Warning: 5 'Relaxation' Habits That Actually Drain Your Energy and Increase Disease Risk
Experts identify five common "relaxation" habits—including excessive screen time, oversleeping, overeating, and gaming—that actually increase exhaustion and disease risk rather than provide genuine rest.
The more you do them, the more exhausted you become. Experts warn against five behaviors many people mistakenly believe are 'rest,' but actually deplete vital energy and increase health risks. If you're still doing these, change your habits immediately.
Compiled by Saod Online News team May 11, 2025
Based on international media reports, amid a stress-filled lifestyle, the need to restore physical and mental energy is crucial. However, the line between 'proper rest' and 'inactivity that harms health' is thinner than most people think.
Many people believe that taking a break, stopping work, or spending time on enjoyable activities equals self-care. In reality, certain behaviors actually make the body more exhausted and harm physical and mental health long-term, potentially causing chronic diseases. Here are five such behaviors:
1. Obsessing over social media and electronic devices For many young people, scrolling through their phones is seen as a quick stress reliever. However, experts warn this actually continuously and intensely overstimulates the brain. Receiving large amounts of unorganized information causes the brain to overwork, leading to addiction and mental exhaustion. Additionally, screen light damages eyes and skin, and disrupts sleep quality. Particularly, FOMO (fear of missing out) from prolonged social media use increases the risk of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Experts recommend that for genuine rest, you should distance yourself from the online world to allow your nervous system to fully relax.
2. Sleeping too much—when your body is like an 'overcharged battery' While sleep is the body's best restoration method, oversleeping produces the opposite effect, like an overcharged battery. Experts from WebMD in the United States state that adults should sleep approximately 6-9 hours per day. Sleeping beyond that can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm, resulting in drowsiness, fatigue, and weakness despite getting rest. Meanwhile, UK research found that oversleeping is associated with cognitive decline, reduced intelligence levels, and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, quality and adequate sleep is better than trying to sleep as long as possible.
3. Indulging in excessive eating beyond necessity Eating is a way many people choose to regain energy, but overeating according to cravings can have unexpected health consequences. When the body receives excess food, blood flow to the digestive system increases, reducing blood flow to the brain, causing drowsiness, depression, fatigue, and weakness after meals. Particularly, sweets and fried foods are seen as 'mood destroyers' because excessive sugar consumption can cause blood sugar levels to drop sharply afterward, resulting in trembling hands, dizziness, and weakness. Trans fats in fried foods also increase depression risk and force internal organs to work hard to eliminate toxins.
4. Spending excessive time gaming, especially online games While gaming can relieve stress in the short term, playing continuously for long periods can become an energy drain. High-concentration games or intense content keep the nervous system in constant tension rather than allowing rest. Additionally, sitting and gaming for extended periods damages bones, joints, eyes, and skin from prolonged screen radiation exposure.
