10 Unhealthy Habits to Avoid—And What to Do Instead

There are some habits that everyone knows belong in the unhealthy bucket: Making ultimatums, falling asleep with your make-up on, biting your nails, abusing alcohol, vaping, canceling plans the morning of, etc. 

The thing is, not all unhealthy habits are crystal clear and well cataloged. There are many common social, fitness, and sleep habits that are also unhealthy—but in more innocuous, less obvious ways. Falling asleep with the TV on and washing your vagina, for example, may not seem like a big deal, but both can do a doozy on your overall and vaginal health, respectively. 

The good news is that in many instances, the key to breaking these habits is knowing they also fall into the Unhealthy Bucket. That’s why we put together a list of 13 total unhealthy habits your mind and body want you to avoid—plus expert-backed tips on how to break the habit and what to do instead. 

People Pleasing  

“People-pleasing is when someone prioritizes other people's needs, preferences, and comfort over their own—often, without that person even realizing that they are being self-sacrificing,” says Courtney Glashow LCSW, a psychotherapist and founder of Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. From the outside, this may seem harmless or like a mark of a reliable friend. But people-pleasing goes beyond basic human kindness and can be highly detrimental to an individual's mental well-being. It usually involves someone “constantly saying ‘yes’ or going out of their way to avoid conflict, which can lead to feelings of burnout, resentfulness, and depression, ” she explains. In extreme instances, “people-pleasing can also break down a person’s sense of identity or self-worth because they become more focused on other people's approval rather than on what actually matters to them,” she says. 

The Fix

The first step in curbing this habit is recognizing where this tendency might come from. Conversations podcast, people-pleasing behaviors often occur in individuals who have been “taught” that saying ‘no,’ staging their own needs, or disagreeing can lead to devastating consequences. Other times, however, people-pleasing can arise from a lack of self-esteem. Not yet having mastered the skill of boundary-setting can also be the underlying cause, says Glashow. Self-reflection and working with a trauma-informed mental healthcare provider can both help uncover the root cause. 

Beyond that, checking in with yourself on what you want to do—and having the time and emotional capacity for it—before saying yes can help. Waiting to help until you are explicitly asked to lend a hand can, too. 

Your Boundaries Are Permeable 

The term ‘boundaries’ is as much a buzzword as ‘trauma,’ trigger,’ and, as of recently, ‘emotional bandwidth.’ But to make sure that we’re on the same page, here is a definition: Boundaries are the limits that you set for yourself to protect your physical, mental, and emotional energy. To quote activist Prentis Hemphill, author of What It Takes To Heal: “[They] are the distance at which I can love me and you simultaneously.” With that, permeable boundaries are either unclear or held too loosely, says Glashow. “This can show up in many ways, such as working overtime without any extra pay, always being on-call for friends, or feeling responsible for other people's emotions,” she says. 

The problem with having permeable—rather than clear—boundaries is that it can easily lead you to feel stretched thin, pressured, or overwhelmed by others’ expectations or emotional demands of you, says Glashow. “Over time, permeable boundaries can drain emotional energy, disrupt personal goals, and leave people feeling frustrated or underappreciated,” she says. 

The Fix

Setting clear boundaries is not easy work, but it is important work. The first steps are to reflect on areas where you feel overextended, understand the differences between a rule and a boundary, and write them down. After that, using the Acknowledge, Explain, Offer (AEO)  method can facilitate explaining your recently erected boundaries to the people in your life. The last ongoing step is to hold true to your boundaries while adjusting them when needed.  

You’re Doom Scrolling

“Doom scrolling is when you're spending long periods scrolling through negative or anxiety-inducing content online,” says Glashow. And yes, it’s as unhealthy for us as we’ve been led to believe. 

“Our brains are wired to seek out information, especially about things we perceive as threats,” she says. “But constantly taking in troubling news can jumpstart a cycle of worry, worsen our mood when we’re already stressed out, lead to feelings of hopelessness, and impact our sleep,” she says. Because lack of sleep can intensify feelings of anxiety or depression and make it difficult to regulate your mood, this last side effect can be especially problematic. 

The Fix

The primary solution—quit scrolling—is both simple and challenging. If you are in the habit of reaching for your phone during any conversation lag, downtime, or free moment, a complete digital detox may not feel feasible, says Glashow. Or at least, not without the help of things like a phone lockbox. Choosing a specific time of day when you check your feed, setting a timer before you open the apps, and using a social media limiting app, however, can all help you cut back, she says.

“Being picky with who you follow is also an important step,” says Glashow. Unfollowing accounts that don’t feel uplifting, educational, or inspiring and only following pages or people that contribute to your goals or well-being can help eliminate the ‘doom and gloom’ portion of the activity, she says. 

You Wing Every Gym Single Session

Letting your heart’s desires dictate your daily workouts may sound good in theory, but it will likely leave you feeling overwhelmed in practice. Not to mention, making far less progress than you would on a specific workout program, says exercise physiologist and certified strength and conditioning coach Sharon Gam, Ph.D, CSCS.

She explains: You progress at the gym when you challenge your body, as this starts the physiological process through which you get faster and stronger. With that, to continuously reach new speed, strength, and power heights, you need to push your body to the brink consistently, she explains. “You can do that by increasing the weights, increasing the sets or reps, decreasing rest times, or increasing cardio pace or distance,” she says. 

Can you make a point to do these things on your own? Sure. But even so, you just won’t make as much progress when your whims dictate your workouts, rather than a structured program written with the progressive overload principle in mind by a fitness professional, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Jake Harcoff, C.S.C.S., head coach and owner of AIM Athletic. 

Beyond being less efficient, taking a haphazard approach to exercise can even be dangerous, says Dr. Gam. “You need to be training all your major muscle groups and movement patterns at least across the week, if not in each workout,” she says. “If you end up doing too many exercises for one muscle group and not enough for another, you could end up with a muscle imbalance, which could put you at risk of pain or injury.” Not ideal for anyone going to the gym for improved health. 

The Fix

“Find an online workout program or hire a personal trainer to write a customized program based on your needs,” suggests Harcoff. “This structured approach will keep you focused and efficient,” he says. To say nothing at all about safety! An alternative is to purchase a product that brings the fitness expert to you, like a workout mirror. Here are two of our favorite tested products.

You’re Only Doing HIIT

Undoubtedly, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which can improve cardiovascular capacity and muscle tone, belongs in your exercise routine. However, HIIT’s medicinal potential is in the dosage—and many exercisers are doing too much of it. 

“Exercise is a stress on the body,” explains Dr. Gam. Like any other form of stress (i.e., mental, emotional, relational), this leads to an increase in the stress hormone (cortisol) as well as triggers other inflammatory processes in the body, she says. “In small and controlled doses, exercise stress is normal and even beneficial, as it releases hormones that help your muscles repair from the stress of the workouts so you can get stronger,” she says. 

So, what’s the rub? The release of these hormones isn’t sufficient for full recovery. Recovering from high-intensity workouts such as HIIT classes also requires other exercise recovery protocols, such as sound sleep, adequate nutrition, and regular rest days. Yep, regular rest days! “If you overdo it and don’t prioritize rest and recovery, you can end up with chronically high levels of cortisol and inflammation,” says Dr. Gam. In extreme cases, this can lead to symptoms of overtraining syndrome, such as worsened performance, sleep problems, extreme muscle soreness and stiffness, an uptick in minor injuries and illnesses, mood disturbances and irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, and anxiety, and trouble concentrating, she says. 

The Fix

To reap the benefits of HIIT while avoiding the consequences of too much of it, Dr. Gam suggests “creating a balanced workout routine with HIIT, lower intensity exercise, and rest days, as well as taking care of yourself outside of the gym by eating a healthy diet, prioritizing sleep, and engaging in stress-management protocols.” (Lower intensity exercise is easier for the body to recover from). 

Do the symptoms above sound familiar? It’s time to chat up a healthcare provider. They’ll be able to assess whether overtraining is the cause of your symptom line-up or if there is some other hormonal issue. From there, the doctor will help you develop a game plan for helping your body reset. Usually, this will involve one to four weeks of complete rest, followed by gradually reintroducing exercise. 

You’re Wearing The Wrong Shoes

Fitness footwear isn’t just about fashion—it's about function. In fact, “wearing the wrong shoes during your workouts can increase your risk of injury,” says Dr. Gam. Donning highly-cushioned running shoes while strength training can impede your ability to stay stable while you squat, snatch, or strict press, for example. And wearing minimalist shoes while doing plyometrics or other high-impact activities could lead to stress fractions, shin splints, or other overuse injuries, as there's no cushioned sole to absorb the impact, she says. Yikes!

The Fix

“Make sure the show matches the activity that you are doing,” says Dr. Gam. Broadly speaking, that means choosing a stable, flat shoe for strength activities and a cushioned shoe for running. She says you also need to ensure that your shoes fit properly. “A shoe that’s too loose might not provide enough stability, which puts you at risk of an injury,” says Dr. Gam. “And a shoe that is too tight could compress your feet when you’re lifting, running, or jumping, which could cause you to compensate for your movement somewhere else in your body, leading to pain or injury.” Additionally, if you have high arches or wide feet, you might need shoes specifically designed for those things, she says. 

To find a shoe that fits your unique foot shape and size and your exercise needs, your best bet is to go to a running or athletic shoe store. Reading online reviews from exercisers with foot shapes similar to your own and pursuing round-ups on the best sneakers can also help. 

You Don’t Have A Sleep Schedule 

Consistency isn’t just the name of the game in the gym. As it turns out, it’s also essential to your sleep schedule. “Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day—even on weekends—is one of the best things you can do for your health,” according to sleep psychologist Shelby Harris PsyD, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. 

A consistent sleep schedule helps “set” your body’s internal block, which makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, she explains. As a result, you get more sleep, wake up feeling refreshed, and your overall health and mood improve, she says. 

The Fix

Pick a bedtime and wake-up time that you can reliably stick to. “If you’re used to staying up late on weekends, make an effort to go to bed on Friday and Saturday 15 minutes earlier each week than you usually would,” suggests Dr. Harris. After a few months, you’ll get to a point where your weekday and weekend shuteye happen at the exact same time, she says. 

You Fall Asleep With The TV 

Falling asleep watching Gilmore Girls or Grey’s Anatomy reruns may seem like the adult version of being sung lullabies. “But falling asleep to the TV isn’t actually harmless—it can mess with deep sleep,” says Dr. Harris. 

Sleeping with the TV on can make it hard to log the recommended seven to nine hours per night as “sound and light can keep your brain more alert than it should be,” she explains. Further, the blue light that comes off the television has been shown to have additional side effects, such as interrupting circadian rhythm and decreasing sleep quality and duration. 

The Fix

Most sleep experts recommend halting exposure to blue light beginning two to three hours before bed. So ideally, your TV watching will stop long before you crawl between the covers, replacing your nightly Netflix and Chill with calming music, a book, a board game, or a drawing session. 

If that isn’t possible, however, Dr. Harris suggests switching to podcasts and setting a timer so that they shut off after a while. Even better, she says, would be to opt for a white noise machine that can offer a sleep-friendly version of the background hum that drives many TV viewers to keep their screens powered up all night long. 

You Hold In Your Pee 

Whether it's during a road trip, work meeting, or a movie at the theater, if you have to pee, pelvic floor experts want you to beeline for the bog. In order to hold in urine, you have to contract your urethral and pelvic floor muscles, explains Heather Jeffcoat, a pelvic floor therapist who specializes in incontinence and dyspareunia and the founder of Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, CA. When done regularly, “this prolonged holding pattern can create short, tight, and overactive pelvic floor muscles, which may eventually lead to pelvic floor dysfunction,” she says. 

The most common pelvic floor disorders caused by frequent urine holding are known medically as overactive floor muscles, non-relaxing pelvic floor muscles, and hypertonic pelvic floor. The most common symptoms of these conditions include pain or urgency.

The Fix

Regarding preventive medicine, the fix here is pretty simple: When you have to go, go. If you’re a road-tripped or van-lifer and that isn’t as easy for you as it is for someone who works from home, consider investing in a TravelJane Disposable Urinal For Women or GoGirl Female Urinal. And if you are a trans or non-binary person who typically holds their pee due to safety concerns in public restrooms, consider downloading the Refuge Restrooms, an app designed to help transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming individuals find safe restrooms.  

Finally, whether you regularly hold in your pee or not, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of a tight pelvic floor, Dr. Jeffcoat recommends seeking the care of a gynecologist to start. “Some of these symptoms may also be due to an infection, so it is always best to see your medical doctor to rule that out,” she says. Once infections have been ruled out, a pelvic floor therapist can help you address your symptoms through pelvic floor therapy, breathing exercises, pelvic floor workouts, dilators, and other lifestyle interventions, to name a few potentially effective interventions. 

You’re Ignoring Period Pain

Painful periods may be common—an estimated 84 percent of women will experience pain during menstruation at some point during their life—but that doesn’t mean it’s always healthy. 

Persistently painful periods—as well as irregular periods, excessively heavy, or accompanied by pelvic pressure, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, or trouble breathing— can all be caused by an underlying reproductive condition, says Dr. Ross. Endometriosis, adenomyosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, fibroids, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common medical causes of period pain, she says. 

The Fix

“If persistent period pain keeps you from going to school, work, or just getting out of bed, you should make an appointment to see your healthcare provider,” says Dr. Ross.​​ The doctor will be able to perform a pelvic exam, run a series of blood tests, or perform an ultrasound or laparoscopy to determine the underlying cause, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. From there, treatment will vary based on the results. An individual with an STI or pelvic inflammatory disease will be treated with antibiotics, for example. Meanwhile, someone with an underlying reproductive condition may be prescribed birth control, acupuncture, acupressure, or nerve stimulation therapies.