There are good things in life, and things that make life good. But keeping a handle on some of them may even be more important than getting into them.
Here are 10 things you should not overdo, adapted from WebMD.
Exercise. Hit the gym too hard, and you could damage your joints, tendons and ligaments. Even your heart. Evidence suggest women who overdo exercise may start missing periods or speed up bone loss, causing osteoporosis. If your workouts leave you exhausted, with a hard time sleeping, eating or concentrating, it might be time to cut back.
Sleep. Sound sleep and all that jazz is good. But overdoing it could wreck than rest your body. More than eight hours of sleep every night increases your risk of dying from heart problems by 34%. You can also pack on weight.
Antibiotics. They kill bacteria that cause infections. But it turns out bacteria can change if they are in contact with antibiotics too often—making them resistance, and the antibiotics useless.
Pleasing people. Being your brother’s help gives you the happy feeling, but you have to draw the line between being helpful and being a pushover. If you agree with others just to keep the peace or take on too many tasks because you can’t say no, it can make you unhappy.
Handwashing. This hygiene practice will keep germs away but too much of it could actually be bad. Studies show that too much can damage your skin and give germs a place to grow and thrive.
Water. It’s rare, but you can drink too much water. When you do, your kidneys can’t get rid of the extra fluid fast enough. This drops the sodium in your blood to unhealthy levels — a condition called hyponatremia. It can cause nausea, weakness and fatigue, headache, or, in severe cases, seizures, coma, and death. You’re at higher risk if you’re an athlete who exercises for long stretches of time, like a marathon runner.
Work. Do you stay at the office long past quitting time? Maybe you really love what you do — or maybe you’re a workaholic. If you feel like you should be working all the time and tend to choose work over relationships, that might be you. Remember what they say about all work and no play.
Smartphone time. They make a lot of things easier, but if you can’t stop looking at yours, your smartphone can make your real life harder. It can affect how you relate to people, your mood, your sleep quality, and even your brain chemistry.
Vitamins. They’ll keep you and your family healthy, right? Maybe not. Too much iron can cause nausea and vomiting, and if you overdo the vitamin C, it can lead to nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. Too much vitamin A can cause vision problems, among other things. Excess vitamin D can make muscles weak, and it can even lead to heart problems. And vitamins K and E can cause bleeding issues. Just stick to the daily dose.
Friendships. Who are your friends, really? Those you really call “friend” are around 150, according to some studies. You can’t mentally handle more. For besties, the number is around five. But with people having thousands of friends on social media, new and different meanings of “friend” may have to be rethought.
