5 Simple Habits That May Cause Early Death

Procrastinating too much

Procrastinating is a fancy word for what most of us do far too often: putting off the things that we need to do. At the time, procrastination usually seems pretty harmless…just a matter of waiting a little too long to get things done. However, a 2015 study found that those who procrastinated were at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, both of which can cause you to die earlier than you otherwise would.

Additionally, a 2023 study found that those who procrastinated tended to get less sleep and less exercise. Both of these are considered markers of an unhealthy lifestyle, and not getting a consistent night’s sleep is particularly bad for you (more on this later). Long story short? Stop procrastinating now and you’re likely to live longer!

Sitting down for most of the day

Generally speaking, desk jobs are considered very cushy. Who wouldn’t want to sit down in an air-conditioned office all day and chill out in the cool air compared to, say, sitting outside in the heat doing manual labor? However, these jobs ensure that most Americans spend most of the day sitting around. We sit at our jobs to work, we sit at our homes to relax, and we get up and walk around so little that our smartwatches have to remind us to do it.

As you might have guessed, all this sitting around isn’t good for us. A 2024 study found that the longer older women spent sitting around, the greater their risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The numbers are kind of scary: the older women who sat down for 11.6 hours or more per day were actually 78 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than the women who sat for fewer than 9.3 hours per day.

Worried you’re sitting too much each day? Try to take walks at lunch and after work, and consider creative ways of exercising at work, like investing in a standing desk. You might be surprised at the overall positive impact on your health!

An erratic sleep schedule

What’s the one thing you and most of the people in your life have in common? Simple: you’re not getting a consistent night’s sleep. Whether you’re facing project deadlines or just want to spend more time relaxing, it’s easy to stay up far longer than you intended to. And even if you go to bed early, everything from intrusive thoughts to doomscrolling can keep you from getting to sleep.

If that sounds familiar, then you don’t have a very consistent sleep schedule. And that’s a bad thing: according to a 2023 study, an irregular night’s sleep increases the risk of dying due to cancer and various cardiometabolic causes. Conversely, those who consistently got a regular night’s sleep were up to 39 percent less likely to die from cancer and up to 57 percent less likely to die from cardiometabolic causes.

For a better night’s sleep, try avoiding caffeine at night, and don’t scroll on your phone in bed. Instead, put on some relaxing music (we’re big fans of rain sounds) and try to relax. If you’re looking for music, plenty is available on YouTube, and much of it has a black screen. Just pair that with the sleep timer on your TV, and you should be good to go!

Cracking your neck

Be honest: do you ever crack your next? It can be tempting to do so because the act feels good, and there’s something satisfying about the sound it makes. Unfortunately, cracking your neck is a very bad habit because your neck’s arteries connect to your brain. And even a little bit of damage from a single neck crack can cause you a lifetime of misery.

How so? Overstretching your neck (including cracking it) actually increases your risk of having a stroke. That stroke might kill you, but even if it doesn’t, you may go blind, have mobility problems, have speech problems, and so on. Admittedly, the risk is there, but why risk it at all? Just stop cracking your neck, and you can make sure none of this ever happens to you!