Sunbaking used to be my one guilty pleasure. Spread me out on a towel by a sparkling shoreline, book in one hand and a cool drink in the other, and call it a day well spent. I knew it wasn’t great for me – I’ve had slip, slop, slap messaging drilled in since I was a kid – but I figured if I wore sunscreen and avoided other bad habits like smoking and drugs, I’d probably be OK.
But these days, it’s not only smoking and sunbathing that’s killing us. Almost everything we do to relax, unwind and celebrate is proving to be dangerous.
Enjoying time in the sun? Drinking? Generally having a good time? You’re probably doing yourself and the planet more harm than good.Credit: Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
Take alcohol, for example. We used to think moderate drinking was fine – healthy, even. We’d cheer to the stories of centenarians in blue zones who sipped red wine every night, surrounded by friends. The late Queen Mother reportedly enjoyed a daily gin at lunch, and she lived to be 101. But the research is coming for your negronis, with a damning report that the healthy number of standard drinks is … zero. Yep, even your skinny marg is toxic.
And speaking of toxic, did you know most people consider gossip to be “bad for society”? It’s a US study, but still. I’d always thought of gossip as a pastime so central to the human experience that it has to be good for us. Just think about the last time your friend dropped “OK, I have some tea” in the group chat. If they could bottle that feeling, we wouldn’t need booze. But now we have to pretend we’re not delighted by the fact that our mate’s ex went to Turkey for a hair transplant? Ouch.
One of the best things in life – travel – is not immune to this phenomenon. Remember when travellers were considered quite earnest and eco, taking the consumerist high ground through their investment in “experiences, not things”? Now, unless I pay to offset all my carbon miles (and not really even then), every adventure is tainted with the knowledge that I’m single-handedly destroying the Amazon, which kinda kills the holiday mood.
My other favourite leisure activity, shopping, has had the same negative press. Did you know that for every tube top you purchase, a baby whale dies? I’m not certain of this exact fact, but it feels true.
But wait, there’s more. Hiking leads to soil erosion. Christmas is consumerist. Books cut down trees. Baths waste water. Shellac ruins your nails. Gluten stuffs your gut. Naps screw up your sleep.
If this list has made you feel stressed about your lifestyle choices, bad news! Because as it turns out, stress is also leading you to an early grave.
So I’m saying, stuff it. This year, I’m off to Italy to drink prosecco and eat pizza and laze in the sunshine. I’m planning to take naps and swim in the sea and buy some cute outfits. I’ll definitely gossip. I might even do some hiking.
Because here’s the thing. Life is dangerous. Along the way, you’re going to get some bumps and bruises. You might get a sunburn or two. But if the alternative is to stay indoors, wrapped in a blanket, sipping on green juice and counting down the minutes until it’s all over, I’ll take the risk. It makes me think of the great Hunter S. Thompson quote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!’”
So put on your sunscreen, offset your carbon and alternate your drinks with water if you must. But don’t stay home. And don’t worry so much. The odd night out is unlikely to kill you. A holiday in the sunshine won’t hurt. A gossipy drink with your pals is good for the soul. And travel reminds us of the beauty of our planet – and why we need to save it.
Bella Westaway is a freelance writer.
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Stuff it! If everything good’s not good for us, I’m breaking bad
10
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06.02.2024
Sunbaking used to be my one guilty pleasure. Spread me out on a towel by a sparkling shoreline, book in one hand and a cool drink in the other, and call it a day well spent. I knew it wasn’t great for me – I’ve had slip, slop, slap messaging drilled in since I was a kid – but I figured if I wore sunscreen and avoided other bad habits like smoking and drugs, I’d probably be OK.
But these days, it’s not only smoking and sunbathing that’s killing us. Almost everything we do to relax, unwind and celebrate is proving to be dangerous.
Enjoying time in the sun? Drinking? Generally having a good time? You’re probably doing yourself and the planet more harm than good.Credit: Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
Take alcohol, for example. We used to think moderate drinking was fine – healthy, even. We’d cheer to the stories of centenarians in blue zones who sipped red wine every night, surrounded by friends. The late Queen Mother reportedly enjoyed a daily gin at lunch, and she lived to be 101. But the........
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