5 Nighttime Habits That Are Secretly Making Your Anxiety Worse

Many of us have long days that keep us busy with what’s unfolding in front of us. But bythe end of the day, you may feel your anxiety has exacerbated.

Once our days end, we have fewer distractions from our anxiety, said Erica Basso , a psychotherapist and owner of a group practice in California. You may be worrying more about the things that make you anxious simply because you have the time to do so. On top of that, there are some things you may be doing in the evening that can snowball your racing thoughts — leading to anxiety keeping you awake and disturbing your sleep.

Below, we asked therapists to share the most common nighttime habits that could worsen your anxiety. Here’s what to avoid so you can relax and rest:

Doomscrolling.

Doomscrolling — also known as doomsurfing — is when you spend excessive time seeking out negative content on social media or news outlets. You may feel like it will be helpful initially, but end up feeling anxious afterward.

“Consuming triggering information is overwhelming for our minds as it is trying to wind down and can worsen anxiety and can interfere with the quality of your sleep,” said Alyssa Mancao, a therapist and founder of Alyssa Marie Wellness .

Try to put a hard stop to social media and headlines at least 30 minutes before bed, but ideally even before that. Instead, try reading a book before hitting the sheets.

Skipping relaxation techniques.

Don’t underestimate the power of priming your brain for rest. According to Nekeshia Hammond , a psychologist, speaker and author, overlooking relaxation techniques can heighten anxiety during the evening and nighttime hours.

Sometimes, a simple meditation or deep breathing exercise is what you need to alleviate your anxious thoughts