Tips to beat revenge bedtime procrastination

November 29, 2021

I was doing my nightly scroll through Instagram and came across this post…

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A post shared by Dr. Michaela | Psychologist (@myeasytherapy)

And I was like hold the phone...

Revenge bedtime procrastination. I had never heard of this term before but from what I was reading it seemed like I checked all of the boxes.

What is revenge bedtime procrastination?

Revenge procrastination is a way of reclaiming lost hours during the day dedicated to commitments like work or school and making up for them by staying up late. [1] When I heard about this I knew immediately that I was guilty. I love unwinding after a long day by watching an episode of whatever show I’m currently interested in. But then, before I get to the show I’ll check my phone and all of my social media for notifications like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Then before I know it, an hour has gone by of me just scrolling on Instagram and I didn’t even get to watch my show. Sigh. It happens.

How to combat revenge bedtime procrastination?

If you feel like you’re in a similar situation, don’t worry, I’m here to help! I’ve been trying to get better at eliminating revenge bedtime procrastination by following a few of these tips:

Taking breaks throughout the day

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Taking smaller, more frequent breaks throughout the day helps me feel less overwhelmingly immersed in my work. This alleviates my need to take longer unproductive breaks if I’ve had the opportunity to take breaks throughout the day.

Going to bed earlier

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This one I’ve just had to force myself to do. I had to commit to going to bed earlier and not look back. Prioritizing sleep over scrolling on Instagram has been a great lifestyle change that I definitely recommend!