Do you brush your teeth daily? And make sure you wash your hands before every meal, and each time you used the toilet, etc. Observing good hygiene is going to keep you well in general but if you are taking on other habits or a lifestyle involving lack of exercise, smoking or overworking, you’ll still be falling sick.
The problem with commercialisation and the marketing world today is everyone is trying to punch above their weight, everyone is trying to scream that they are the most important thing, almost the only thing you should care about. And it can make you FOMO but that FOMO can just be about maintaining hygiene.
For example, halitosis is a made up word for bad breath to make it sound like some kind of illness or disorder or condition. Is it going to ruin your life? It sure does from the perspective of Listerine or Oral B. But if you’re spending every waking moment wondering if people are noticing your breath then you’re barely living even when you’re breathing.
We need to start caring more about our health rather than hygiene. Automate hygiene and make habits out of them, evaluate their importance based on the greater purpose they serve in your life. These are things related to our personal development, our portfolio of skills rather than appearing like we are working while working from home (the notion of “face time” in Asian work places before Apple made it something else). Health is about considering our mental health and actual personal sacrifices before saying yes to things. It is about learning to say “no” and doing so properly, graciously without guilt the society tries to instill into us.
Don’t be fooled into thinking hygiene is health. There are far more important things in life than what you might be obssessing over.