Sometimes, our days pass by in large part on autopilot. We wake up and go about our routines without a thought in the world.
However, there are some things that we would be better off paying attention to during the day, things that I personally never thought twice about.
That's because they are some of the most common things we should stop doing to our bodies right away — they are so simple, but can have such a huge impact on our day-to-day well-being.
I know that I am guilty of almost every single one of these, but especially #7. If I made a conscious effort to change the way I treat my body in these small ways, who knows how much better I would feel when I woke up in the morning? It's got to be worth a try!
Will you pay more attention to the little things that you do to your body every day? How many of these are you guilty of already? Let us know in the comments.
And please SHARE this useful list with your family and friends on Facebook!
Thumbnail sources: Wikimedia, Flickr
1. Breathing Too Shallowly
There is more than just one single way to breathe, and most of us aren't doing it right. Chest breathing is the most common, but it's much better to breathe with the belly or diaphragm. This deeper breathing can help relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and improve endurance.
2. Exercising Too Often
Studies have shown that exercising six days a week can make your body think that it is being overexerted. A more moderate workout (say, four days a week) might just be the ticket to slimming down without overdoing it.
3. Wearing The Wrong Shoes
Your feet aren't the only things at risk if you wear a bad pair of shoes: you can also end up suffering from severe joint and neck pain without the proper support. If your doctor tells you to find a better pair of shoes, do it! Replacing your joints is a lot harder than replacing your shoes.
4. Washing Too Much
Washing your hair too much makes the scalp produce more oils, which gives it that greasy look. Additionally, taking long, hot showers can dry out the skin. Scrubbing anywhere too thoroughly or too often will get rid of the good bacteria, too, making it harder to fend off infection. Consider skipping the shampoo for a couple days a week, and limiting shower time to avoid over-cleaning.
5. Using The Wrong Soap
There is no truly conclusive evidence out there that says using antibacterial soap helps keep you from getting sick, but it does get rid of the bacteria on your hands. However, you want to keep good bacteria that help fight away infection, and these can also be demolished with soap. These overly harsh soaps can also throw your hormone levels off kilter.
6. Wearing Clothes You Washed In A Dirty Machine
Your clothes might not be as clean as you think. If you don't regularly wash your washing machine, there could be a buildup of fecal matter (and therefore E. coli) in the very machine you trust to clean your things. Where does it come from? Your very own undergarments. Tossing in extremely dirty undergarments of any kind, even a heavily soiled sports bra, can make the rest of your clothing dirty the next time you throw in a wash.
7. Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little
Without the proper amount of sleep, our brains begin to crumble. Without seven to nine hours of sleep each night, the average adult will have memory problems, loss of creativity, and emotional instability, along with many other physical risks. Remember that catching up on sleep is impossible, and all the sleep you've lost so far in life has already done damage. Better start making time for sleep now!
Surprisingly, though, getting too much sleep has effects similar to getting too little sleep!
8. Sitting
No, not just sitting with bad posture (although that is very bad, too), but simply sitting. If you sit for long periods of the day, you may develop some very serious health issues. Make sure you're getting up on your feet throughout the day. Even a walk to the end of the block is better than nothing.
9. Cutting Out Major Food Groups
Cutting out all carbs or all fats is not such a great idea, as your body needs both of those things to function properly. Carbs give your muscles energy, and fats keep your mind sharp. Of course, picking healthy carbs and fats is the tricky part, but you can start by keeping out the yolks in your omelettes and sticking to whole grains.
Are you guilty of any of these yourself? Did we miss anything from our list? Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
