How to Stop Doomscrolling

Scroll Stoppers: We may not actually like doomscrolling and we know it’s not good for us, but that doesn’t stop us from doing it. Doomscrolling became a big thing during the pandemic in 2020, but the habit hasn’t died down for many of us. After all, there’s still a lot of anxiety-inducing news. Consuming content in an attempt to be more knowledgeable or hopeful makes sense, but — not surprisingly — constant exposure to upsetting news isn’t good for our mental health. Thankfully, there are ways to stay informed without sapping our emotional wellbeing. 

The Benefits: Doomscrolling tends to make us feel worse, not better, so trying to kick the habit is a good idea. Doomscrolling can increase anxiety, anger, depression, disconnection, and hopelessness. It can also raise cortisol levels or disrupt sleep if we’re on our phones before bed.

How to Do It: Set a scroll schedule with time limits and phone-free periods, like at meals and bedtime. Rather than checking social media as a break, take a break from it and do something enjoyable offline. Move your phone out of reach sometimes to avert mindless boredom scrolls. Curate your feed with more feel-good content so you see more than incessant doom-and-gloom.