You lay down before sleeping and make a quick peep at your Instagram feed. Might as well make a round to Facebook, check out what’s new at Twitter, see new content at Tiktok, visit some threads at Reddit, and you realize, it is morning and you have successfully burnt the time.
The addiction of scrolling is not uncommon to surfing the web. These sites are designed in a way that you end up falling into the rabbit hole, checking out more content than you care.
It got worse with the pandemic, where people suddenly had free time, and there was an influx of information. The masochistic side of you wants the information and thus you scroll. When you use it to actively react to the bad news in the world, it is also then known as doom-scrolling.
Dangerous of doom-scrolling
While it does in fact affect physical health, its impact is more profound and grave on mental health, for which some people might also then need the help from their Psychologist in Lahore. Some issues associated with doom-scrolling include:
Perpetuates negative mindset
We do live in a world where the stress levels run high. In midst of this, when you are also surrounded by the bad news, it then reinforces your jaded mindset. When all you hear about is the misery in the world, then it impacts your ability to be positive.
When your hope runs low, you are then in the danger of severe mental health problems like depression.
Negative impact on the brain
Overconsumption of the content on the internet does not fare well for the brain, especially when done at the expense of sleep. Doom-scrolling leads to an increase in the experience of negative emotions. It also makes your brain feel overwhelmed as well.
Increases anxiety and depression
What you see and read has an impact on your mind. So, if you are absorbing hours of mindless bad news, it will not only have an impact on your mood, but emotions too. Doom-scrolling can increase stress levels in the body.
The constant negativity can also then increase the chances of anxiety and even depression.
Impact on sleep
Blue light emitted by the screens mess with our circadian rhythm, thereby making it harder for people to sleep. Moreover, the rabbit hole of scrolling and the resultant alertness of the mind can also cause sleep to become secondary.
Without proper sleep, your body is at risk of chronic ailments like heart disease and diabetes, alongside greater risk of obesity and mental health problems.
How to quit doom-scrolling?
Understanding that doom-scrolling is bad is not enough, you need to take active steps to remedy the situation. Some helpful things to do include:
Be mindful
As you scroll through the feed, understand your reaction. Take note of how you are responding to the information. If you are getting anxious and sad, then you not only need to stop using the platform at that moment, but moderate future use as well.
Be positive
One way to counter the onslaught of negativity is by channeling positive energy. Surround yourself with affirmation and mantras that help you also reflect on the good, rather than merely fixating on the bad.
Scroll within limits
Quit the mindless movement of your thumb, as your eyes scout for new content to consume. Give yourself only a certain amount of time during the way in which you can check out different social media feeds. Other than that, use your time on the internet for constructive purposes only.
Detach
Sometimes, the best thing for you and your mental health is detaching. Simply, quit using these sites.
Get help
If the doom-scrolling has already gotten to you, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot mitigate the impact or leave the habit, then you might need the help of your Psychologist in Islamabad.
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