Exactly how harmful are your bad habits?
From drinking too much alcohol to having too many late nights, the experts assess how much damage you’re doing – and provide tips to mitigate the harm or even quit altogether.
Almost everyone has a harmful habit. In the most recent Health Survey for England report (the survey has been paused since the pandemic), nearly nine in 10 adults said they regularly engage in a damaging behaviour, such as smoking or drinking alcohol excessively.
These habits are often addictions, misguided coping mechanisms or adversity driven, and many are easy to fall into. There are all sorts of reasons why people develop harmful habits, and the difficulty of quitting is scientifically understood.
The good news is that there are tried and tested methods to help you quit just about any harmful habit. You’ll find harm reduction and habit-breaking tips below, along with the sobering facts on how bad habits can harm your health.
How harmful habits affect your health
Smoking
You might be among the dwindling number of smokers who still love a cigarette with their morning coffee on a summer’s day, in the winter chill and, well, in most situations – but it’s well established that tobacco does not love you back.
Smoking damages almost every organ in the body, according to Helen Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). “It harms the heart and blood vessels by increasing blood pressure and causing fatty build-up in arteries, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke,” she says.
“In the lungs, smoking causes chronic cough, breathlessness and COPD, and is the leading cause of lung cancer. It also increases the risks of at least 16 other cancers.”
Cheeseman adds that smoking weakens the immune system, slows healing, damages teeth and gums, accelerates skin ageing, reduces fertility and, during pregnancy, increases the risks of miscarriage, premature birth and low birthweight.
If this is too much information to take in, simply consider smoking’s impact on your life expectancy: “on average, people who smoke die around 10 years earlier than non-smokers,” says Cheeseman. “It also shortens healthy life expectancy, with smokers requiring care and help with everyday tasks a decade before those who don’t smoke.”
Reduce the harm:
Cheeseman advises that the only way to remove the risks of smoking is to stop completely, but she suggests ditching cigarettes for an alternative nicotine product if you’re already a smoker and you’re not ready to go nicotine-free. “Switching to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), vapes or pouches will substantially reduce the harm,” she says.
Break the habit:
Quitting smoking is infamously difficult, requiring as many as 30 attempts or more, but thousands of smokers successfully kick the habit every day.
Getting support makes a big difference: “evidence-based support available through local public health teams and the NHS increases the chance of success significantly, as does quitting with friends and family,” she says.
“The most important thing is to give quitting a go, and never give up on giving up.”
Get help:
- Find your local NHS Stop Smoking service (England)
- Help Me Quit (Wales)
- NHS Stop Smoking services (Scotland)
- Stop Smoking (Northern Ireland)
Alcohol
Excessive drinking is declining in the UK but, as of 2022, 12% of adults in England and 18% in Scotland were reportedly drinking alcohol at risky or harmful levels. Many of us continue to break the Department of Health’s low-risk guidance to consume no more than 14 units per week and keep at least three days alcohol-free.
“There is a sliding scale of harm, with the toll alcohol takes on our physical and mental health increasing the more we drink,” says Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, which flags up the head-to-toe impacts in its interactive map of alcohol and the body.
“From rubbish sleep, brain fog and low mood, to high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and any of the 200 health conditions caused by alcohol (such as liver or cardiovascular disease) these harms affect millions of us drinking at different levels over different time periods.”
Habitual heavy drinking could take years off your life, shortening life expectancy by four to five years if you drink more than 18 alcoholic drinks per week.
Reduce the harm:
If your aim is to reduce your alcohol consumption rather than to quit drinking altogether, then going alcohol-free for a limited time period could help with the adjustment.
“Cutting down, particularly if we’re drinking alcohol most days and not giving our minds and bodies any proper breaks, is a great place to start and still offers loads of benefits,” says Dr Piper.
“Research suggests that in order to achieve moderation, many people first need to have a break of a month or more because it gives our habits and body a chance to properly reset.”
Dr Piper also suggests reducing weekly consumption, spreading that consumption across the week and opting for low-strength or alcohol-free drinks as easier alternatives.
Break the habit:
If you’ve decided to quit drinking alcohol, there’s help at hand. However, it will be important to take an approach that factors in your current relationship with alcohol.
“The best place to start, whether we’re thinking about going alcohol-free or cutting back, is understanding what we’re currently drinking so we can proceed safely and with the right support,” says Dr Piper.
“We can use tools like the Try Dry app to assess not only how much we drink, but also our consumption patterns and feelings about drinking. Your GP or local alcohol service will also be able to do this with you.”
Get help:
Dr Piper adds the following important advice for those who are quitting drinking:
“If you experience shaking, hallucinations, sweating or severe headaches a few hours after you stop drinking alcohol, you should go to A&E or call 999, because sudden alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. If you are worried about how to cut back safely, speak to your GP or local community alcohol service, who will be able to advise on the safest, most suitable way to cut back or stop drinking based on your current consumption.”
Junk food
From fast food delivered at the touch of a smartphone screen to the ultra-processed foods lining supermarket shelves, we find ourselves surrounded by junk food, and we’re hard-pressed not to eat it habitually. These pre-prepared meals often have low nutritional value and a high content of saturated fats, refined sugar and other health-harming ingredients.
“Diets high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fruit, veg and fibre have an impact on health, contributing to diet-related diseases such as obesity, heart disease and cancer,” says Dr Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy at The Food Foundation. “Importantly, this impacts healthy life expectancy as well – the number of years lived in good health.”
Reduce the harm:
One small measure you can take to improve your diet is to increase your intake of fibre, an important nutrient that's often lacking in fast food.
“Fibre intake still remains critically low across all age groups, especially among adults,” says Dr Brinsden. “Only 4% of adults meet the recommended 30g of fibre per day – a figure that drops to just 1% among women aged 65 and over.”
Adding some of our high-fibre recipes to your diet should help.
Break the habit:
Parting ways with junk food is difficult for several reasons, beyond the simple fact that we’ve developed a taste for these foods. One major obstacle is the high cost of healthier foods, which are “more than twice as expensive per calorie than less healthy foods, and less available,” according to Dr Brinsden.
If you’re aiming to replace junk food with healthy, home-cooked meals, a money-savvy place to start would be our collection of cheap and healthy recipes. You might not always be able to avoid fast food, but making your own affordable and tasty meals most of the time will make a big difference.
Get help:
Undersleeping
Late nights and poor sleep might sometimes be unavoidable, especially if you have insomnia, are a new parent or have too much to fit into your day. Still, if you have the opportunity to improve your quality of sleep, it’s worth making some changes.
“When we undersleep, our restorative processes that support growth, memory consolidation and bodily detoxification are disrupted,” says Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity. “Just one poor night of sleep can leave you irritable and unfocused, but long-term sleep deprivation leads to more serious consequences. For instance, the cardiovascular system doesn't get a chance to rest and repair during sleep, triggering heightened 'fight or flight' hormone activity, increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.”
According to Artis, serious health harms can result from longer-term undersleeping. “Studies show those sleeping less than seven hours per night have a 14% increased risk of premature death compared to those sleeping seven to eight hours, while over-sleepers face a 34% increase. Other studies have shown that regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep a night increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.”
Undersleeping is also linked to heightened risks of obesity, certain cancers and cognitive conditions including Alzheimer’s disease. There’s much to gain from getting the recommended seven to nine hours per night (for adults).
Reduce the harm:
Even if increasing the amount you sleep isn’t feasible right now, there are steps you can take to sleep better.
“Aim to wake up at around the same time each day – even on weekends – as this will help to strengthen your circadian rhythm and sleep drive,” says Artis. “You can also improve your sleep hygiene and sleep quality by reducing screen time before bed; creating a calm, sleep-friendly bedroom environment; and avoiding caffeine or heavy meals late in the day.”
Break the habit:
“For those ready to prioritise sleep long-term, the key is to take a gradual approach, increasing sleep by no more than 15 minutes per night,” Artis advises.
“Establish a calming pre-sleep routine with activities like reading or gentle stretching, dim your lights in the evening to help prepare your body for rest and track your progress in a sleep diary to reveal patterns and pinpoint areas for improvement.”
Get help:
Lack of exercise
We all face our own challenges and limitations when it comes to exercise. Injuries, health conditions, mobility impairments, access to facilities and other factors can all present barriers to staying active.
However, many of us are prone to the habit of exercising less than we could and ideally should, with serious implications for our wellbeing. “Being inactive has a significant impact on our physical and mental health,” says Kate Dale, Director of Campaigns at Sport England.
“Not only does inactivity increase the risk of conditions such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia and some cancers, but it also contributes to reduced strength, balance and energy levels. Most concerning is that inactivity is linked to one in six deaths – while, on the flip side, active lifestyles are associated with longer, healthier lives.”
Reduce the harm:
If your lifestyle is currently very sedentary, then you’ll need to build up slowly to a level of activity that works for you.
“Even small steps like short walks or gentle exercise activities can deliver meaningful benefits, especially for those who are currently least active,” says Dale.
Break the habit:
Developing an active lifestyle that sticks is all about staying motivated, minimising the risk of injuries and above all, finding the types of exercise that work for you. “Choose enjoyable activities and build gradually,” Dale advises. “Moving more doesn’t need to mean structured sport; it can simply be incorporating movement into daily routines.”
Get help:
Leaving stress unaddressed
Stress has many potential causes, from workplace pressures to caring for unwell family members or dealing with a bereavement.
“Most of us will experience stress from time to time and, in small doses, it’s probably not too much to worry about,” says Rosie Weatherley, Information Content Manager at Mind. “However, being put under stress for long periods of time can negatively affect our physical and mental health. Although stress isn’t a mental health problem, the two are related and excessive stress can cause or worsen a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety.”
It’s often impossible to avoid stress – but we can sometimes take steps to manage its effects. When allowing stress to go unchecked becomes a habit, the risk of illnesses including cardiovascular dysfunction, diabetes and autoimmune syndromes may increase.
Reduce the harm:
If you’re under a lot of stress, you may find it difficult to make big changes, but there are some relatively quick steps you can take to move in the right direction.
“Try to identify what is causing you to feel stressed and see if you can better manage the pressure you are under – there will be some things that you can’t change, but others you might be able to take more control over,” says Weatherley. “If stress is work-related, speak to your manager or supervisor about how you’re feeling. From time management skills to improving how you communicate with those you feel are putting unreasonable demands on you, there are plenty of small steps you can take to help alleviate the causes of stress.”
Other stress-relieving measures that work for some people include breathing exercises, listening to music, making time for breaks, spending time in nature and physical exercise.
Medical intervention:
Those dealing with ongoing stress will sometimes require medical help.
“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, your day-to-day life or relationships are being affected or you’re having difficult feelings that last longer than two weeks or keep returning, speak to your GP,” says Weatherley.
“Your GP may run some tests to see how they can help manage the symptoms. They may suggest some options to help manage stress, such as wellbeing and relaxation tips. Or, they might be able to refer you to social prescribing, if it is available in your local area. This might include support for loneliness, money problems or physical activity.”
Get help:
I’ve got a harmful habit – can I kick it?
Yes, you can! The challenge of breaking a bad habit varies depending on a number of factors, including your personal circumstances, the extent of the habit and how the harmful activity relates to your neurology – but the key point to remember is that all sorts of people succeed in moderating or eliminating all sorts of bad habits.
One piece of advice that we’ve heard consistently from the experts interviewed for this article is that you can improve your situation by accepting help – whether that’s from a friend, family member or specialist such as a charity or medical professional. You are far from alone in struggling with a harmful habit, and you’ll be far from alone when you take steps to move past it.
Read more:
How to sleep better
Eat well for... gut health
8 ways poor sleep wrecks your healthy eating intentions
Risk factors for high cholesterol
What to eat to beat common health problems
All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
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