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Most people don’t want to die any earlier than they have to, so they avoid things known to be really unhealthy. We know a diet filled with fast food isn’t good for us and drinking too much booze isn’t either, with studies showing both can cut your life short. But some of the things we do all the time can also shorten our lifespan and we might not even realize it because they build up over time.
These are some habits that you may want to break because science says they could be taking years off your life:
- Staying up too late at night- If you’re not getting enough sleep, you could be putting yourself at risk of an early death. And bad news for the night owls - a scientific analysis finds those who prefer to go to sleep later and wake later have a 10% higher risk of dying than the early birds who go to bed and get up earlier.
- Being bummed out all the time- No one is happy all the time, but being depressed isn’t good for longevity. According to one study, men and women who suffer from depression may have their lifespans cut short by 10 years or more.
- Living a lonely life- Maintaining an active social life and staying connected to loved ones is important, especially as we get older. Being lonely puts you at greater risk for cognitive decline, and research shows that loneliness is strongly linked to early dementia.
- Sitting too much every day- You’ve probably heard that sitting for extended periods of time is bad for your back and posture, but it can also affect your longevity. According to Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, we lose about two hours of life for every hour we’re sitting down. “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting," he explains. “We are sitting ourselves to death.”
- Holding grudges- Time to let go of that anger and resentment you’re holding on to, or it might come back to haunt you. Being stressed or angry often can release a flood of the hormone cortisol and one study finds that having high cortisol levels over time is “strongly linked with increased mortality risk.” So you may want to try to let it go so you can live longer!
Source: Eat This, Not That