Five bad habits to stop today—and five good habits to start
Habits are those actions and decisions that a person continually makes every day that in many ways define them. An active person is one who habitually exercises. A creative person may be one who daily spends hours in a studio. A lifestyle with many good habits and fewer bad habits is desirable. Here are five common bad habits that are worth changing and five good habits to consider working into your daily routine.
Five to change
No breakfast: Skipping breakfast may seem like a great diet plan. After all, fewer calories means fewer pounds. However, current research shows little weight difference between those who skip breakfast and those who eat breakfast. Harvard Medical School recently published a study that revealed that breakfast eaters are less likely to develop clogged arteries than breakfast skippers. The bottom line is that after a night long fast, your body needs a meal in order to operate at its best. Levels of concentration, energy and even insulin resistance are all being studied in connection with eating a good breakfast.
Evening indulging: Eating too many calories at any time of the day is not healthy but is worse at night. When you eat during your busy day, your brain and muscles use calories that are needed for fuel and then stores the rest. When you sleep at night, the body uses those stored calories. When the stored calories are gone, your body starts burning fat cells. If there are too many stored calories from eating and drinking and not moving, the fat never gets used and just hangs around, leading to weight gain.
Stress build-up: Putting yourself in stressful, hurry-up situations due to poor planning can lead to health issues including headaches, digestion problems, lack of energy and sweating. Prolonged stress has even more serious consequences.
Staring at a screen: Sitting for long hours at a desk, staring at a computer screen, may seem to be necessary for career advancement, or indulged in for entertainment value, but it is a bad habit. Being immobile for hours at a time can lead to muscle issues, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.
It’s just a cough: Ignoring your personal health is a bad practice. Many medical conditions do not have obvious symptoms until they are serious.
Five to start
Tie on the apron: Cooking your own meals provides an excellent opportunity to be more aware of what you are eating and take steps to make your meals healthier. Try to improve when, where and what you eat.
Find a hobby: Look at your schedule and find a way to take breaks. Give yourself permission to stop working every few hours to give your mind and body a rest. Make a habit of doing something fun a few times a week.
Take the stairs: Add daily exercise to your schedule even if it is just taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Start small and find new ways to sneak exercise into your busy day.
Take advantage of your medical plan: The idea of an annual checkup is that it happens every year so that medical issues can be treated before they become medical emergencies. Make a habit of stopping problems before they start.
Embrace your pillow: Try to establish a regular bedtime that allows you enough hours of rest and you will reap several health benefits from increased energy to clearer focus.
When bad habits emerge
After a medical event, it is necessary to take on some “bad habits” of staying in bed and avoiding exercise. But at some point, it becomes imperative to push yourself back into life. This is difficult due to many factors from unexpected stiffness to fear of injury. Having professionals who can help you get started and make progress toward recovery is crucial. Many people find this level of assistance at a short-term care facility where experts are attentive to the many aspects of returning to an active lifestyle. In many cases, it is a time of learning a few new good habits and abandoning some bad habits for a healthier life.
With two exclusive, private orthopedic wings and a post-hospital rehabilitation wing, Whitehall of Deerfield is the area’s premier post-hospital rehabilitation center. To help guests reach their highest level of independence and functioning, top licensed therapists provide highly customized, one-on-one physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapies up to seven days a week in state-of-the-art post-hospital and orthopedic rehabilitation gyms. Social services and discharge planners also expertly help guests transition back home as smoothly as possible.
What is more, Medicare has awarded Whitehall of Deerfield its highest rating in its five-star quality rating system of rehabilitation centers. Whitehall of Deerfield is also accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s leading and most respected health care accrediting authority.
Aside from Whitehall of Deerfield’s high level of care, guests enjoy such world-class amenities as in-room massages, personal concierge service, fresh baked treats or ice cream at an on-site ice cream parlor and coffee shop, daily newspaper and coffee delivered to guests’ rooms each day, in-room dining with a wide range of menu choices, valet parking for visitors and much more.
Get on the path to good habits by choosing to recover at Whitehall of Deerfield. To arrange a visit or to learn more, visit whitehallofdeerfield.com or call 847-945-4600.