We've been told, over and over, that a good night’s sleep is a single, solid, unbroken block of eight hours—from lights out to alarm clock, no interruptions. So when our body or mind doesn't do that, it feels like proof of a problem. We’ve failed, and we’re not good sleepers.

But here's the thing. That’s just not true.

Ultraprocessed time is the time you spend on something that feels compelling in the moment but leaves you with nothing real to show for it afterward, no rest, no connection, no growth, no learning, just a faint, sugar-crash-esque sort of emptiness. And much like ultraprocessed food, ultraprocessed time is everywhere.

Do you downplay your accomplishments, attributing them to luck or external factors? Do you constantly worry that you're not as capable as others perceive you to be? Have you ever felt like a fraud, waiting to be exposed? If any of this resonates, you might be experiencing imposter syndrome.