How to Stop Doomscrolling - For Real
We’re living in an uncertain time right now. Jobs are being lost. The global economy is taking so many ups and downs it’s like someone built a roller coaster and forgot to install the fun. You may be catching yourself looking at your phone or computer more often than you’d like to stay up to date on what’s going on.
Of course, at the time I’m writing this I’m referring to all of the stuff going on in early 2025. But this could just have easily have been written during the COVID-19 pandemic, the last few elections, or whatever events will come in the future.
It starts with just a little peek at your feed on Bluesky, Twitter/X, or Instagram or checking a video or two on YouTube or TikTok. Before you know, it you’ve spent almost half an hour reading articles, watching videos from news commentators, or even getting tangled up in the comments sections. You close the the app and curse yourself for getting caught up in it… again.
What is doomscrolling, really? Why do we do it? And, perhaps most importantly, what can you actually do about it?
I’m going to offer a few insights and perspectives based on my work as a therapist working in Arkansas and offer ideas that go beyond what you’ve probably already found in your searches about how to quit doomscrolling.
What is Doomscrolling?
In short, doomscrolling is the act of spending excessive amounts of time taking in news, information, and commentaries about stressful events. This can happen in a variety of ways including:
Continuously scrolling through feeds on social media apps or sites like Facebook, Twitter/X, and Bluesky that show you posts from news sources, commentators, political figures, celebrities, and more.
Reading thread after thread with people discussing distressing events and offering their ideas and opinions on sites like Reddit.
Watching multiple videos in a row from news outlets, politicians, or even your favorite YouTube or TikTok influencers discussing events and providing their own commentary on it.
Doomscrolling has a number of documented effects, such as increasing depression and anxiety, elevated stress hormones, and sleep issues since many people do it before or while in bed. Believe it or not, it stimulates the release of dopamine - sometimes called “the feel-good chemical” - in the brain much like other forms of social media addiction. This can make it harder to break the habit.
The standard definitions of doomscrolling usually describe it as actively seeking out negative or distressing material, but I’ve noticed a different twist on this with some folks. This difference comes when the material is about something distressing but is delivered in the form of humor or satire. You find this kind of content in the monologues of late-night show hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel or on news entertainment shows like The Daily Show. You might also follow folks on YouTube or TikTok who offer unique perspectives and a few laughs while talking about distressing events in the news.
The problem comes when you realize that you’re still focusing on distressing information, even when the humor helps you laugh at it.
And while humor can be useful in coping with stress, it can still contribute to feelings of overwhelm and hopelessness when it exposes you to the same troubling clips, soundbites, and news over and over.
It can be useful to keep up with news and important events.
The problem comes when you’re doing it so much that it negatively affects your mental health and takes you away from other parts of your life.
Why Do We Doomscroll?
People doomscroll for different reasons and there’s a whole psychology behind it. But I want to focus on a couple of specific ones here. So let’s lay it out in everyday terms.
First, our brains still have these primitive parts and patterns that are focused on our survival that don’t realize we live in an age of cell phones and social media instead of out in the wild where we have to look out for lions and tigers and bears - oh my!
Anxiety, for all of the problems it causes us, is a survival tool the brain developed over thousands of years. It’s just our brains don’t realize that a lot of things that cause us anxiety these days are no longer actual threats to our safety. It’s why someone might react to a math test the same way they’d react to coming across a bear in the woods. Just like how our ancestors would scan the horizon looking for signs of predators - doomscrolling is a modern version of us keeping on the lookout for danger.
There is another factor that I call “The Hopeamine Fix.”
Doomscrolling for “The Hopeamine Fix” is the act of going through post after post, video after video in the attempt to find one small spark of something that will give you a shred of hope in what feels like a hopeless situation.
It could be the insights of a commentator that help you feel like you understand what’s going on just a little better. It might be a headline that gives you a different perspective on troubling events. Or maybe you’re scrolling in the hopes of the big jackpot - news that things are clearly about to change for the better!
It’s like playing a good-news slot machine, scrolling for a lot longer than you’d like to in search of that big payout of hopefulness. Naturally, this can contribute to the release of dopamine in the brain, which makes doomscrolling rewarding in its own weird way and harder to stop. But your mind might also searching for something to offer a feeling of optimism and control with all of the uncertainty.
How To Stop Doomscrolling - The Conventional Answers.
Search for information on quitting doomscrolling and you’ll probably find a lot of the same thing. Most of it is good information, but a lot of it also misses something crucial when trying to actually change a behavior like doomscrolling. The helpful but conventional wisdom includes things like:
Set a time limit.
Use mindfulness.
Do a digital detox.
Turn off notifications.
Delete the apps from your phone.
Recite mantras.
Ground and center with yoga, stretching, or other movement.
All of these are great if you find them helpful and can do them consistently, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental health challenges.
Giving yourself a specific window of time or a specific time of day to indulge in doomscrolling can be useful. This way you get to satisfy that part of your brain that feels like it needs to scan for signs of danger and the part that’s hoping for a bit of good news - that Hopeamine Fix. And mindfulness is a great way to tune into what your mind and body are telling you without judging yourself for how you feel. It’s one of the key ideas I use in my work with clients.
But some of these may not work for everyone. Turning off notifications may not be helpful if already keep them turned off and the issue is when you actually open up the app or website and get hooked. Deleting apps can be handy, unless you just reinstall them when you want that doomscroll fix.
Mantras like, “Everything will be okay” can be effective, but they can also feel very unnatural to some folks - like a kind of denial. Digital detoxes might be difficult if your work involves constant use of technology. Physical movement like yoga and stretching are great, but must be used with intention and may feel more like a distraction than something that will actually lead to change.
The problem is that most of these focus on just stopping the behavior without giving you an alternative.
Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, and behaviors are no different. If you struggle to remove a behavior like doomscrolling, drinking, or excessive gaming without an alternative, you’re setting yourself up to just start doing it again when the desire hits the next time.
So what’s the missing piece of the puzzle?
Breaking the doomscrolling habit can be tough.
Knowing ahead of time what you’ll do instead can make all the difference between struggle and success!
Stopping Doomscrolling - A Different Approach.
While most of the conventional advice for doomscrolling can be helpful, a lot of it misses one key element about stopping any behavior, whether it’s breaking a habit or overcoming an addiction.
That is, what are you going to do instead?
This comes from some of the addiction recovery models I’ve learned over time. If you’re going to stop any behavior, it helps to come up with a replacement for that behavior that is helpful and life-enhancing rather than unhelpful and life-eroding. Otherwise, it’s easy to get sucked right back into the old patterns. This is a simplified version of the approach I’ve used working with clients who want to make changes like managing their social media use, video game addiction, or changing how they react to anger.
Step 1 - Identify Your Why
The first step is to ask yourself what you’re hoping to get out of doomscrolling. Everything our brains tell us to do is for a reason - something the brain thinks will be helpful. The problem is brains are actually not very smart and can suggest we do something that seems helpful when it’s really not, such as using alcohol or drugs to cope with stress, anxiety, and sadness. In this case, the behavior is scrolling through social media in search of a sense of relief and control.
This might involve a little digging and noticing what shows up when you catch yourself doing it. In those moments, ask yourself questions like:
What am I after in this moment? Is it information? Is it perspective? Is it hope? Am I just wanting to zone out for a while?
How is this making me feel right now? What are my thoughts? My emotions? Do I notice these feelings anywhere in my body?
Is this actually giving me what I want or is it just making things worse?
Once you have an idea of what your brain is hoping to accomplish, you can move on to the next part.
Step 2 - Identify Your What
That is to say, what are you going to do instead? It helps to figure this out ahead of time, because you’re not always at your best in that moment when you’re stressed out, tired, and now down on yourself for doomscrolling again! You identified your “why” in Step 1 so you can find an alternative that gives you something similar to what you’re wanting without the same temptations as doomscrolling. Here are a few ideas.
If You Want Information
Consider getting your information from one or two trusted news sites that you know will give you the information without added spin designed to farm your attention for emotional engagement. Rather than going to Bluesky, Twitter/X, or YouTube for information, it’s helpful to turn to sources you have to read like the Associated Press or NPR. Reading for information rather than watching videos lets you take it in at your own pace and without being manipulated into engagement that leads to doomscrolling by the social media algorithms.
If You Want Perspective
If you really value getting the insights of others, identify about 2 to 3 sources for perspective and commentary that you know give you a balanced take on things or, if you want a dash of humor, provide it in a way you enjoy. It’s easy to get wrapped up in watching video after video with different people providing their own comments on the same clips you’ve already seen 10 times in other videos. This way, when you finish with those 2 or 3 sources for the day you’re done.
If You Want Hope
This one can be hard when right in the middle of stressful events, and may not always come from news and commentaries. Reaching out to friends, family, or a supportive community - whether in person or online - can help you feel a little more hopeful. Getting outdoors and connecting with nature, playing with pets, and being part of other things in your life that are good can also help boost your mood and create a more resilient outlook.
If You Want Relief
Finally, doomscrolling can sometimes be a way to feel like you’re doing something “productive” when really you’re just checked out. The problem with doomscrolling is that it’s generally not a helpful distraction and often leaves you feeling even worse than you did when you started. It can pull you away from life rather than toward things that help boost perspective and positivity. Taking a break and even spacing out for a bit with a mindless form of relaxation can be helpful.
If you notice you’re often doomscrolling when you want a mental break from things, brainstorm alternatives that you know you’ll find helpful, restorative, or uplifting. This is where the conventional suggestions like doing yoga, stretching, or other forms of movement can be helpful. It might involve getting out and taking a walk or a little bit of gardening. Even 20 minutes of idle weed-pulling and pruning can give your brain a rest and helps you feel like that time even did something to help improve your surroundings.
Other activities can include reading a book, playing a casual game on your phone (as long as stopping isn’t a struggle for you!), using apps that support your wellbeing rather than hurt it, doodling in a notebook, or listening to an enjoyable podcast.
Finally, even doing nothing but spacing out and looking around you can be immensely helpful. It may feel like you’re “doing nothing,” but you’re actually doing something by giving your mind and body a break.
What To Do If You Just Can’t Quit Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling can be a hard habit to break, especially when your brain is telling you it’s important to keep up to date and stay informed without recognizing there’s a balance between just enough and too much. It can be even harder when you already struggle with too much use of digital entertainment and social media. A therapist who you feel good about working with can help you break old habits that affect your mental and physical health and replace them with new ones for managing stress and anxiety.
Sites like Psychology Today can help point you toward therapists who might be a good fit for you. The Open Path Collective is another resource for cost-effective counseling if you’re working on a budget or don’t have insurance.
If you’re looking for mental health counseling in Arkansas, MoonPath Counseling, LLC offers online counseling to support you no matter where you are in the state. I’d love to work with you and support you in your struggles during this challenging time.
Click the button below to go to my contact page where you can go ahead and schedule a free, 20-minute consultation to see if we’d be a good fit with no strings attached. Or use the information on that page to contact me by email, text, or phone to talk more.