How to Be Okay with All This Going On: Stop Doomscrolling

I am so incredibly guilty of this. Doomscrolling. The mindless habit of moving through anxiety-inducing newsfeeds on your phone—just absorbing content you hate. With every upward swipe of your thumb, it’s like you’re trying to out-outrage yourself.

I waste inordinate amounts of time reading and watching things that infuriate me. It started as a guilty pleasure (I mean, who doesn’t enjoy watching a lady in a pink wig spin religious conspiracy theories from crazy town). Yet, I know my anxiety spikes, and I lose sleep over how terrible the world is in my phone. Yet I cannot stop. It is by far my least attractive quality.

Fun fact, though: I’m not the only one. According to Psychology Today, lots of us do it. Apparently, it gives us a sense of control.

This article also offers solutions, and I particularly noticed the first two. Think about consuming media more mindfully. Log on with a specific purpose or one thing you need to know, then give yourself a time limit. Letting YouTube or CNN tell you what to read or watch next just keeps you in the loop. When it comes to news, get in and get out.

You can read the rest here. It’s worth your time—probably more than those conspiracy theory ranting videos.

~jennifer.