Remember these words: The poison is in the dose. They apply to all of the following items in this gallery of dangerous things we commonly do to relieve anxiety, stress, and boredom. The human body can build up a tolerance for poisons, but this is a survival mechanism, not a lifestyle.
Every one of the following items has two faces. They are all frequently used as a source of pleasure, yet they all have an addictive quality, which gives them the potential to wreak havoc with your life, health, and relationships.
Here are seven things unhealthy people find relaxing:
1. Binge watching
Every major study has found a strong relationship between TV watching and obesity. According to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for every two-hour increase in TV watching, there’s a 23 percent increase in obesity and a 14 percent increase in the risk of diabetes. And it’s not only because you spend time zoning instead of exercising.
TV rewires you to be a passive spectator rather than an active participant in life. It also exposes you to thousands of commercials for junk foods, many of which you consume while watching. Pick a few of your favorite programs, and the rest of the time step away from the couch.
2. Drinking alcohol
Though (very) moderate drinking has some health benefits, don’t overlook the dark side of this drug. Alcohol kills more than 178,000 Americans a year and is a factor in 32 percent of all U.S. traffic deaths, as shown in National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism statistics. No one starts out believing they’ll be one of the ones who will develop an alcohol problem. Alcohol is highly addictive, depletes nutrients, shortens lives, damages relationships, and usually brings out the worst in people.
If you’re drinking to forget, guess what? When you wake up, whatever you were trying to forget is still there. Advice: If you’re using alcohol to deal with anxiety or stress, or other problems, find a better way.
3. Consuming nicotine
Is there anyone left on the planet who doesn’t know the real deal on smoking and other nicotine-based products? In case you’ve been out of town for the past few decades, here’s the executive summary: Smoking kills, period.
The Centers for Disease Control reported that smokers have twice the risk of a heart attack, two to four times the risk of cardiac arrest, and smoking accounts for almost a third of all cancer deaths and 80-90 percent of deaths from lung cancer. Besides the nicotine and tar, there are a couple of thousand known chemicals in cigarette smoke, including over 70 known to cause cancer. Guess what — it’s just not cool. And, it makes your breath stink.
4. Compulsive exercise
Nice slow jog, out in the park, enjoying the outdoors, check: Compulsive running? Don’t add that to your list. One form of compulsive exercise is called exercise bulimia, a form of exercise whose main purpose is to purge the body of unwanted calories rather than to build fitness and health.
High-intensity exercise, done repeatedly and compulsively, has no joy in it. It also raises cortisol, a stress hormone that shrinks an important part of the brain involved in memory, and expands an important part of the body involved in looking good — your waist. Never was the expression “moderation is key” so appropriate.
5. Constant gaming
Video games helped create a nation of young people who never talk to each other without using their fingers, but even worse, the overuse of games desensitizes and isolates. When blowing stuff up becomes a daily and frequent part of your life, real tragedy can start to look like just one more special effect.
Researchers studying addiction found that constant gaming helps program the brain to expect instant rewards, shortens the expected time between cause and effect, and makes long-term planning and nuanced thinking difficult. Your imagination is the greatest entertainment device in the world — unfortunately, it dies from lack of use when you live virtually.
6. Late-night eating
Remember the last time you went on a broccoli binge while watching late-night reruns of Love Island? A 2025 study found that late-night eating is synonymous with a junk food overdose. When stressed, tired, or anxious, the hormone cortisol sends a signal to your brain to refuel for the coming emergency, usually on fat and sugar, which is why no one ever comforts themselves with Brussels sprouts.
Late-night eating was proven in a study to also increase insulin, the fat storage hormone, and virtually guarantees you won’t burn fat while you sleep. One tried-and-true diet strategy is to stop eating after 7 PM. It works like a charm.
7. AI/Cyber relationships
Cyber or relationships with artificial intelligence like ChatGPT are seductive because they have none of the three-dimensional messiness of real life. That’s their appeal, according to a 2001 study, but it could also be your downfall. It’s all too easy and tempting to replace your real identity with your virtual one.
Cyber relationships can lead you into some pretty addictive — and ultimately isolating — behavior. Paradoxically, you wind up lonelier than when you started. If you’re spending most of your social life typing instead of talking, it might be time to take a break.
