Doomscrolling – how to manage it?

Doom-scrolling can lead to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, helplessness and depression. It can also negatively affect sleep, mood and general well-being.

This phenomenon is increasingly common in an era of widespread availability of information and constant exposure to media content. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the negative effects of doom-scrolling and try to minimize its impact on daily functioning.

Why can’t I stop staring?

Your alarm clock on your phone goes off at 7 am. You check news sites and Facebook. Bad news chases bad news. The number of coronavirus cases is increasing, as are the number of deaths. A yellow zone here, a red zone there. We are one step away from another lockdown. People are losing their jobs.

Before you know it, it’s 8:30 a.m., and you still haven’t had time to hop in the shower. You get out of bed in a very average mood, but even before lunch you will again throw yourself into consuming sad news, posts and stories.

Being immersed in bad news that is hard to get away from already has a name: doom-scrolling. Sitting at home has caused the time spent in front of a smartphone screen (according to various sources) to jump up to 50% .

This is quite a common phenomenon. But according to experts, feeding ourselves bad news combined with smartphone screen addiction can have a very negative impact on our mental and physical well-being. This activity can cause anger, anxiety, depression, unproductivity and deterioration of ties with loved ones and oneself.

There is a way out!

But don’t worry. There are ways to deal with doom-scrolling. You can put in place habits and a framework for action that will increase your resistance to the temptation to dive into the ocean of negative information.

Step 1: Make an organizing plan

Spending time on social media, like any other activity, can be planned.

It is important that your plan is realistic ( after all, when you start working out at the gym, you do not assume daily activity, but, for example, two days a week).

To begin with, start by establishing a time off from viewing news, such as right after you wake up. Make your morning in bed a zone free of outside information. Replace the reflex of reaching for your phone with 10 minutes of stretching, or set aside extra time to make a delicious breakfast.

Put time limits on social media browsing. Set a timer for 15 minutes and put your phone away after the set time.

Rumors are circulating that the great architects of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter’s success have their homes programmed to turn off wifi at a specific time to make it easier to spend time off the grid.

A gradual but consistent change of habits will be your best friend in the fight against the tempting phone.

Step 2: Flip the social media icons from the main screen

It seems like a trivial matter, but it can realistically help. Often we reflexively reach for the phone, unlock it and “luckily” social media icons are waiting for our click. Shifting them to a folder, they will no longer be within reach, or rather, a finger’s reach. By which, they will tempt us less.

Step 3: Eat meals without your phone

During the meal, focus your attention on the people who accompany you. Ask what made them feel better recently or what their favorite dinosaur was as a child. And if you live alone and don’t like to eat meals in silence, turn on your favorite sitcom (whoever didn’t dine to Friends in college, let him be the first to throw a stone 😉 ).

Step 5: Put your phone away after work

What the eyes don’t see, the heart…This old adage also works in the context of phone use – when we can’t see it, we’re not tempted to reach for it. Christopher Mims writes a weekly column on technology for The Wall Street Journal – a job that certainly requires consistent use of technology. His tried-and-true way to maintain a healthy balance in life with a cell phone is to place it in the kitchen cabinet at the end of the work day. He reveals: “the more you physically remove your phone, the more you can develop the habit of ignoring it when you have it with you.”

Step 6: Talk to a close friend.

You already have the phone in your hand. You can continue to scroll through the chilling news or…. call your mom, brother or initiate a video calla with a friend from work.

You can also tell your loved ones that you are trying to limit your time on social media and are looking for support.

They may want to join your challenge