Key Takeaways
- Pushing “healthy” habits too far can quietly sabotage longevity instead of supporting it.
- Emotional well-being matters. Bottling stress, forcing positivity, or skipping social connections can wear down your nervous system.
- Balance is key. Real wellness means tuning into your body’s signals, eating and sleeping in moderation, and prioritizing rest and connection.
We often focus on practicing healthy habits to boost longevity, but even well-intentioned behaviors can backfire when taken too far. From over-supplementing to oversleeping, these common wellness missteps can quietly chip away at your lifespan. Here are some habits worth rethinking if your goal is to live longer and feel better while doing it, according to health experts.
Doing Daily High-Intensity Workouts
Exercise supports heart health, boosts mood, and improves longevity, but many mistakenly equate sweat and soreness with progress. “Overtraining strains the heart, weakens immunity, and accelerates joint wear,” says Dr. Zaid Fadul, MD, FS, FAAFP, founder and CEO at Bespoke Concierge MD. On top of that, extreme endurance workouts can lead to chronic injuries, hormonal imbalances, mental burnout, and even heart rhythm issues and arterial stiffness. The key is to balance intensity with rest. “Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate weekly exercise, like brisk walks or yoga. Conversely, you can do 75-150 minutes of vigorous exercise, like HIIT training, or some combination of the two. Include strength training twice weekly, and take rest days to let your body recover,” says Dr. Fadul.
Sleeping Too Much
Sleep is essential for recovery, but more isn’t always better, especially if you’re logging extra hours to try to get out of sleep debt or fight off fatigue. “Regularly sleeping over nine hours correlates with higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline,” says Dr. Fadul. “It may signal untreated issues like depression or sleep apnea.” Because oversleeping can throw off your circadian rhythm, making you feel more sluggish during the day, Dr. Fadul recommends aiming for consistency and sticking to seven to nine hours a night. “Establish a consistent schedule: wake up at the same time daily, avoid screens before bed, and get sunlight in the morning to reset your rhythm.”
Worrying About Your Health
Being hyper-aware of your health might signal responsibility or dedication, but constantly monitoring symptoms, reading health news, or checking in with doctors might wear you down. “Long-term health anxiety is linked to depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and even obsessive-compulsive patterns,” says Dr. Allison E. Gaffey, Ph.D., Instructor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Instead of feeling empowered, the person often feels exhausted, distracted, or consumed by fear.”
She recommends taking a more balanced, evidence-based approach to health. “Schedule regular checkups, and in between, commit to trusting your body’s baseline unless clear new symptoms emerge.” To give your nervous system a breather, focus on the foundations of well-being. “Prioritize joy, social connection, and hobbies—these are as vital to health as diet or exercise,” says Dr. Gaffey.
Prioritizing Work Over Social Connection
Though many view staying busy and productive as a sign of commitment and ambition, when work consistently comes at the expense of your relationships, your emotional resilience can start to wear down. Dr. Gaffey explains that loneliness is a major risk factor, as chronic social disconnection can increase risk of early mortality, heart disease, and cognitive decline. “Without downtime or emotional support from relationships, the body and brain have fewer ways to decompress or regulate,” Dr. Gaffey says.
Instead, balance work with meaningful social connections. Aside from clearly defining work hours and scheduling social time, Dr. Gaffey suggests seeking purpose beyond work: “Volunteer, join community groups, or explore hobbies that foster connection and meaning.”
Forcing Positivity Instead of Processing Stress
It’s easy to assume that stifling hard emotions is a sign of strength, but bottling them up just buries them in the body. “When we suppress our truth, especially pain, fear, or grief, we trigger a chronic state of physiological stress,” says Shari B. Kaplan, LCSW, founder and clinical director of Cannectd Wellness and founder of the Can’t Tell Foundation. “Pretending to be okay when you’re not tells your nervous system the threat hasn’t passed, keeping you in fight, flight, or freeze.” That dysregulation shows up as anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, or even autoimmune issues. Emotionally, you might feel numb, disconnected, or suddenly overwhelmed because suppressed emotions eventually surface. “Embrace your full emotional landscape,” says Kaplan.
Relying on Mindfulness Apps
“App dependency can inhibit your ability to feel safe and grounded in your own body. If you’re only calm when you’re plugged in, the nervous system doesn’t build resilience, it just delays distress,” says Kaplan. Overusing tech to feel better can keep you from fully processing your emotions, and can also leave you feeling unprepared when your go-to app isn’t within reach. “Use apps as a starting point, not a substitution for embodiment,” says Kaplan, who recommends building practices like mindful breathing and grounding techniques, tools you can access anytime, without a screen.
Staying “Always On” to Get Ahead
Lots of us equate constant productivity with having purpose, but that mindset can be harmful. “Our culture celebrates burnout disguised as ambition,” says Kaplan. “When you never downshift, your nervous system lives in fight or flight. That elevates cortisol, increases inflammation, and creates wear-and-tear on your immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal systems, undermining the very vitality you’re working toward.” Over time, this nonstop pace chips away at both your mental and physical resilience. “Build in space to be, not just do. Presence restores regulation,” Kaplan advises, suggesting you schedule mini reset rituals like mindful movement, breathwork, or just pausing throughout the day.
When a “healthy” habit starts making you feel pressured, disconnected, or fatigued, it’s likely activating your nervous system into survival mode. “We often ignore these signals because we’re so conditioned to push forward,” says Kaplan. “But when wellness becomes performative instead of restorative, your body takes the hit.” You might notice feeling constantly tired, anxious, or emotionally flat. “These are clues that your practices aren’t regulating your system, they’re revving it up,” says Kaplan.
Restricting Your Diet
“Consistently under-eating can, and most likely will, produce nutrient deficiencies,” says Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, registered dietitian nutritionist. “Additional potential effects…are increased loss of muscle mass, the progression of osteoporosis and osteopenia, and increased risk for falls and fractures.” Instead, focus on eating balanced meals rich in variety and enjoyed in moderation to supply the nutrients your body needs to function at its best.
