upworthy

wellness

Health

7 toxic evening habits that silently keep you stuck in life (and how to fix them)

Your evening routine might be the reason you’re not living your best life. Let’s fix that.

Woman scrolling mindlessly on her phone.

It’s the end of another exhausting day. You promise yourself that tonight will be different. Tonight, you’ll read that book collecting dust under your bed, text your friend back, or maybe even do some evening meditation to center yourself. But somehow, three hours later, you’re in bed watching TikToks about which Girls character you are, and it hits you: this feels bad. Like, really bad.

(Don’t worry, you’re in excellent company—we’ve all been there.)


scrolling, phone, addiction, evening, habits Creating healthy evening habits matters. Photo credit: Canva

Here’s the thing about evening habits: in the moment, they feel innocent and harmless, but they’re basically the psychological equivalent of termites eating away at the foundation of your life. Behavioral researchers discovered that the hours between dinner and sleep represent something called a “vulnerability window,” a time when your willpower is shot and your brain is desperately seeking comfort. Ah, the perfect conditions for self-sabotage.

Your evening routine (or lack of one) might be the reason you’re not living your best life. We’re here to fix that. Here are seven “harmless” habits that are actually holding you back—and what to do about them.


The doom-scrolling spiral

“Oh, I’ll just check Instagram for just five minutes.”

Let me know the next time that works.

To your brain, scrolling endlessly is like being in a Vegas casino with a black card—and you’ll stop at nothing to get that dopamine jackpot. With every piece of new information, your brain receives a slight boost of dopamine, creating what researchers call an “intermittent reinforcement schedule”—the exact psychological mechanism that makes gambling addictive and dangerous.



Scrolling through social media for hours can activate your threat-detection system, flooding your body with stress hormones like cortisol just when you should be winding down. Studies show regular doom-scrollers report higher levels of anxiety and trouble sleeping, creating a vicious cycle where poor sleep makes you more susceptible to negative thinking… which, of course, drives you to scroll even more.

Let’s fix this: Create a “phone parking station” outside your bedroom. Seriously. Charge it somewhere else, and place it there 90 minutes before bed. Then, replace the habit with something that genuinely interests you, like reading a book or doing gentle stretches. Oh, and before you reach for the iPad: this goes for all devices.


Bedtime procrastination

Your eyelids are drooping, but instead of pulling the covers up and going to sleep, you’re up until 2 AM doing absolutely nothing important. Welcome to “revenge bedtime procrastination,” your brain’s rebellion against a day that felt completely out of your control.


woman, sleeping, bedtime, rest, energy A woman sleeping peacefully.Photo credit: Canva

What’s going on here? Your psyche is essentially saying “I didn’t get enough personal time today, so I’ll just steal it now, at the cost of tonight’s sleep.” This phenomenon is particularly common among people with demanding schedules or those who feel they lack autonomy during the day.

However, chronic bedtime procrastination creates a cascading series of issues. Poor sleep leads to decreased cognitive performance, emotional instability, and reduced willpower, which can trap you in a "procrastination insomnia cycle", where each night of delayed sleep makes the day more stressful and the next bedtime more tempting to put off.

Let’s fix this: Create a “bedtime procrastination emergency plan.” It’s a big red button to press when you feel the self-sabotage setting in, but don’t know what to do. When you catch yourself avoiding bed, do a wind-down activity of your choice—no questions asked—like a 10-minute meditation or journaling about three things you’re grateful for.

Evening rumination

The moment your head hits the pillow, your brain decides it’s show time: replaying the day’s mistakes, imagining worst-case scenarios, and generally turning your mind into your own personal anxiety theater.


- YouTube www.youtube.com

Your brain is trying to process unresolved emotional content. Still, instead of the helpful type of processing, you’ve gotten stuck in an unproductive loop that elevates your cortisol levels when they should be at their lowest.

Let’s fix that: Your running thoughts aren’t useless; it’s your brain’s way of trying to protect you. But there’s a time and place for everything, and right now is neither. Try the “worry time” technique, which is exactly what it sounds like. Dedicate 15 minutes of the day to worrying, ruminating, plotting, and scheming. Or, keep a “brain dump” journal near your bed to offload racing thoughts without judgment.


Stress eating your feelings

You’re not even hungry, but somehow, you’re standing in the kitchen at 10 PM with a spoon in one hand and a jar of Nutella in the other, wondering how you got there.

Evening emotional eating serves multiple functions: immediate comfort, a twisted sense of reward after a difficult day, or self-soothing when your willpower has been depleted. However, using food as a primary emotional regulation strategy is just a chocolate-smeared Band-Aid, covering up the real problems and preventing you from developing healthier coping mechanisms.


Let’s fix that: Work on identifying your triggers. Why are you binge-eating late at night? Are you lonely, bored, stressed, or something else? Finding the real issue is the first step towards addressing it more healthily. Or, create a “kitchen closed” policy after 8 PM. Stick to it religiously.


24/7 work tether

Checking work emails right before bed because it will “just take a second” is like inviting your most stressful colleague to sleep over: no separation between work and private life, and it should be a workplace violation.

Research shows that employees who regularly check work communications after hours experience higher rates of burnout, and the constant mental availability prevents psychological recovery. This can lead to decreased creativity, impaired decision-making, and emotional exhaustion.


burnout, emails, work, evening, routines A woman sitting in front of her laptop. Photo by Olena Kamenetska on Unsplash

Let’s fix this: Set explicit communication curfews and stick to them. If you have to email someone after hours, use the “schedule send” function so that the email arrives during the business day. Remember: your well-being is worth more than always being available.


Perfectionism paralysis

Do you spend evening hours crafting elaborate to-do lists and researching productivity systems instead of doing things you actually want to do? Well, you are likely using the illusion of productivity to avoid the discomfort of imperfect action.

Perfectionist planning provides psychological satisfaction in “working on” goals without the risk of messy execution. But it creates an endless cycle where you’re never quite ready to begin.

Let’s fix this: Try the “2-minute rule.” If something takes less than two minutes, do it now, instead of adding it to a list.


Distraction addiction

Every quiet moment needs to be filled with background TV, music, or scrolling through your phone because the silence feels uncomfortable or anxiety-provoking. But constant simulation has the opposite effect: it prevents emotional processing and keeps you disconnected from your actual desires.


woman, phone, worried, evening, routines Constant stimulation could be stressing you out. Photo credit: Canva

Without regular stillness, unresolved feelings can accumulate in the mind and the body, leading to chronic anxiety or emotional numbness.

Let’s fix that: Start small. Try practicing “micro-stillness,” 30 seconds of silence between activities. This can look like taking three conscious breaths while moving between tasks.


The beautiful truth about small changes

Behavioral science shows that even the smallest of changes in our evening routines can create dynamic improvements in our overall life satisfaction. You don’t need to change everything all at once, simply pick one habit from above that resonates the most with your current struggles and commit to working on it for two weeks.


woman, evening, routines, habits, happy A woman enjoying her evenings again.Photo credit: Canva

As your evening energy gradually improves, you will naturally find it easier to address other patterns. Because your evenings aren’t just the end of the day—they’re the foundation for tomorrow.

Self-care is not what we've be taught one therapist explains

Self-care. It's something that has been co-opted by wellness influencers and gurus that somehow (and all-too-often) involves spending money on something luxurious. Self-care is often branded as things like pedicures, vacations, and hour-long massages at the spa, but according to Dr. Raquel Martin, we've been doing self-care all wrong.

In July 2024, Martin—a licensed psychologist—uploaded a video to her Instagram explaining what self-care is truly supposed to be. Spoiler alert? It's not meant to be indulgent. At least, indulgence shouldn't be an all-the-time expectation of self-care. Martin acknowledges that the wellness industry has monetized and conflated self-care with self-indulgence, and she explains that having self-care propped up as something that is indulgent isolates people who cannot afford those types of activities.

The psychological toll for conflating self-care with self-indulgence can get dangerously high. In the 2020 Psychology Today article, "Why Does Self-Care Sometimes Feel So Hard?", author and licensed psychologist Alicia H. Clark Psy.D notes that "indulgence stops being self-care when you feel guilty or unhappy with yourself, and this threshold is different for everyone." She goes on to say that "one person's self-caring indulgence can be another's gateway to self-harm, depending on your relationship with the activity, your capacity for moderation, and the reality of its consequences." This makes wellness influencers who tout a heavily indulgent, "treat yo' self" ideology of self-care all the more dangerous. Self-care is not one size fits all, and for those who struggle with self-discipline and moderation, the mindset can do more harm than good.

self-care, indulgence, moderation, treats, discipline Parks And Recreation Treat Yo Self GIFGiphy

So, what is self-care actually? How is it achieved? And is it always supposed to feel good? Dr. Martin goes on to share how she practices self-care, and what she lays out was surprising her viewers. According to Martin, "Self-care is not responding to every call and, if I do not have the bandwidth to have the conversation, stating that I don't have the bandwidth to have the conversation." She also notes that she says "No" to things she doesn't want to do, sets a financial budget, and does not drink caffeine after 4 p.m.

These things might seem a little boring when compared to indulgent self-care, but one thing is clear: these self-care practices are actually good for Martin's body, health, and overall wellness.

Much of what Martin listed are things a lot of people don't consider as self-care, but in actuality, self-care is defined simply by taking care of one's self. This means practicing self-care is getting in a few minutes of exercise a day, drinking more water, or spending time with friends. You don't have to spend money to care for yourself.

yoga, exercise, movement, body, health, self-careA woman practices Yoga.Image via Canva.

Commenters were shocked and thankful for Martin's clarification on what self-care is actually supposed to be:

"Love this list!! As a massage therapist, I have to call out the misconception that massage is indulgent. I'm always telling my patients that self care is more than a bath. I will be sharing this list with my patients. I'm also trying to make massage more accessible," one person writes.

"Thank you for this post. I’m internalizing your advice to see how I can apply. You resonated with my thoughts on so many levels. However, you also provided some clarity and food for thought/fuel for action," another says.

"I really appreciate what you said about pallet cleansers! Sometimes I get frustrated with myself because I'm not able to read and consume and learn about all the issues different people are facing. It's really important to me to learn about those things, not just for awareness, but also so I can do something about it. But self care is so important throughout that, like leaving my phone in the other room, or watching my comfort shows like you said. I often read kids books or TV because of how horrible the world is right now, and I need something extremely wholesome to balance it out. Also, workshop? I'm not sure what that means but I like learning from you. Thanks," another viewer shares.

So, maybe it's time to collectively ditch those indulgent expectations of self-care and really take a look at ways we can actually care for ourselves instead.

This article originally appeared last year.

Wellness

"Time affluence" can radically change how you view your daily life

Not enough hours in the day? This might be for you.

A powerful new way to take control of your day.

What does it really mean to be wealthy? Having a hefty bank account and multiple streams of income? A fancy job with an even fancier-sounding name? ("Director" has a nice ring to it, don't you think?) There are a million ways to answer this question, but before you do, ask yourself one more: Will that really make me happy? While many of us would love a few more hours in the day, our actions don't reflect that. Often, we as a society spend an inordinate time dedicated to money: making it and saving it. But what about leisure time or rest? Yes, money is important, but without the time to do things we actually enjoy, what’s the point?

A growing body of research suggests something revolutionary: that a concept called “time affluence” is the true measure of a person's wealth. Rather than nice cars or a corner office in a high-rise building downtown, time affluence is the real key to happiness and well-being. Time affluence refers to the idea that, like money, time is a resource that can be saved, spent, and wasted. According to Ashley V. Whillans, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and the author of Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, time affluence is the “feeling of having control and feeling like you have enough time on an everyday basis.” Her research indicates that those who value time over money tend to live happier, more civically engaged lives and are more inclined to pursue activities they’re passionate about.

So, why do so many of us feel like we’re running out of time?


Meet “time poverty”

Time affluence exists on a spectrum, with "time poverty" at the opposite end. While time-affluent people experience increased autonomy, improved moods, and enhanced states of mindfulness, those experiencing time poverty live in a world of constant stress. They remain fixated on work and productivity, feeling perpetually overwhelmed by an endless list of tasks with seemingly insufficient time to complete them. Research shows that time poverty leads to decreased well-being, poor physical health, and reduced productivity—yet why aren't we addressing this crisis? While billions are invested yearly to combat material poverty, while time poverty remains largely ignored and continues to worsen.


stress, frustration, unhappiness, time, time waster, busy, stressedWhy aren't we addressing this growing crisis?Photo credit: Canva

Our relationship with time reveals a troubling reality. Despite the rise of time-saving technologies in recent decades—from Internet to personal computers—these innovations and productivity tools haven't fundamentally changed how we use our time, nor have they increased our sense of time affluence. A 2010 study found that merely 9% of adults reported "quite often" having free time, while 45% claimed they were almost "never free."

Even Whillans recognized something was wrong when she, a successful Harvard Business School professor on the tenure track, felt chronically short on time. Despite her material wealth—the pay, prestige, and job security—she never allowed herself to rest. Her calendar was filled with meetings, but she left herself no space for leisure or personal pursuits. "Focusing our time is not selfish. It's really about making enough time for ourselves that we're able to have the energy and attention to best serve those that we care about," Whillans explained during a presentation in 2020. "We want to be reframing our time to see leisure as something that's productive and restful, and an end to itself."


The elusive concept of “time affluence”

Here's the paradox: having more money or time doesn't necessarily solve the problem—it can actually make it worse. In a study by Sanford E. DeVoe and Jeffrey Pfeffer in 2011, researchers found that people who placed a higher financial value on time (following the old adage "time is money") reported increased time pressure and showed less patience. Similarly, other research indicates that when people overly focus on time's value, they also experience greater psychological and physiological stress, and are less likely to slow down or enjoy leisure activities.


time, running out of time, clock, busy, life, stressWhen it comes to well-being, time does not equal money. Photo credit: Canva

But...too much time can be a problem, too. In a study conducted by Cassie Mogilner Holmes, a psychologist and professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, she looked at the relationship between leisure time and happiness. On one hand, she found that people with less than two hours a day of free time reported decreased levels of happiness. On the other hand, those with more than five hours of free time per day also reported decreased levels of happiness. What’s going on here? It seems that the key to time affluence, which Holmes defines as “feeling confident that you are able to accomplish everything you want to do"—isn’t the abundance of free time or having unlimited hours in the day. “While having some time (i.e. more than two hours) is essential, the positive correlation between time and satisfaction only goes so far,” writes Barnaby Lashbrooke for Forbes. “Being time affluent, then, is less about having an excess of time, and actually about how you use the limited time that you do have.”


How to become time-affluent

So, you want to become time-affluent? Experts suggest the following strategies:

  1. Prioritize ruthlessly. With limited hours in each day, it makes sense to tackle the most important tasks first. Some people follow the Ivy Lee Method, which involves writing down your five most important tasks each evening, then completing them one by one the next day. Others prefer the "1-3-5" rule—focusing on one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks daily. Whichever method you choose, always ask yourself: What's the most urgent and important task? Start there.
  2. Buy back time by outsourcing tasks. While money can't buy happiness directly, it can buy precious time through strategic outsourcing. A few well-spent dollars can free you from tasks you dislike or find draining. Consider hiring a house cleaner or paying more in rent to live closer to work. As Laurie Santos, a psychologist and happiness researcher, says, "Studies show that people who spend money to get more free time are often happier than those who don't." But remember—outsourcing doesn't always require money. You can lean on your community, such as arranging alternating school drop-off schedules with neighbors.
  3. Practice “monotasking.” By now, most people know that multitasking isn’t real. It’s a myth—the human mind and brain aren’t sophisticated enough to perform more than two tasks simultaneously. So, do the opposite. Focus on one thing at a time.
  4. Be intentional about leisure time. “We want to be reframing our time to see leisure as something that’s productive and restful, and an end to itself,” advises Whillans. “Focusing on time is not selfish. It’s really in making enough time for ourselves that we’re able to have the energy and attention to best serve those that we care about.” Just like an important meeting or appointment, block time off on your calendar to dedicate purely to leisure and rest. By doing so, you are committing to caring about your well-being, and it’s just as essential as work.

In a world that's always demanding “more” of us—earn more, buy more, do more—perhaps what’s most revolutionary is reclaiming our time. And with it, our happiness.

Is everything we learned in elementary school wrong?!

Ask anyone what the "normal" human body temperature is, and you’ll likely get the same answer—98.6. That’s the number we were told in elementary school, and that’s the number we’ve been running with ever since. Except, many of us begin to feel icky at much lower temperatures, so should 98.6 still be the golden standard? Where did this number even come from?

These were the questions that suddenly took up real estate in a woman named Jenna’s brain while she was ill last January. As she explained in a clip posted to TikTok (from bed, clearly sick as a dog, I might add) she was feeling “horrible” with a temperature of only 99.1.

Jenna’s confusion led her to doing a bit of research where she discovered that the “average” number of 98.6 came from a study done way back in 1860. The study she referred to was conducted by German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, who measured the armpit temperatures of around 25,000 people and calculated the average to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

@jennjenbean

Anyone else feel like their face is burning and they are just feeling icky when their temperature is in the 90s and below 100°?

Wunderlich’s mean body temperature has since been dubbed “not flawed,” but outdated by Julie Parsonnet, who led a newer study at Stanford Medicine that found normal body temperature actually ranged from 97.3°F and 98.2°F, suggesting that 98.6 is now too high.

As Jenna also cited in her video, Parsonnet and the other researchers at Stanford surmise that this drop could be due to a variety of factors, such as advances in medical treatments (for example, in the 1860s, many people had chronic infections that couldn’t be treated, which would have affected temperatures) better hygiene, greater availability of food, and improved living standards, etc. But the major contribution seems to be that inflammation levels are lower, which would rev up metabolism and, subsequently, body temperature.

Honestly, it’s no wonder that Jenna—and others who watched her video—had much lower thresholds. As one viewer commented, “My normal is 97.6. If I get to 99 I definitely feel sick, anything over 100 and I can’t get out of bed.”

Another echoed, “I’m usually around 96 something, so 98 is a fever for me.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that there’s barely a “standard” at all. Sex, age, weight, height, and time of day all determine what’s considered "normal." And if you’re curious what your personal normal temperature is, Parsonnet created a nifty calculator found here.

This is also a case for really knowing your own body. Sure, a fever is still a telltale sign of illness, but since you can be sick without having a high temperature, it’s important to note what symptoms you’re experiencing, and, of course, to consult a doctor if you think something isn't right.

Even the most sound prevailing wisdom might lose its efficacy over time. After all, the world constantly changes, and we change along with it. This is just one of those things where what was taught to us as kids doesn't necessarily apply anymore. And while this might not be the hottest trivia to pull out at parties, it’s still interesting to know how times have indeed changed.