Digital wellness
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
take a hot shower and think about one thing you are grateful for
it helps keep stress levels down
one person who lived it
Walk outside or on a treadmill while listening to a movie or podcast.
Even short sessions can lift your mood and calm you down.
one person who lived it
turn on grayscale mode on your phone screen
it limits the dopamine response from apps and makes posts look less distracting
5 people, independently
Aim to delay scrolling by 5–10 minutes rather than quitting cold turkey.
it weakens the habit loop
one person who lived it
Carry an actual book, a field notebook, and a pen to have ready alternatives, as pulling out your phone can be too tempting.
Pulling out your phone is too tempting.
one person who lived it
Refuse to watch even a single Short or Reel, regardless of how educational it seems.
Watching even one starts a vicious cycle.
one person who lived it
Reduce screen time on weekends to enable focus on what you want to do.
Reducing screen time allowed one person to finally focus on their priorities.
one person who lived it
If you struggle with scrolling, replace it with long-format videos or physical activities to retrain your attention.
One person found this helped them stop scrolling.
one person who lived it
drink strong tea to wake up and energize yourself for the day
the bitterness and lightness wakes you up and provides enough energy to face the day
one person who lived it
7 more on this
Add a screen time widget to your home screen to visually monitor usage.
One person reported this helped lessen doomscrolling over time.
one person who lived it
- Delete doomscrolling apps from your phone and access them only on a laptop if necessary.1
set a rule to avoid social apps until after completing at least one productive task
this simple rule made a big difference in breaking the habit
one person who lived it
Create a list of tasks with specific dates or calendar slots.
Committing to specific times makes it easier to start actions consciously thought about.
one person who lived it
Spend time outdoors in the summer gardening, walking, sunbathing, or cloud watching.
One person thrives outside during these activities.
one person who lived it
Use an educational tool, such as a driving theory app, to occupy time during boredom if it interests you.
One person found that preparing for a test with interest helped.
one person who lived it
Identify the feelings you seek from scrolling and replace the habit with other activities that provide those same or better feelings.
one person who lived it
Change the content you scroll to high-density knowledge or educational material to alter your cognition, perspective, thinking, decisions, actions, and life trajectory.
one person who lived it