20 things you should stop doing right now

From taking a nap to stretching before exercise, we dispel some popular myths

A list compiled by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom claims that washing out a wound with saline instead of tap water or requesting an x-ray for lower-back pain is pointless. But medicine is not the only area where we have been doing things wrong or unnecessarily.

Here are 20 more things you shouldn’t bother doing.



1. Taking Vitamin C supplements

Studies have found that unless you live in a frozen wilderness, smoke an incredibly large number of cigarettes or subject yourself to extreme physical stress on a regular basis – Vitamin C won’t do anything.

PHOTO: Reuters

2. Flossing

In August, the British Dental Association’s scientific adviser declared flossing to be pointless, adding that all floss-based studies of the past 25 years have been of “very low quality”.

3. Washing your jeans

The CEO of Levi’s has advised that you should never wash your jeans as it makes them look bad.

PHOTO: Reuters

4. Having a landline

No one will have a landline at all 10 years from now. They exist purely to complicate the act of changing your broadband provider.

PHOTO: Reuters

5. Drinking eight glasses of water a day

The figure first appeared in a recommended dietary allowance guide in the US 70 years ago, and it doesn’t take into consideration your age, your height, your weight or your activity level.

6. Overusing your fridge

Putting tomatoes in your fridge stops them tasting of anything and if potatoes are stored in the fridge, it will muck up their starch and make them taste funny. Bread should also not be kept in the fridge, because it will go stale faster. Onions need to be well ventilated and putting them in the fridge does not allow that. Don’t put bananas in the fridge, because they’re tropical fruits. Also, avocados in the fridge will never ripen.



7. Washing your hair every day

Daily washing is thought to be unnecessary. Every couple of days is good, or less if your hair is curly.

8. Peeling vegetables

Most of a vegetable’s insoluble fibre is in its skin so peeling it off will make it less nutritious.

9. Pressing the ‘close door’ button in a lift

The “close door” button in a lift is most likely a placebo button, designed to give you the illusion of control.

10. Ordering anything in the top-right-hand corner of a menu

Menu design is a skill rooted in complex psychology. Knowing that your eye will naturally fall on the top-right corner of the menu, this is where restaurateurs often place their most profitable items.

11. Discarding out-of-date food

When food reaches its sell-by date, that doesn’t mean it suddenly becomes poisonous – it means that the supermarket has guessed this stock should be rotated. Unless it smells terrible or is covered in mould, it’s fine to use it.

PHOTO: Reuters

12. Napping

Last month, a doctor from the University of Tokyo claimed that regular, hour-long, daytime naps can boost the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 45%.

13. Buying antivirus software

Earlier this year, the US Department of Homeland Security’s computer-emergency readiness team issued a warning about a popular brand of antivirus software after finding that it contained “critical vulnerabilities”. Most browsers now have content-verification systems that do the job better.

14. Stretching before exercise

Contrary to what most trainers will tell you, stretching is  unlikely to improve performance or minimise injury.

15. Standing in line at the departure gate at the airport

You have a ticket with a designated seat and airplanes are uncomfortable. It won’t take off without you.



16. Visiting a travel agent

Use the internet instead. It's much more convenient and really does not make a difference.

17. Buying CDs

Using your phone or laptop to store your music rather than bulky CDs is so much easier.

PHOTO: Reuters

18. Learning to drive

The driverless car revolution is only a few years away and will make your driving skills useless.

19. Learning how to tell the time on analog clocks

All phones have a digital clock. Or you can just ask Siri the time if you own an iPhone.

20. Reading negative news 

According to Professor Graham Davey, consuming a non-stop torrent of negative news stories can significantly contribute to the deterioration of your mood, and to the development of depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD.

This article originally appeared on Guardian.