Identifying and Breaking Bad Habits for a Healthier New Year

As the New Year approaches, it’s natural to start thinking about resolutions and ways to improve our lives. However, before making promises to ourselves to live healthier, it’s important to take a closer look at the bad habits we may currently have. Many of us engage in small actions that we may not even be aware of, but can cause significant damage to our health in the long run. Here are five common bad habits to watch out for and steps to take to break them.

1. Faulty Sleeping Habits

The way we sleep can have a major impact on our posture and back pain. There are three main sleeping positions: on your back, on your belly, and on your side. Sleeping on your back is the best position, since your entire body is sitting straight. Sleeping on your belly forces you to twist your neck, while sleeping on your side requires more support to keep your spine straight.

Regardless of which position you prefer, always ensure that your spine is supported and straight. Any unnatural curve can lead to back pain, especially over time. Pay attention to how your body is supported during sleep and make adjustments as needed.

2. Faulty Posture

Take a look around you: you may notice that many people have poor posture that can cause damage to their bones and muscles in the long run. Whether you’re at the office or on public transportation, people often sit with their spines awkwardly twisted and their heads tilted forward.

To improve your posture, start by training yourself to sit upright. It may be challenging to break the habit, but regularly practice pushing your shoulders downwards and backwards, pushing your chest forward, and keeping your chin up. This will exercise your abs and back muscles, as well as your diaphragm. If you need to use your smartphone, keep the phone at eye level to avoid tilting your head downward and straining your neck.

If you experience muscle pain from improving your posture, consider getting a massage from a professional or investing in a massage chair to help relieve tension.

3. Shallow Breathing

Most people breathe with their upper chest instead of using their diaphragm, which can lead to poorly oxygenated blood and damage to internal organs. Athletes and singers know the importance of breathing deeply, but it’s a habit that everyone should adopt.

To ensure that you’re breathing more deeply, practice inflating your belly rather than just your chest. This will allow you to take in larger amounts of air and oxygenate your body more effectively. The result is better functioning organs, especially the brain.

4. Lack of Massage

Getting regular massages is often viewed as a luxury reserved for the wealthy, but it’s actually a habit that everyone should incorporate into their self-care routine. Massages can help relax your muscles and ease aches and pains, which is especially important if you regularly exercise.

Consider investing in a massage chair or portable massager to unwind after a long day. Stretching is also a great way to improve mobility and increase muscle strength. Incorporate stretching before and after workouts to reduce the buildup of lactic acid in your muscles. Aim to get a massage once a week or twice a month to reap the most benefits.

5. Listening to Loud Music

Many of us enjoy listening to loud music, especially millennials. However, prolonged exposure to loud sounds can damage our hearing sensitivity and even cause ear pain or phantom sounds. Our ears are not designed to handle constantly loud sounds, so it’s important to pay attention to the volume of our music.

If you’re attending a loud concert or event, wear ear plugs to protect your hearing. And when listening to music on your headphones or speakers, keep the volume at a reasonable level to avoid damaging your hearing in the long run.

Breaking bad habits can be challenging, but the benefits for our health and wellbeing are worth it. Identify these five habits in yourself and take steps to break them for a healthier New Year.