How To Stop Your Doomscrolling Habit

Are you finding that your phone seems to be attached to your hand? Is your screen time astronomically high? Do you close out TikTok or Instagram just to reopen it five minutes later? If you said yes to one or more of those questions, you may have a doomscrolling habit that is becoming a problem. Read on to see how to fix it.

What Is Doomscrolling?

According to Merriam Webster, doomscrolling is defined as the act of spending “excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc..” We know from research that consuming social media can definitely create those emotions for users. 

Doomscrolling usually occurs when the user is trying to pass the time, get their mind off something, or even just out of boredom. Sometimes it’s hard to even notice doomscrolling because it’s such a mindless activity. Doomscrolling can affect much more than mental health, more on that in the next section.

Why Is Doomscrolling Unhealthy?

It’s easy to see how doomscrolling can affect mental health issues. From comparison, to feeling left out, social media can be a not so fun place to spend time. That doesn’t stop us from opening the apps though does it? 

Your physical health can also be affected by too much social media as well. Things like carpal tunnel, vision problems, low quality sleep, and more are common experiences for people that stay on their phone an abnormal amount of time. 

With all of that plus the mental health issues as well, it’s a wonder why we are on our phones that much. If you are ready to start feeling better and having healthier phone habits, you’ll want to follow the steps that I am about to share.

How To Stop Your Doomscrolling Habit

Okay, enough procrastinating, it’s time to kick that doomscrolling habit to the curb. Here is how you are going to pull your time from the phone prison.

1) Detox

This first step may seem a little extreme, but I promise that it’s worth it. To begin you are going to pick a period of time to stay away from social media. I recommend choosing any time frame more than one day, and a time where you won’t be overly tempted to check social media, we all love connecting with others during things like live events. 

I’d say a two-day period would be a great way to break up the doomscrolling habit, if you think you may need more time a week would be good too. In my opinion, the best way to stay away from the temptation of opening the apps is to delete them from your phone. If that feels too extreme for you, there are also apps that can block any social media apps on your phone as well. 

2) Set Boundaries around Your Phone Habits and Doomscrolling

While you are doing your social media detox it’s important to start thinking of boundaries you can put into play when your detox is over. This is key to creating a healthier relationship with your phone and social media. Here are some boundaries that you could set:

• No touching your phone the first and last hour of the day
• Setting a time limit for social media time
• Putting your phone in another room when needing to get work done
• Set a usage limit for the day/week
• No social media during meals and/or family time

3) Find Hobbies You Enjoy

You’ll be surprised how much free time you have when you eliminate/reduce your social media usage. If you aren’t sure what to do with the new free time, why not try some new hobbies? You could even revisit some old hobbies you used to enjoy.

If you aren’t sure what hobbies you should try, we have some suggestions for you. When you fill your time with what you actually enjoy you may start to notice you don’t even miss your phone. 

4) Reflect On How Much You Have Gained From Limiting Screen Time

As you are ending your detox it’s a good idea to do some reflecting. Think about what you were able to accomplish/do during the time away from social media.

Note how you felt throughout the day(s) and pinpoint how you made it past any struggles or urges to check your phone. This time of reflection will help you see how important getting rid of your doomscrolling habit can be, and give you an action plan anytime you notice yourself slipping again.

5) Repeat As Necessary

I just alluded to the fact that slip ups can happen. It’s honestly not a matter of if, but more of a matter of when. When you notice yourself start slipping back into the doomscrolling habit, refer back to this process.

Repeat it as often as you need to, and you could even invite your friends to join along. Doing a social media detox with others is a great way to have some accountability. 

Final Thoughts on Doomscrolling Habit Transformed to Life Living Habit

Now that you know what you need to do to stop your doomscrolling habit, it’s time to take some action. You may not get it perfect the first time, but keep at it.

The important thing is that you continue working on having a healthy relationship with your phone. Let me know how long you plan on doing your social media detox in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on!

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