Does this sound familiar to you? Let’s say you have a ton of homework, studying, tasks and extracurriculars to complete today. What is the very first thing you do when you get home?

More often than not, you check your phone. This isn’t always a bad thing. Although when you’re on your phone, it’s not very difficult to fall into the rabbit hole of scrolling endlessly on social media.

Doomscrolling as a Coping Mechanism

The term doomscrolling has become a more widely used way of saying that you’re spending an excess amount of time scrolling on social media apps such as TikTok or Instagram. Yet, why are people so addicted to doomscrolling? Well, it isn’t necessarily your fault.

Billions of dollars have been invested in order to create apps that are as addictive as possible. The entirety of social media isn’t “evil”, but it undoubtedly can impact your mental health.

For example, the reason you may be scrolling through TikTok videos is that you’re bored or overthinking something. By watching these short videos, you are being hit with tons of dopamine each time you scroll. By doing so, social media may be seen as a comfort zone where you are in control. This way of distracting yourself can end up being unhealthy and isn't the proper way to cope with difficult and intense emotions.

While there is no specific recommended amount of time you should spend on social media, it may be good to monitor yourself and take note of which days you feel better. Now, here are 5 ways to stop doomscrolling, which will make you more productive in your day-to-day life.

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1. Set Time Limits On Apps

Whenever you set foot on TikTok, you lose track of time, we’ve all been there. To stop this, the first and one of the most useful steps is to set up time limits! TikTok and Instagram already have these features built in, so there’s no need to download other apps. If you’re not sure what limit to start with, a good recommendation would be to gradually decrease your time limit each week or so.

Then it would be less difficult, and who knows? You might not even notice! On TikTok, before you set your screen time limit, the app will ask you to create a password to use when you hit your time limit. My advice would be to have someone else (whether a friend or family member) create that password and not tell you what it is so there wouldn’t be any temptation!

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2. Turn Off Social Media Notifications

Whenever you get a notification, it’s only human to want to look and respond to it. By turning off notifications, you let your phone work for you rather than letting it control you. Getting notifications can be overwhelming, but if you were to turn them off, you would end up checking social media less often or even forgetting about it as a whole.

Whenever your phone buzzes, you’re subconsciously trying to look at what app that notification is from, who texted you, etc. In other words, it distracts you from the task you’re currently doing. Without these distractions, you could spend your time in a more beneficial way.

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3. Replace Social Media with Hobbies

It is crucial to find a hobby that you actually enjoy, are good at and look forward to doing. Whether it’s meditating, yoga, drawing, painting, reading, writing, working out, playing sports, sewing, crocheting, cooking, language learning, singing, dancing, or volunteering — the list is endless. At least one activity is bound to stand out to you and that’s the beauty of there being so many hobbies.

They are a great way to reduce stress, keep your mind active and increase confidence. Unlike social media, hobbies give you skills that you can develop in the long run; they also give you a pretty good idea of what you like and are good at. Having a hobby has a positive effect on your mental health and overall well-being, they allow you to explore your passions, unwind and hone your creativity!

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4. Going On Daily Walks

As simple as it sounds, yes, physical activity definitely helps you boost your mind and gives you a breath of fresh air (literally). Even going outside for half an hour will work wonders for you! I know that not everyone enjoys incredibly demanding physical activity and walking is a great way of moving without too much hassle. This is one of my points because this is what I do every day, and I’ve noticed how much better I feel afterwards.

If possible, it would be perfect to walk to places filled with nature, like a park, for instance. Daily walks can even improve your mood as you’re not stuck in your house! Steps apps may also interest you as you could keep track of your progress and see the average number of steps you take each day.

You could either walk by yourself or find friends or relatives that have the time and want to participate in this activity. Or you could listen to music, a podcast or just be left with your own thoughts, it’s your choice!

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5. Greyscale Your Phone

Our eyes are drawn to the bright and poignant colours of apps, this idea makes your phone become less interesting to use. While this step seems a little extreme, you never know, it may help you!

All you need to do for an iPhone is to go to the Settings app and then choose Display & Text Size > Colour filters and select the Greyscale option. This is also possible on an Android: go to Settings > Accessibility > Colour and motion. Select Colour correction and then Greyscale.

Now, all the colour has been drained from your phone! Your brain is no longer overwhelmed with a multitude of colours, and your phone looks bland and plain. Try setting your phone to greyscale when you feel the want to doomscroll and see how it goes!

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That’s the end of my five tips and I hope at least one stood out to you. If you were to implement these, I’m sure your screen time would decrease, and there would be no more needless doomscrolling. Take these steps little by little and ease into them.

When you stop spending an unnecessary amount of time on social media, the world is your oyster. Start now!