5 habits to ditch for a healthy you
1. Holding a Grudge
Forgive and forget. You may be affected psychologically as
well as physically and really stressed up if you are not able to forgive. A
study published in Social Psychology and Personality Science, for example,
shows that you can lift weight from your shoulders by the simple act of
forgiveness. The study showed that that the more forgiving people were, the
higher they were able to jump; those who forgave someone who offended them
estimated the steepness of a hill lower than those who still harbored resentment
for the people who offended them. “Forgiveness does not mean you’re condoning,
forgetting or denying the event or the pain it caused,” says Elizabeth
Lombardo, Ph.D., psychologist and author of “Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies
to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love.” “Take responsibility
for what you can do now instead of focusing on the regret that happened in the
past.”
2. Being Connected 24/7
Just when you are about to call it a day, you just want to
check Facebook one more time or your email. The problem is, you may find
yourself awake for a very long time even when you are ready to sleep. The
reason; The bright blue light from your phone or tablet, which reduces sleep
drive and stimulates your brain to stay awake by suppressing melatonin, a
hormone necessary to trigger drowsiness, says Towfigh. To avoid this problem and have a more
relaxing and restful sleep, you need to keep away from your electronic an hour
before bedtime.
3. Being Proud of Getting by on Four Hours of Sleep a Night
Lack of adequate sleep is unhealthy and is linked to a
couple of health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, increased risk
of heart disease, stroke and so forth. Furthermore, insufficient sleep can
cause weight gain. Sleep affects the hormones that regulate appetite. Adults
need between seven to eight hours of sleep at night. “Ghrelin stimulates feelings of hunger, and
its levels increase when you’re sleep deprived. At the same time, lack of sleep
suppresses leptin, a hormone released by fat cells that signals our bodies to
stop eating.” Allen Towfigh, an M.D., board-certified sleep-medicine doctor and
neurologist. “If you still feel tired in the mornings, incrementally push up
your bedtime by 15 to 30 minutes,” he recommends. It is better to sleep earlier
than trying to prolong sleep in the morning.
4. Being Too Serious All the Time
Laugh and grow healthy! Loma Linda University of California,
showed in a study that laughter helped improve memory in older folks over 60
and 70 years. Research shows that the stress hormone, cortisol, which can
impair memory and learning, is reduced by laughter. “Laughter also helps
decrease blood pressure, boost circulation, increase endorphins and otherwise
make you healthier,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., psychologist and author of
“Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life
You Love.” Spend time with people who crack you up and watch funny videos to
make you happy and of course laugh!
5. Always Imagining the Worst
Be positive; don’t think of negative things all the time. Al
right, being optimistic does not guarantee a longer life than a pessimist but
optimists tend to live healthier lives. They experience less depression and
have greater resistance to the common cold according to a study by Mayo Clinic.
“There is nothing wrong with thinking about the worst-case scenario and then
taking steps to avoid or plan for it just in case,” says Lombardo. “But many
people emotionally react as if their fear is imminent. I call this ‘putting
your winter coat on in summer.’ Even if you know you will need a parka in
January, wearing it starting in July makes no sense.” Instead of delving into a
problem that has not happened yet, think of steps you can take to prevent it
from happening or better still, wait for it to happen and deal with it then.
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