With startling reports that four in 10 American employees (37.6 percent) typically feel stressed during the workday, it’s as important as ever to follow a post-work routine that alleviates stress and enhances our lives. But with many of us clinging to bad habits, from surging screen time to sleep procrastination, what can we do to break free of stress cycles and boost our wellbeing?
In a bid to find out, the experts at Northerner identified some of the most damaging post-work habits and provided solutions to help eliminate daily stress.
Steer away from sky-high screen time
When we get home from a long day at work, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of non-stop scrolling on our phones. Commonly dubbed “doom scrolling,” this bad habit results in more than 69,000 global searches monthly, and although it may feel like a welcome break for our brains, endless hours of screen time could be doing a world of harm beneath the surface and causing more stress than it relieves.
The physical impact can range from eye strain, causing headaches and migraines, to pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. And the effect on our brains can be equally as damaging, with some studies suggesting that our smartphones and social media could be dangerously addictive.
You should be extra careful if you have a tendency to scroll as you wind down for bed, as the light from your screen could disrupt your natural internal clock and cause sleep issues, such as insomnia. Instead of reaching for your phone, try to find a no-screen hobby to scratch that itch: reading, journaling, crafting, and cooking are just a few examples that could bring you more long-term satisfaction and health benefits than scrolling sessions.
Avoid the sedentary slump
Lounging on the sofa until bedtime is often all we want after a long day; however, for those whose jobs also involve sitting for long periods, this choice of evening activity could be doing more harm than you realize.
The risks of too much time spent sitting should not be underestimated: studies have linked sedentary lifestyles to vascular and musculoskeletal issues, heart disease, obesity, and even cancer. Not only are there physical risks to our bodies, but those who spend more time sitting are at a higher risk of developing both anxiety and depression.
Where possible, changes should begin in your working day: try setting timers to get up and move, using a standing desk, and walking with colleagues during meetings.
However, our after-work habits are equally as important. Even something as simple as standing while you watch TV or fitting in a short, at-home workout session.
Mindless snacking: The silent stress contributor
For many people, cooking a meal is the last thing they want to do after a long day. This can lead to the familiar habit of snacking on anything that is readily available instead of cooking a full, balanced meal.
There are real risks when falling into this routine. It is all too easy to spend the evening munching on ultra processed snacks, often high in salt, sugar, and fats, and low in the nutrients that we need, instead of having a proper meal. Studies show that this habit “can increase a preference for these types of foods, leading to a change in eating behaviors and diet quality.”
Not only can this impact long-term physical health, but the rapid increases in blood-sugar levels, and the insulin crashes your body goes through trying to control this can lead to an increase in cortisol: the main stress hormone.
There is a solution that many have found to eliminate this habit: Meal prepping, a popular approach for busy lifestyles, garnering more than 157,000 monthly inquires.
Nighttime is not the time for problem-solving
For many of us, one of the hardest habits to kick on an otherwise relaxing evening is running through every problem we may face at work the next day and trying to find solutions. This might look like replying to work emails when you should be winding down for the evening or tossing and turning in bed as you think of work dilemmas instead of sleeping. Either way, the impact of not switching off on our sleep quality, stress levels, and mental health should not be understated.
Though kicking this habit and banishing stressful thoughts from your evening routine can be tricky, you can use tactics to help. Research suggests journaling about your stresses or keeping a notepad nearby to jot down ideas as they pop into your head late at night—a healthy habit gaining a lot of interest, getting 113,000 monthly enquiries. Putting these thoughts down on paper can stop the feeling that you need to act on them immediately, in turn allowing you to return to more relaxing thoughts and activities.
Avoid the trap of revenge bedtime procrastination
Revenge procrastination, garnering more than 3,700 monthly inquiries, describes the frustration of long work hours and sacrificing sleep just to have a little time for yourself, resulting in staying up late to reclaim personal time you missed during the day, even though you know it’s no good.
You might watch one more episode, check your phone, or get lost in random tasks, thinking you’re just passing time. But this delay takes away from your sleep, leaving you with less rest and more stress the next day: yet it’s still a habit 53 percent of young adults are guilty of.
The key to breaking this habit? Establish a regularly timed nighttime ritual, and stick to it. This is more important than it sounds amid reports that irregular sleep has been linked to an increase in heart attacks, dementia, and depression. Once you’re into this schedule, your brain will automatically know it’s time to wind down.
