How to stop doomscrolling? Start by setting time limits, turning off notifications, and replacing endless scrolling with mindful habits like reading, walking, or connecting offline.
Doomscrolling, the habit of endlessly scrolling through bad news online, can quickly harm mental health and increase stress. Many people find themselves caught in this cycle without realizing how it affects their mood and focus. The best way to stop doomscrolling is to set clear boundaries for news consumption, become aware of emotional triggers, and replace endless scrolling with mindful habits or positive activities.
Breaking the habit means controlling when and how long someone checks their phone, noticing the feelings doomscrolling causes, and using tools like app timers or turning off notifications. Small changes like moving the phone away or limiting sources of news can reduce the urge to scroll. Learning to pause and recognize these moments helps break the automatic habit that keeps pulling people back into negative content.
For those struggling deeper, reaching out to a mental health professional can provide lasting support. Simple steps such as practicing gratitude, exercise, and engaging in offline hobbies can restore balance. More ideas on how to stop doomscrolling and improve well-being can be found at the Cleveland Clinic’s guide.
Key Takeways
- Setting time and place limits helps control doomscrolling habits.
- Recognizing emotional responses can reduce negative effects.
- Replacing scrolling with positive actions supports mental health.
How to Stop Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling involves repeatedly viewing negative news or content online. It often happens without conscious choice, making it hard to stop. Several factors fuel this behavior, including why people doomscroll and how social media platforms push certain types of content.
Definition and Origins
Doomscrolling is the act of continuously scrolling through bad news on social media or news websites. The term became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people felt trapped in lockdowns and overwhelmed by negative news.
It often starts as a way to stay informed but quickly turns into a loop of consuming distressing headlines. This habit can worsen feelings of anxiety, stress, and sadness.
The habit can be unconscious. People may not realize how much time they spend doomscrolling, as it becomes automatic and ingrained into daily routines.
Why Doomscrolling Happens
People doomscroll because negative news triggers strong emotions like fear and anxiety, which grab attention. When someone is anxious or stressed, they might seek confirming information, reinforcing bad feelings.
This behavior is linked to the brain’s reward system. The uncertainty and updates produce dopamine, a chemical that motivates repeated checking. This makes breaking the cycle difficult.
Doomscrolling can also be a way to feel prepared by knowing everything happening around the world. Yet, too much exposure often harms mental health instead of helping.
Role of Social Media Algorithms
Social media algorithms are designed to keep users engaged by showing content that causes strong reactions. Negative news tends to get more clicks, shares, and comments, so algorithms push it more often.
This means users see a constant stream of bad news, which feeds doomscrolling habits. Platforms encourage endless scrolling without clear stopping points.
Algorithms prioritize sensational or emotionally charged headlines, making it harder for users to find balanced or positive content.
Understanding the impact of these algorithms is key to managing doomscrolling and limiting exposure to harmful content.
Learn more about how social media affects mental health at the Cleveland Clinic’s article on doomscrolling.
The Psychological Impact of Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling affects the mind in several specific ways. It can worsen mental health by increasing feelings of anxiety and depression. It also disrupts normal thinking patterns, making it harder to manage stress and emotions. Understanding these effects helps in recognizing the danger and starting to change the habit.
Mental Health Consequences
Doomscrolling often deepens depression and burnout. Constant exposure to negative news reinforces feelings of hopelessness and sadness. It can pull someone into a cycle where they keep seeking bad news to confirm their negative emotions, which makes recovery harder.
This habit can also lead to burnout by exhausting mental energy. The brain’s stress hormone, cortisol, rises with continued doomscrolling. High cortisol levels over time may cause inflammation and increase vulnerability to mental health disorders.
Research shows linking doomscrolling to mental health problems highlights the need to limit this behavior for wellbeing. More information on managing mental health can be found at the Mayo Clinic.
Effects on Anxiety and Stress
Doomscrolling often spikes anxiety by feeding constant uncertainty and fear. People prone to anxiety feel trapped by endless bad news, increasing panic attacks or sleeplessness. The habit disrupts normal stress responses, causing overload.
Stress from doomscrolling can cause physical symptoms like increased heart rate and tension headaches. Sleep interference is common because scrolling late or in bed makes the mind restless. Without breaks, the body remains in high alert, worsening stress-linked problems.
Slowing the scrolling pace and setting strict times to check news helps reduce anxiety. Learning to recognize when anxiety rises during scrolling is key to stopping the cycle.
Cognitive and Emotional Patterns
Doomscrolling encourages negative thinking, such as catastrophizing—imagining worst-case outcomes without evidence. This overthinking intensifies feelings of dread and makes it harder to focus on realistic situations.
The habit can make attention spans shorter, reducing the ability to concentrate in other activities. It also affects emotional regulation, increasing mood swings and a feeling of disconnect from the present moment.
Mindfulness practices and cognitive strategies like thought-stopping help break these patterns. Being aware of emotional and cognitive effects during scrolling supports better mental health. For more detailed guidance, see resources on anxiety and cognitive behavior at the Cleveland Clinic.
Triggers and Common Patterns
Doomscrolling often starts with habits linked to the news people consume and the way information is presented online. Certain triggers make it easier to get stuck in negative loops that increase anxiety and stress.
Negative News Consumption
Individuals who doomscroll tend to focus on negative news stories. Bad news about disasters, politics, or health crises draws attention because the brain is wired to notice threats. This focus can create a cycle where someone keeps searching for updates, hoping to find new information that might ease worry.
Spending long periods reading negative news can lead to feeling on edge, sad, or overwhelmed. It also reduces time spent on positive activities that support mental health. Setting limits on news consumption and actively seeking uplifting or balanced content can help break this cycle.
Misinformation and Sensationalism
The spread of misinformation and sensational headlines also fuels doomscrolling. Conflicting or exaggerated stories make it hard for people to know what to believe. This confusion can cause compulsive checking, as someone tries to verify facts or reduce uncertainty.
Sensationalism makes news seem more urgent or dangerous than it might be, which triggers emotional reactions like fear or anger. Learning to recognize these patterns and using trusted news sources can reduce the impact. Tools for media literacy and fact-checking, such as those recommended by the Poynter Institute, support healthier news habits.
Strategies to Stop Doomscrolling
Stopping doomscrolling requires a clear plan to manage time, focus, and content. People can regain control by setting limits on their device use, being mindful about how they interact with social media, and choosing the right content to consume.
Setting Healthy Boundaries Online
Setting boundaries helps limit the time spent on social media and reduces exposure to negative news. One effective method is to schedule specific times for checking the news or social apps, such as 15–20 minutes in the morning and evening. Using built-in phone features or apps can enforce these limits by sending reminders or locking access after a set time.
Moving the phone away during certain activities, like meals or right after waking up, breaks the automatic habit of scrolling. Physical distance from devices makes it easier to resist impulsive checking.
People should also turn off unnecessary notifications to avoid constant distractions. These simple changes create a structure that helps reduce the urge to endlessly scroll through negative content. Using apps to set screen time limits can support this process (Mayo Clinic guide on doomscrolling).
Intentional Social Media Use
Intentional use means being aware and purposeful every time someone opens a social media app. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, users should pause and ask themselves why they are picking up their phone and what they want to achieve.
Practicing mindfulness while online can help individuals notice negative feelings and stop before they get overwhelmed. It is useful to slow down scrolling, paying close attention to how different posts make them feel.
They can also use thought-stopping techniques, like imagining a red stop sign when unwanted anxious thoughts arise. This helps break the cycle of doomscrolling by shifting focus away from negative content to self-care or positive activities.
Curating Digital Content
Curating content means limiting exposure to sources that cause anxiety or stress. Unfollowing or muting accounts known for negative, sensational, or conflicting news makes feeds less overwhelming.
Limiting the number of news sources or social accounts followed reduces confusion from conflicting information. Instead, people can follow pages or groups focused on positive news, local updates, or helpful tips.
Seeking out uplifting or inspiring stories balances the negative content often found on social media. Practicing gratitude by recognizing good things in life while browsing can improve mood and reduce the urge to scroll endlessly.
These content choices create a digital environment that supports mental health and breaks the doomscrolling habit.
Adopting Mindful Online Habits
Developing awareness about why someone reaches for their phone and how they scroll can help reduce harmful habits. Paying close attention to feelings and behaviors creates space to change how one interacts with online content.
Recognizing Emotional Triggers
Often, doomscrolling is driven by feelings like anxiety or stress. These emotions act as triggers, pushing a person to seek out negative news constantly. Understanding what sparks this urge is the first step in controlling it.
Signs that someone is triggered may include a racing heart, tension in the body, or a sense of dread. Awareness of these reactions helps create a pause before diving into more scrolling.
Practicing emotional check-ins means regularly asking: “How am I feeling right now?” If the answer points to stress or anxiety, it is a signal to stop and switch activities.
Mindful Scrolling Techniques
Mindful scrolling means being fully present and intentional when using a phone or computer. Instead of automatic, fast scrolling, it involves slowing down and noticing how each piece of news affects feelings.
One technique is to set specific times and limits for news browsing. Using phone features or apps to remind or block excess usage can be effective.
Another useful method is focused breathing before and during scrolling to calm the mind. This can reduce anxiety and prevent compulsive behavior.
Stopping to think before clicking on a new link also helps avoid information overload. For more tips on mindful online behavior, the American Psychological Association offers useful guidance on managing stress and technology use.
Seeking Professional and Community Support
Managing doomscrolling can sometimes require more than self-help. Knowing when to get professional advice and how to build a reliable support network plays a critical role in reducing compulsive social media use and improving mental health.
When to Consult a Mental Health Professional
If doomscrolling causes persistent anxiety, stress, or affects daily life, consulting a mental health professional is important. They can help identify underlying issues like anxiety or ADHD that may worsen compulsive scrolling.
Signs to seek help include feeling unable to control screen time, constant distress from content viewed, or negative impacts on work and relationships. Mental health experts use tools like cognitive-behavioral therapy to help change habits and manage emotions tied to doomscrolling.
Many professionals offer confidential support through services like Employee Assistance Programs. Early intervention can prevent more serious problems and improve overall wellbeing. For detailed guidance, the American Psychological Association provides useful resources on when to seek professional help.
Building Supportive Social Connections
Strong social connections can reduce the urge to doomscroll. Spending time with friends and family offers real-life engagement that distracts from excessive online use.
Encouraging honest conversations about social media habits helps individuals stay accountable. Joining groups or communities focused on mental health or hobbies creates a positive environment that replaces screen time with meaningful interaction.
Social support not only eases feelings of isolation but also provides encouragement to develop healthier routines. Simple actions like scheduling regular meetups or phone calls can make a big difference in breaking compulsive patterns.
Replacing Doomscrolling with Positive Activities
Breaking the habit of doomscrolling means filling that time with activities that improve well-being. These activities should be satisfying, reduce stress, and help protect mental health. Both offline hobbies and mindful digital use offer ways to regain control and feel more balanced.
Engaging in Offline Hobbies
Offline hobbies provide a hands-on, calming break from screens. Activities like knitting, coloring, or gardening keep the mind focused and help reduce burnout by offering a sense of control and achievement. These hobbies can lower anxiety and cortisol levels, the stress hormone.
Spending just 10 to 20 minutes a day on a simple craft can improve mood and provide mental rest. The repetitive actions involved often act as a form of meditation, helping people manage emotions better. Joining hobby groups, online or offline, also creates social connections, which supports mental health.
Creative hobbies encourage mindfulness—being present without distraction—which counters the negative effects of doomscrolling. For more ideas on mindful hobbies and how they work, visit the American Psychological Association’s guide on mindfulness and wellbeing.
Purposeful Digital Consumption
Shifting to purposeful digital use means choosing content that is positive or educational rather than negative. Setting clear time limits with apps or phone settings stops endless scrolling. This breaks the cycle of burnout caused by constant exposure to bad news and anxiety-inducing content.
Strategies include following trusted, uplifting accounts or using apps designed to reduce doomscrolling. For instance, some mindfulness apps act as digital coaches to remind users when to stop and switch activities.
Replacing passive scrolling with meaningful engagement—like watching a short, positive documentary or listening to calming music—helps maintain mental health. Taking screen-free breaks for self-care activities limits exposure to harmful content, allowing mental rest and recovery.
For practical steps to control digital habits, see the advice from the Calm blog on stopping doomscrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many methods help control how often someone uses social media, spot doomscrolling habits, and build a positive online space. Setting clear limits and goals can reduce the need to constantly check devices.
What strategies can I use to limit my social media usage?
He or she can set specific time frames for social media use, such as 20 minutes in the morning and evening. Moving the phone to another room or using physical alarms instead of phone alarms helps create distance. Unfollowing negative news sources also reduces exposure to bad news.
Are there any effective apps or tools to help manage screen time?
There are built-in phone settings like Screen Time on iOS and Digital Wellbeing on Android. Apps such as Moment or StayFocusd can block or limit access to certain apps. Features like Instagram’s “take a break” remind users to pause and reflect on their screen use.
What are the signs that I am engaging in doomscrolling?
Physical signs include tense shoulders, stiff neck, sore eyes, or racing heart. Mentally, one may feel anxious, sad, or stuck in a cycle of negative news. Mindlessness is common—scrolling without awareness or feeling unable to stop.
How can I create a healthy digital environment to avoid negative news cycles?
Limiting news consumption to specific times and sources helps control overwhelm. Curating feeds by unfollowing anxiety-triggering accounts reduces stress. Adding apps that inspire positivity or hobbies can replace doomscrolling with healthier activities.
Can setting specific goals help reduce the urge to constantly check social media?
Clear goals like “only check news twice a day” or “spend 30 minutes on phone total” encourage mindful use. Goals make it easier to spot when a person’s behavior drifts into unhealthy patterns and bring focus back to other interests.
What techniques can I adopt to promote a more positive online experience?
Practicing gratitude and seeking out good news balances the negative. Slowing down scrolling or taking deep breaths supports mental clarity. Taking breaks from screens and focusing on real-life connections improves mood and reduces anxiety.
More guidance on managing screen time can be found on Mayo Clinic’s mental health page.
Compare hundreds of Mental Health Software in our Software Marketplace
