Doomscrolling…
Sounds pretty dramatic, right?
You sit down to relax, maybe with a snack or just a moment to yourself, and then three hours later, you’re still glued to your phone, your eyes glazed over, absorbing an endless feed of pranks, crypto mentors, funny cat videos, and home chefs…
Suddenly, you feel bad.
You wanted to unwind, and instead, you’re wound up like a watch spring.
But while scrolling through negative content might seem like a passive habit, it’s actually a complex behavior rooted in our minds.
Tech companies know this, and that’s exactly what they had in mind when they designed their apps.
The dopamine hit we get from new information keeps us coming back for more.
It Works Simply
Doomscrolling works by creating a loop.
What starts as curiosity quickly turns into compulsion, as we find ourselves clicking through article after article, video after video, all while our bodies react with tension, shallow breathing, and rising stress hormones.
And it’s hard to get out of the loop.
It’s no coincidence that people report feeling more anxious, less hopeful, and even physically unwell after long bouts of scrolling.
That’s why I completely stopped watching news in the past following months, as I was really fed up with all the bad things happening around the world, and I simply couldn’t take it anymore.
So how do we stop?
The key is to develop awareness without judgment.
It’s not about shaming yourself for checking the news or blaming the apps for their design (though let’s be honest, they didn’t make those infinite scrolls by accident).
It’s about reclaiming your time and mental space through small, intentional changes.
One of the simplest and most effective tools is limiting your exposure.
Limit Your Exposure
Most phones now come equipped with digital wellbeing tools that allow you to set daily time limits for certain apps.
It might feel silly to put a timer on Instagram or your news feed, but you’d be surprised how quickly those soft boundaries help you become more conscious of your behavior.
When the pop-up appears letting you know your time is up, it’s like a gentle tap on the shoulder from your better self.
Changing the way you consume information is another important shift.
For example, try turning off app notifications.
Notifications were for me personally the worst.
It’s like someone yelling your name every few minutes while you’re trying to think.
The less you’re pulled into your phone by those external triggers, the more control you regain over when and how you engage.
You can also change the actual content of your screen.
Turning your phone to grayscale might sound like a gimmick, but for some people – it works.
The Key is in You
Still, the real magic happens when you add in practices that pull you into the present moment.
Mindfulness isn’t just meditation and yoga (though those help, too).
It can be as simple as noticing how you feel before you reach for your phone.
Are you bored? Lonely? Or maybe anxious?
Becoming aware of the motivation behind the scroll gives you the power to pause and choose something else.
Maybe a walk, a call to a friend, or even five deep breaths.
And then there’s the physical aspect.
Moving your body, stretching a bit, dancing, jogging, even just stepping outside for five minutes, can do wonders!
It interrupts the loop, resets your nervous system, and reminds your brain that the world exists beyond the glowing screen in your hand.
If you’re someone who thrives on structure, you might even benefit from more creative tools like a phone lockbox or organized detox hours.
Think of these as kind of a boundaries.
You don’t have to quit the internet or pretend the world isn’t full of things worth worrying about.
But you do deserve to experience life without being constantly submerged in the worst of it.
It’s okay to be informed.
It’s even okay to be concerned.
But it’s not sustainable to be overwhelmed all the time.
Doomscrolling feels like a way to take control, but in reality, it’s a subtle surrender.
You don’t need to know everything the second it happens.
You don’t need to carry the weight of the world in your pocket.
What you do need is space to breathe, think, and just be offline and at peace.