Sometimes keeping in good health can be difficult, especially during the Winter months! But many of your daily habits can also have a significant impact on your wellbeing. Identifying these and changing them, can make a positive difference!
There are many daily habits that can secretly impact your health and wellbeing. Even if you try your best to lead a healthy lifestyle, you might be guilty of one these habits. Here’s a list of our top 4 for you to consider:
Forgetting to check product ingredients:
It’s so important to be aware of what’s inside the products you’re using. From the food you eat, to the moisturisers that you apply to your skin. Lack of awareness can lead to immediate reactions (if you have allergies) or long-term health effects if you are using products with potentially harmful ingredients.
When checking food, checking the nutrient levels is important but also look at the specific ingredients. Look out for artificial additives, colourings, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame – to name a few! Don’t forget to also apply this same thinking to your skincare, makeup and body care products. Ingredients such as parabens, fragrance and petroleum distillates (for example) can be found in many products, but can be linked with health concerns.
Make a rule to be a conscious consumer. Know more about the products you use and “when in doubt, leave it out”.
Getting stuck in a food rut:
During busy periods, it’s easy to fall into a repetitive meal pattern. You have limited time to plan and prepare them, so you stick to eating the same meals. If these meals are healthy, it’s not going to be a major health concern, but long-term ‘food ruts’ can impact your wellbeing.
Many experts advise a well-balanced, varied diet. Varied being the key word here. This is important to get a broad range of nutrients, and it’s also more enjoyable! So, mix things up a little. I love the advice to ‘eat the rainbow.’ It encourages you to add lots of colour to your meals. You could apply this thinking to update your go-to meals. Add a new colour to the plate to increase the number of nutrients in the dish.
Swapping sleep for caffeine:
Can you function without your morning latte? If you use caffeine to get through the day following only a few hours’ sleep, then this habit is not good for your health. Caffeine is a stimulant, that can disrupt sleep, heighten feelings of anxiety and can have long-term effects on your health. Falling back on caffeine now and again to get an energy boost is not the end of the world, but depending on it every day is a whole other story.
Try and get as much sleep as possible. Your body needs rest and sleep should be your go-to remedy to combat tiredness, instead of caffeine. If you need an energy boost, look for more natural alternatives. If you’re getting tired after staring at a screen for a long time, go for a walk and get some fresh air. After a disruptive night’s sleep make every effort to stay hydrated, and snack on plain nuts when you need a little boost. If you NEED a hot drink, swap your usual coffee for zero to trace caffeine alternatives, like this ginseng tea.
Slouching at your desk:
This is a very common habit that can be difficult to avoid. If you work in an office, then you might be suffering bad posture caused by hunching over a laptop. Bad desk posture can lead to what has been dubbed ‘tech neck’. This can result in muscle strain and injury. Bad desk posture can also lead to lower back pain depending on how you’re sitting in your chair.
To break this habit and improve your posture at work, sit with your feet flat on the floor (no crossing legs), and use an ergonomically designed office chair. Use a laptop monitor or screen placed at eye level or ask your HR manager for a workstation assessment. This can assess if your desk position etc is suitable for your posture and is comfortable for everyday use. If you work at a desk all day, take a break every hour or so to have a quick leg, arm, back or neck stretch.
Are you guilty of any of these habits? Let us know in the comments below and pledge to break the habit. Tweet us @totmorganic to join the conversation.
