5 Gross Hygiene Habits Nobody Wants To Talk About

Tis the season, no not just the holidays, it's that time of year again for the return of the winter bugs like Covid, cold, flu, and whatever the germs are that your toddler is wiping all over your face.  So there's talk about hygiene and what you can do to avoid catching stuff . . . and generally being less gross.

There's a forum online where people are talking about the "hygiene habits" that NO ONE talks about . . . but really should. 

1.  Using clean pillowcases.  And keeping your sheets fresh in general even if you don’t have the time to wash all of your bed set, it’s a good idea to keep an extra set of pillowcases in your closet, just to change into a fresh one until you can do a load of laundry.

2.  Changing your towels . . . hand towels and bathing towels . . . frequently. A lot of people have a tendency to go to long with a shower towel. According to hygiene experts, you should change your towel after two or three showers.

3.  Cleaning your belly button. We sometimes forget to wash our belly button while in the shower. It is some thing that we shouldn’t do because according to hygiene experts, the bellybutton can contain bacteria, if not taken care of regularly.

4.  Cleaning your piercing holes no matter how old they are.  One person said, "Take your earrings out and scrub." If you don’t take your ear rings or any of your piercings out regularly, you are subject to a buildup of bacteria. It’s a good idea to spend a little time each week making sure you tend to your piercing holes.

5.  Brushing your tongue (and the roof of your mouth).  "It's key for fresh breath and is often forgotten." Your dental hygienist will often ask you after a cleaning if you do brush your tongue while brushing your teeth. For a lot of people it is a strange feeling and not a pleasant one. It is something you can get used to quickly if you do it regularly, and don’t forget the roof of your mouth can also be brushed regularly.

The folks at Business Insider have published these Five Healthy Habits Take Only 5 Minutes or Less and could Add Years to Your life. Who doesn't want to do that? Especially knowing that these can all be done in a short period of time and pay dividends for years to come.

An expert on longevity listed some quick daily habits that could add years to your life:  Habit stacking . . . micro-meditations . . . five-minute workouts . . . and taking a few minutes to check in on people you care about.

It almost sounds too good to be true, but this is really exciting news. You can do these simple things easily and fit them into your daily routine. How about all the long grueling workouts that we thought were necessary to achieve a better longevity? We are told that pain was gain and no sweat meant no good. Finding five minutes in your day to add these routines to your day could extend your lifespan by years.

The good news is, these 5 Healthy Habits that only take 5 minutes or less that could add years to your life are not just about physical activities. There's more to living a long life than just working out. You have to work on yourself in other ways to achieve these goals.

Part of the goal of living a longer life is to share with others. This doesn't mean you have to be married (although studies suggest that happy couples live longer than then their single friends on average), you can live a long healthy life as a happy single person too. What matters is you have a good social network of friends, family and co-workers. Being alone and or lonely is one of the markers for a  shorter lifespan. So, getting out and together with people is a very important and crucial part of extending your lifespan, and it's will make living longer more fun and worth living.

Starting a new habit is hard. But adding a new habit onto an existing one is easier. You could add mindfulness to your morning coffee routine, or practice gratitude as you brush your teeth.

 Checking in with yourself doesn't need to take long.  A simple technique is focusing on your breath as you inhale for a count of four . . . hold for a count of seven . . . and exhale for a count of eight.

Research shows even short bursts of regular exercise can help keep you young.  Take a break from work and do some squats or wall sits, or take a brisk walk.  It can improve your whole day.

Instead of scrolling aimlessly at night, reach out to a few people you care about.  Connecting with friends can raise your levels of the "feel-good" hormone oxytocin, which has anti-inflammatory effects.

Having a sense of purpose is linked to a longer life.  So spend a few minutes a day thinking about what your passions are.  It can "not only add more years to your life, but more life to your years."