for you to participate in cardiovascular exercises, as you will be out of breath much quicker, and you may suffer from day to day stress on your body, such as heartburn symptoms. 

Binge drinking 

Drinking on occasion won’t do too much harm to your body, and it is good for your mental health to get out and be sociable with friends and family. However, if you find that you are consuming too much alcohol, it can quickly become a strain on your body. Alcohol can not only lead to weight gain, but it is also toxic for your body to consume and can lead to cancer and chronic diseases. Plus you might develop alcohol use disorder, not to mention the dreaded hangovers that are draining you of energy and leave you feeling rough.

Too much screen time

If you are spending too much time on your technological devices, you are more than likely sitting around too much, and causing stress on your body. Simply spending too much time online, for example, on social media, can leave you feeling stressed and anxious, which over a long period, is not good for your body. Screen time before bed can also prevent you from gaining good quality sleep. This disruption to your life, and sedentary lifestyle, will impact your health and wellbeing. Swap your screen time for reading a book, taking a walk in nature, or listening to a podcast. 

Not getting enough sleep

Sleep is often underestimated. It is recommended that on average, you should get between 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Without it, you will find yourself unable to stay awake at work, you are unable to concentrate on daily activities, and your cognitive abilities will begin to decline. Your body will also have to work extra hard to get through the day, which is stressful.

You shouldn’t expect yourself to quit straight away, or altogether. You should aim for moderation. Start with making small changes and reducing the bad habits in your life, and set realistic expectations. Find someone to keep you accountable, and replace the bad habits with good ones. Once you can do this, you will see your life drastically improve.