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JD's Midlife Tools For Living Practices, LLC
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If you binge on news or social media in search of the scoop about the latest political pronouncement, tragedy, crisis, or disaster you just might be a doomscroller.
Doomscrolling typically starts because we want to know about a situation to understand what’s happening and maybe prepare our self for it. But gradually a doomscroller becomes absorbed in the news content. Their thoughts become preoccupied with the news. Then in an attempt to reduce the anxiety that builds up, they end up consuming even more news! It’s a vicious cycle.
Research shows the more a person doomscrolls the more physical and mental health problems they report experiencing. A 2023 study reported that doomscrolling led to worse mental health and a decrease in overall satisfaction with life. It also interfered with daily living.
People who reported a higher level of problematic news consumption had a much higher level of mental and physical health problems than those who did not report experiencing the behavior.
Some of the physical effects of doomscrolling include nausea, headaches, muscle tension, neck and shoulder pain, low appetite, difficulty sleeping, and elevated blood pressure.
Doomscrolling can even give us what’s called “popcorn brain”. When we spend too much time on line we can actually feel our brain popping due to overstimulation. This phenomenon can make it harder for us to engage with the real world that moves at a much slower pace.
There is an old saying ‘if it bleeds, it leads’. And the media is all about drawing an audience, a numbers game, ratings, selling ads. Sensational headlines and stories draw us in.
Social media platforms learn from our behavior. So, when we consume negative content, they deliver more and more of it, creating an endless loop.
Doomscrolling reinforces negative thoughts and feelings. It can worsen any pre-existing depression or anxiety we might have. It can make us irritable, fatigued, and less productive too.
You feel ok when you first grab your phone but after a few minutes do you notice feeling:
– more anxious?
– angry?
– disheartened?
– disgusted?
– helpless?
Do you put off going to sleep so you can doomscroll, stay up later than your bedtime and lose sleep? And then perhaps be a tad grumpy or impatient the next day?
Have you noticed that you spend more time with your phone than with other people?
Are you moving and exercising much less than you used to? And sitting way more than is heathy to do?
Perhaps it’s time to do a little something different if you see yourself in what you’ve read so far!
The key is to decrease your dependence on social media and the news. It’s important to establish some ‘digital boundaries’ to help your body and brain get itself back to functioning normal.
At night, keep your phone off your nightstand. It can be in the bedroom just out of your easy reach.
Do something similar with your phone at work. Put your phone in a desk drawer or put it 10 feet away from you while you are working.
Put your focus on community news as it tends to be less doom and gloom focused.
Say no. Be in control. Let people who are sharing depressing or violent stories know that you’re not interested.
Focus on good. Perhaps volunteer at a charity or take part in emotionally freeing activities, walks in nature with others or take a dance class.
Do check out this blog post: Anxiety Therapy Tips For Taking in Bad News
for some additional tips.
Reach out for help if you can’t stop or limit your doomscrolling or if you are extremely upset or anxious. Sometimes we need a little extra professional help to make the changes we need to make in our lives.
Remember: if nothing changes, nothing changes!
Contact Me today if you would like to begin Anxiety Therapy!
JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tools!
