Amidst the fired-up news cycle and a global pandemic, it seems like stumbling upon unpleasant news is inevitable. Can you count the number of times you picked up your phone today to check social media? Probably more times than you could realise. This act of aggressive scrolling through social media and other websites to consume bad news is called doomscrolling. Doomscrolling isn’t entirely a new term but has gained popularity recently, thanks to COVID-19.
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While doomscrolling, you allow your mind to actively search for the latest news online, even if it makes you sad, depressed or anxious. You may tell yourself that you are keeping up to date with the latest events but, there is something deeper at work here. By allowing it to happen regularly, we unknowingly make it our habit.
Needless to say, so much negative news can severely affect your mental health. It reinforces negative thoughts and mindset, which in turn can flip your life before you know it. So how do we stop doomscrolling? Here’s how!
Set time limits
Limit your exposure to social media and maintain your distance. By doing this, we limit our exposure to a significant amount of bad news and thus avoiding the risk of anxiety or depression.
Turn off notifications
While it’s nice to receive an update for every new event, turning off your alerts can be a blessing if you doomscroll. We are often triggered to pick up our phones and scroll when we see or hear a notification pop up.
Be mindful
Every time you read an article online, make sure to observe changes in your behaviour or body language. When you consciously pay attention to negative feelings like anxiety or stress, it’s more likely that you’ll put down the phone.
Avoid morning and night time scrolling
The first thing you read after waking up sets the tone for the rest of the day and, the last thing you read impacts your sleep and can keep your brain alert. Irrespective of the situation, avoid using technology for at least half an hour after and before you sleep. This would help your mind and body to awaken naturally, sleep well and increase productivity.
Get a hobby
Once you limit your screen time, you would have a lot of free time. Use this free time to engage in a hobby, go for a walk or work out. This would help you freshen up your mind and distract it from any negative news you stumble across on the internet.
