How are you? If you’re anything like my friends and me, you’re probably extremely overwhelmed by the constant influx of information and news at the moment. You probably want a break, but feel a societal (and human) obligation to stay engaged with current affairs and today’s news stories.
Unfortunately, for a lot of us, this very real desire to be an active participant in society is easily exploited by big news companies, social media, and even politicians themselves. Things like fear-mongering and rage-bait have taken up permanent residence on our social pages, and the constant emotional turmoil it puts us through can be exhausting—especially during a time such as now with so much political and social uncertainty.
So, how can we juggle staying updated on important issues that we care about while also prioritizing self-care and compassion? My best advice: cut out the doom scrolling. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, doomscrolling is defined as “to spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc,”. This can be anything from seeing headline after headline about a new catastrophe happening overseas, to diving into the rabbit hole of a celebrity/politicians’ old Tweets.
While it’s important to stay involved in things we care about, these things are usually designed to make us feel emotional, angry, sad, or scared. When we feel these emotions constantly, it takes a toll on us—how can we concentrate on our daily tasks and feel fulfilled when we are constantly inundated with information presented in a way that’s designed to make us feel awful?
Clearly, doomscrolling isn’t doing anyone any good. While I recommend investing in a major news source such as The New York Times (CU students, you can activate a free subscription!), I also believe that spending every down second absorbing politically charged headlines is detrimental to our physical and mental health. So, here are my seven suggestions for what to do instead of doomscrolling.
On the bus
- Color by number app
Lately, I’ve realized that I do a lot of perusing on social media while on the bus. I’ve found that most of the time, I’m not opening Instagram or TikTok because I’m actually interested in it, I just want something to look down at and make myself busy doing during the awkward, cramped ride to class every day. I’ve found that putting on my headphones and tapping away at a color by number app is a great way to disengage from the world around me. It’s also easy to put down, and makes listening to music (or even eavesdropping–don’t lie, you do it too) an enjoyable background experience. Also, after a while, you have a beautiful new piece of art to brag about if you so choose.
- Listen to audiobooks
Earlier this year, I took a YA literature class that I absolutely LOVED, but I often found that I didn’t have time to complete all of the readings. My solution was to listen to audiobooks. It’s crazy how much “reading” you can get done during your commute to and from school every day. Plus, when I found a book I enjoyed, it became something to look forward to at the beginning and end of every day. If you’re looking for a place to start, I really enjoyed listening to the Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn on the bus (as well as reading it– they’re just amazing books!) and there are plenty of well-produced audiobooks on Spotify of well-known classics like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice.
On your days off
- Baking
It’s always those lazy days that make me want to lay in bed on Tiktok and scroll, scroll, scroll. But it seems like for every cute cat video, every funny skit, and every cheesy clip from some TV show I’ll never watch, there’s a video meant to elicit one of those negative responses about the state of our society. And while so many aspects of TikTok and Instagram are amazing, uplifting, and joyful, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of negativity that just continues every time you try to scroll away. One thing I do love about social media, though, is the vast number of creative and yummy recipes out there to find and try. I’ve never been much of a chef, but I’ve found lately that making something with your hands, smelling it in the oven, and sharing it with people once it’s done is an amazingly gratifying experience that takes up a lot of the time I would otherwise spend just rotting away in bed. Plus, your roommates will love you for it.
- Find a “nothing” show
I know perfectly well that watching TV or movies can send us into dark spirals too, if we let it. So many (extremely well made and important) shows comment on things happening in our society, and invite us to think deeper about what we want and don’t want in the world. While I will always love shows like House of the Dragon and Criminal Minds… they’re not exactly mood boosters. For that reason, I always like to have what I call a “nothing” show. Which doesn’t mean a show about “nothing”, it just means that I know any stress or anxiety that may arise from watching the show is superficial, and not rooted in any major political commentary that will send me into a panic attack if I think too hard about it. I usually pick comedies for my “nothing” show, as I know most people do. Personally, I love Abbott Elementary (although there are only a couple of seasons) and Brooklyn 99. I’m also not a huge fan of most adult animation, but I adore Bob’s Burgers and the wholesome family dynamic they continue to uphold throughout its many, many seasons.
Before bed
- Take a self-care night
Doomscrolling before bed is a fate that has befallen all of us, at some point or another. After a long day, laying in bed and mindlessly scrolling is an easy habit to fall into. However, this might be the worst time to do it, as we are then pummeled with the negative events of the day right before trying to relax and get a good, healthy night’s sleep. So, how do we resist temptation? By creating a better temptation, of course. I’ve long had the ideal that when I feel especially sad or insecure, it means I need to do something to take care of myself. This can be something big or small, from making a cup of tea, to doing a facemask, to bringing out all of my expensive soap and candles and having a nice, long shower. Why not employ this same method when we feel the urge to unwind online? Next time you find yourself starting to slip down a doom scrolling rabbit hole, get up and do something that will make you feel good before climbing in bed for the night.
- Read!
Whether you’re a bookworm or someone who hasn’t picked up a book since ninth grade, reading before bed is a tried and true method of distraction that calms the mind and gives our brain a fun exercise before bed. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy—I’m not expecting you to pick up a copy of Les Mis for your bedside table—but reading is scientifically proven to improve health, including encouraging restful sleep and lowering stress levels, two things that screen time can severely harm. Reading a chapter or two, or even just 10 pages, before bed instead of getting on social media is a great way to bring us back to reality and ground us before we settle in for the night.
Overall, we are living in a time where everyone is pretty much chronically stressed. There are clearly many (very valid) reasons for this, but the more we can cut out things that are designed to worsen our emotional state, the better we can feel, and the more productive towards real change we can be. So, take some time to take a break from the madness. Your brain and body will thank you for it.