Let’s go back to what we learnt in school: every day, our bodies quietly burn energy to keep us alive — digesting food, pumping blood, repairing cells. That’s what we call metabolism.
When metabolism works well, calories are used efficiently, and we stay energetic. We can finish up all our daily chores and still manage to squeeze in time for some recreational activities. But when that engine doesn’t produce fuel properly, we feel the exhaustion every step of the way.
The intriguing part is, many of us unknowingly make small, everyday mistakes that slow down our metabolism. From skipping meals and sitting too long to overdoing “healthy” routines like dieting, many common behaviours quietly weaken the body’s calorie-burning engine. Over time, these habits can lead to low energy, weight gain despite not changing your diet, mood swings, poor sleep, and even hormonal imbalance.
The good news? Because these mistakes are tied to everyday habits — what you eat, how you sleep, how you move — they can be corrected. Recent research in metabolic health shows that simple choices made throughout the day can increase the body’s efficiency, stabilise blood sugar, and support long-term weight management.
Here, we explore six of the most frequent mistakes and what you can do to fix them — so your body can run more smoothly and feel more alive.
