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With the rise of social media, it can be difficult to avoid the toxic habit of doomscrolling. I get it, it’s a great way to unwind, be influenced, and get addicted to new trends. I’m guilty of this myself, and I recently realized I needed a social media detox to find new hobbies to fill my time.
I realized that wasting hours online was not healthy, and I always felt mentally drained afterwards. The biggest challenge is finding flexible activities that fit my work and college schedule. So, how do you find new habits and change your lifestyle? Here are a few tips and advice I made for myself and for others who wish to do the same.
- Stick To a Routine
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Everyone has their own schedules with college, work, and other activities. I have all of these in my routine, and I decided to create a daily plan. Waking up at a consistent time and going to the gym is a great habit for feeling more motivated to start the day, and it also helps you function throughout the day. Coming home from work can feel exhausting at times, but sticking to a schedule and going to bed around the same time every night can really help you find motivation and discipline. The key is to begin and continue with this plan until it becomes a natural habit.
- Find Things You Love Doing
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One of my favorite things to do is reading and journaling. Recently, I’ve been in a reading slump with a lot of unread books on my shelf, but I’m setting a goal to read at least one book a month. In my case, reading helps me escape from reality, and it’s one of my favorite activities.
Journaling is a great mental detox as well. Writing down your thoughts and rants can help reduce stress and allow you to process moments more clearly. Once you have those words written down on the page, it’s freeing. I follow several creators who give advice and prompts to start journaling. Below is a video to help you get started.
@gabrielleaihara via TikTok - Discover New Films and Genres
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I’ve always loved watching movies, but I found that I was watching the same genres and hadn’t discovered the beauty of international films. In honor of the Oscars season, I decided to watch Weapons (2025), and I’m so glad I did. That film was probably one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. From there, I decided to research more horror and thriller films and binged so many movies. Additionally, I wanted to watch an international film with subtitles and stumbled upon such beautiful films with powerful themes and storytelling. This activity helped me immerse myself in new stories without being distracted and improved my social detox.
@cinema.joe via TikTok - Educate Yourself On New Topics
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I love to learn new facts, history, and just gain knowledge in general. Reading or watching films on different topics can really open new doors to discoveries and history around the world. I plan on traveling soon, and if you plan to travel too, learning key phrases and languages can help you on your journey and connect with people while on your trip. Starting this can be really fulfilling and motivate you to keep being productive and learning.
Although it can be challenging to stop doomscrolling, I hope these tips can help in some way; they have definitely guided me to be present and enjoy life. Overall, it’s important to take care of yourself and find a system that works for you. These tips genuinely helped me get my life in order, and I hope they assist you in stopping the doom scroll.