Top 5 Common Habits That Are SURPRISINGLY Terrible For You

We get it, nobody likes dirty ears. An excess buildup of wax can lead to discomfort and problems such as infection, earaches or even muffled hearing - and therefore occasional ear cleaning is recommended. With that being said, your body produces earwax for a reason - it helps protect from bacteria, water and other irritants. By cleaning too often, you’re robbing our body of a natural defense. Furthermore, Q-Tips should never be used in the ear canal, as they risk causing damage. Save them for the ridge and folds of the ear. Nose hairs are another such natural defense… so don’t pluck, just trim!

There are plenty of valid reasons to want to eat at your desk, but none good enough to risk your health. In fact, eating at your cubicle is bad for you in more ways than one. Studies have shown that when you eat at your desk, you tend to snack more and ultimately consume more calories. It additionally robs you of a chance to interrupt that otherwise long period of inactivity called “the work day”, as well as get a much needed psychological break from the screen and your work. Also, your workstation is covered in germs that can lead to illness!

When you’re suddenly woken up in this alarming fashion, your body reacts with “fight or flight” type anxiety and adrenaline, which, while useful in times of need, has NO place in your daily routine. It’s psychologically taxing and hard on your heart. The thing is… your body has a natural rhythm, and if you consistently go to bed and get up at the same time, your internal clock will eventually catch on and begin waking you up at a certain hour. Admittedly though, it can be risky trusting your internal clock, which is where sunrise-simulating clocks come in. They gently wake you up by mimicking natural light, easing you into the day the old-fashioned way.

It’s funny - one of the most prevalent health problems is the fact that people simply don’t drink enough water. Coffee, soda, juice, energy drinks - there’s always something tastier available. So the last thing you’d expect to hear is a warning to practice moderation with good old H20. Few people drink too much water, so please, don’t reduce your consumption. The issue is that people tend to chug water when they’re dehydrated rather than consuming it steadily. Suddenly flooding your body with water can overwork your kidneys and throw your sodium levels out of whack. With severe over-consumption, it can result in exercise-associated hyponatremia, which can cause potentially fatal swelling of the brain.

In the grand scope of human history, sitting for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis is a relatively new development. Our bodies were designed for substantially more movement and physical activity, and our shift towards a sedentary lifestyle is taking a toll. According to a 2010 study published in “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise”, adult men who spend 23 hours per week seated are 64% more likely to die of heart disease than those who are sedentary for under 11 hours per week. The civilization we’ve built ourselves treats sitting as the default, but it’s bad for the human heart, metabolism, and overall fitness.