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Self-care is having a serious moment and for good reason. Who doesn’t need to actively work on improving and preserving their mental, emotional, and physical well-being?! Alas, not all self-care rituals are equal. “The term ‘self-care’ has been misused in our world,” Dr. Caroline Perjessy, president of the Association for Humanistic Counseling and a faculty member at SNHU, told Southern New Hampshire University in 2015. While some might chalk self-care up to a long (and expensive) day at the spa, others are willing to assign that term to numerous unhealthy habits, too.
Unfortunately, many boomers rank high on the list of those guilty of engaging in outdated self-care habits. Whether it’s winding down with a nightcap every evening, smoking to ease their nerves or celebrate, or subjecting themselves to loads of sun damage all in the name of rest and relaxation, it’s obvious there are quite a few of these boomer “self-care” habits that need rethinking, especially with what we now know thanks to modern research.
Just say no to nightcaps
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While many claim that a drink before bed helps them wind down and sleep better, research suggests that you should never drink alcohol right before bed. “Drinking closer to bedtime increases the likelihood of fragmented sleep, more awakenings, and greater suppression of REM sleep,” Dr. Joshua Roland, MD, FAASM, told Food and Wine. Over time, this can wreak major havoc on your nervous system, per a 2015 study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. “The effects can be cumulative, not only for alcohol use but on sleep disruption as well,” study co-author Christian Nicholas of the University of Melbourne told TIME.
Smoking is not self-care
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Even amid all of the information we know about tobacco, nicotine, and all of their harmful effects, many baby boomers still love the occasional cigarette. Alas, a 2022 study in Nature Genetics reveals that even light smoking may cause as much damage as heavy smoking. The short of it: the generation is not doing themselves any favors by only smoking one cigarette as a reward at the end of the day or waiting until a special occasion to break out a celebratory cigar, as there is absolutely no safe amount of smoking.
Many boomers have an unhealthy attachment to the sun
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Contrary to expert advice, many boomers still love to lay out in the sun sans sunscreen — all in the name of rest, relaxation, and a so-called base tan. However, there’s no such thing as a base tan; it’s just tangible proof of sun damage. According to a 2024 survey conducted by the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), one-third of Gen Z respondents reported that they used sunscreen compared to a dismal nearly one fifth of older generations, including — you guessed it — boomers (via Talker Research). Add that to the list of outdated boomer skincare advice millennials absolutely can’t stand.
Eat to live or live to eat?
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Eating healthy, nourishing foods is a form of self-care. Alas, consuming sugary, highly processed foods is not. Many boomers turn to soft drinks, drive-thru hamburgers, doughnuts, and even pints of ice cream to reward themselves or even self-soothe and numb out. Unfortunately, those are all foods one should avoid for mental health.
According to a 2023 study in Jama Network Open, people who consumed nine or more servings of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) were 50% more likely to be depressed than those who consumed four servings or fewer. “One simple explanation is that the people consuming diets high in UPFs were deficient in certain nutrients, and that this increased their risk of depression,” study co-author Andrew T. Chan told Newsweek.
Shampoo or bust?!
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Any boomer with a television grew up being targeted by the advertising industry by way of commercials for numerous hygiene products from the 60s, including shampoo. Thus, many boomers equate those brands with a sense of comfort and nostalgia, and even a crucial part of daily self-care. Case in point: Prell Shampoo, which was marketed as an “extra rich” shampoo that makes hair come “radiantly alive” (via YouTube). However, washing your hair every single day isn’t actually recommended. “If you wash your hair every day, you’re removing the sebum,” dermatologist Michelle Hanjani explained to NPR in 2009. “Then the oil glands compensate by producing more oil.”
Boomers love bar soap and loofahs
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Speaking of outdated boomer hygiene advice millennials absolutely cannot stand, many boomers consider a long, hot bath with bar soap and a loofah to be the epitome of luxury. However, many bar soaps can be just as stripping to your skin as daily shampooing is to your scalp and hair. “If you talk to most dermatologists, probably none of them use actual soap, except on their hands,” dermatologist Dr. Erin Chen shared with TIME. Moreover, loofahs can become breeding grounds for bacteria. “Loofahs can be a magnet for bacteria and other microbes, especially since they’re typically kept in the warm, moist environment of a bathroom,” cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Dusan Sajic told In The Know.
Boomers have a deep-seated obsession with cardio
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Boomers — a generation that lived through the Presidential Physical Fitness Test and the aerobics craze — love their cardio. In a survey by Garage Gym Reviews, 88% of boomers said walking was their preferred type of exercise over strength training or cycling. But when you only do cardio, you risk damaging your joints over time, while missing out on the health and anti-aging benefits of strength training. Speaking to TIME, physical therapist Kristen Lettenberger explained how increased muscle mass can improve the body’s management of insulin and glucose, which “can lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes or help manage the condition.”
