Introduction
It’s 11:30 PM. You promised yourself an early night, but here you are, endlessly scrolling on your phone (I’ve been here many times). Your thumb moves with a mind of its own, swiping through a variety of “end of days” headlines: a worrying economic forecast, a political scandal, details of a distant conflict, a tragic local story.
Your shoulders are tense, your heart rate may even pick up. You feel a creeping sense of dread about the state of the world, yet you can’t look away. You’re compelled to see what horror the next swipe will reveal to you.
If this scene feels uncomfortably familiar, you’ve been caught in the trance of "doomscrolling." It’s the act of endlessly consuming online content (often negative), effectively destroying your mental well-being. But this isn't a simple bad habit or a lack of self-control. It’s a psychological thing created by the perfect storm of ancient brain wiring and modern technology, & understanding why we do it is the first step to breaking free.
Why We’re Wired for Bad News
Long before infinite feeds and push notifications, human survival depended on one critical skill: threat detection. Our ancestors weren’t rewarded for admiring a beautiful sunset if they failed to notice the predator right behind them. Their brains evolved to have a negativity bias, an instinctual scanner that pays far more attention to potential dangers than to positive or neutral information. Bad news was essential for survival!
Fast forward to today. That same threat-monitoring software is still running in our brains, but the landscape has changed. The "predator in the bushes" is now a 24/7 global news cycle delivered through a device in your pocket.
Algorithms on social media and news sites are designed for one thing: engagement. They learn what captures your attention and show you more of it, it’s all for money after all. Because your brain is programmed to focus on threats, you unintentionally train these algorithms to build a personalized pipeline of negative content. Every worried click and fearful pause tells the algorithm that you just want more. Again, engagement is everything!
This creates a powerful, self-fueling loop. In times of uncertainty, we seek information to feel a sense of control. We believe that if we just read one more article or see one more update, we’ll be better prepared for what’s to come. The truth is, this information only makes us more uncertain, making us pursue more information, and you see where this is going.
Breaking the Cycle: How to Stop Doomscrolling
The goal is not to become blind to world events. The goal is to become an intentional consumer of information rather than a passive victim of the feed. It’s about staying informed without becoming emotionally drained. Here are five concrete steps to reclaim your peace.
1. Name It to Tame It (Cool Title I Know) The first and most powerful step is simple awareness. The doomscrolling trance is most powerful when it’s unconscious. As soon as you realize you’re doing it, pause and label the behavior in your head: “Okay, I’m doomscrolling right now.” Then, ask yourself two questions: “How is this making me feel?” and “Is this helping me at all?” This simple act of mindfulness breaks the spell and gives you the chance to make a different choice. If you keep stopping yourself when you notice it, it’ll eventualy become second nature.
2. Set "News Windows" Instead of snacking on a constant stream of anxiety all day, schedule specific, time-boxed appointments with the news. This could be 15 minutes in the morning (but never the first thing you do) and 15 minutes in the early evening. Outside of these windows, you’re off the clock. This strategy prevents your entire day from being affected by the news cycle.
3. Curate Your Information Diet You are the editor of your own feed. Take a few minutes to conduct a "source audit." Unfollow sensationalist (people who try to provoke for more clicks and views) accounts, mute keywords that trigger your anxiety, and get honest about which sources leave you feeling informed versus which ones leave you feeling outraged. Don’t lie to yourself, it won’t help!
Choose a few high-quality, reputable sources for your daily check-ins, and consider switching from chaotic social media feeds to curated newsletters or news roundup podcasts that deliver summarized information (preferably unbiased too).
4. Create Healthy Friction Make it harder to fall into the trap. The easier it is to access something, the more you’ll use it. Fun fact, this works for food too, hide the foods you want to avoid and keep healthy foods in sight!
Move the Apps: Move your news and social media apps off your home screen and into a folder on the last page. That extra swipe forces a moment of intention.
Use Timers: Use your phone’s built-in digital wellness tools to set strict time limits on problem apps. When your time is up, it’s up. I’ll never stop preaching this, it worked so well for me.
Go Grayscale: In the evenings, switch your phone to grayscale mode through the accessibility settings. Removing the stimulating, attention-grabbing colors makes scrolling far less appealing.
5. Have a Replacement Plan Habits are hard to break, but they are easier to replace. When you feel the reflexive urge to open a news app or scroll through Twitter, have an alternative set up. The key is to make it easy and accessible. Your plan could be: "When I feel the urge to scroll, I will instead..."
Listen to one song.
Read two pages of a book.
Step outside for 60 seconds of fresh air.
Respond to/text a friend.
By taking control of your information diet, you’re no longer sticking your head in the sand. You are simply refusing to let the algorithm be the boss of your emotional state. You are making a conscious choice to be informed, not psychologically destroyed. In today’s world, mental health is such an important tool, and mastering this can be a great way to bounce back from the negativity festering online.
Conclusion
News nowadays is made to hold your attention and get as many clicks as possible. A lot of news is also fake altogether so falling victim to misinformation is easier than ever. This is why I suggested picking more reputable sources as opposed to scrolling online. Most real news isn’t as “doomsday” as the fake information you see online.
If you ever find yourself feeling down after reading the news, just remember that everything will be okay. Everything works out in the end, don’t fall victim to the plethora of negative news. Stay informed, but do it smart.
A Request: This newsletter is small and I’m trying to grow it (as most newsletters do) but it’s growing at a fairly slow rate due to my in-expertise in marketing. If you guys could share this newsletter with others who you feel would benefit from it, it would mean the world to me. I love you all, thank you for reading, and you see you next week!
P.S. From today onwards we will release content on Sundays at 9:30 AM.