The doom scroll. An experience we all have fell victim too. Heck- you might be reading this article because you saw it mid doom scroll! And there is nothing to be embarrassed about that scrolling feels addictive. There is a LOT of money and effort going into that by social media companies. They create algorithms that are meant to specifically keep you scrolling on their app. And fighting against millions of dollars of research isn’t an easy battle. But when you get freed of the scrolling addiction you will feel like you have your life back!
Spending time scrolling social media stops us from working towards our dreams, being present with our loved ones, and spending our precious time doing what we actually want to do.
Which is why we are going to have an honest conversation today about how you can quit scrolling when you’re feeling addicted to it. It won’t be the easies thing you have ever done but trust me my friends it is SO SO SO worth it in the end.
Let’s get into it so you can have the tools to quit scrolling when you find yourself in a doom scroll-
*** This article may contain affiliate links that I receive a small commission off of. I always appreciate any support to keep this site running! Thank you!******
How To Stop Scrolling When You’re Feeling Addicted
My best tips to quit scrolling on your phone!
Tip 1: Set a one minute timer.
You’re scrolling and scrolling and you realize you can’t seem to stop.
Because stopping means not finishing a video, reading the next post or whatever your scrolling feed of choice is. So giving yourself one minute to wrap it up allows your brain to start winding down from scrolling and gives you the preparation to quit reading/watching without starting another one.
You can use your home devices (Alexa, google home, etc) or just the timer app on your phone to set the timer. Just make sure that the noise it is set to is jarring enough to really pull you out of your scrolling daze. Honestly the more annoying the sound the better- I downloaded the Kim Possible beeps and seriously it pulls me out of a trance because I need it to stop!!
Tip 2: Set aside 30 minutes a day for hobbies.
Hobbies are out lifeline in this busy and chaotic world.
They keep us grounded in real passions and just REALITY in general.
Committing 30 minutes a day to hobbies is not only great for our mental wellbeing it’s also 30 minutes that we are guaranteeing ourselves that we won’t be scrolling online. A win-win situation!
If you read this tip and your first thought was “who has time for that?!” then I have a reality check that you gotta hear. Grab your phone and follow these steps:
Open Settings → scroll down and tap Screen Time → if it’s your first time, tap Turn On Screen Time then Continue → view your daily average at the top or tap See All Activity for a breakdown → toggle between Day and Week at the top → scroll to see most used apps, pickups, and notifications
You are going to see the harsh reality of what you are spending your time scrolling on. And while there are some exceptions out there… chances are you are spending more than 30 minutes a day scrolling on apps. Especially if you are reading this 😉
Which means that YES you do have a half hour of your day to commit to non-scrolling hobbies. And you don’t need to overcomplicate it. Going for walks can be your hobby. Baking. Reading. Whatever makes YOU happy that also doesn’t involve you scrolling on your phone.
I’ll also encourage you by reminding you that you will get caught up in your hobbies. Every time I swear Im just going to quickly water my plants I end up loosing myself into the world of plant care for a lot longer than just 30 minutes. And that time is such a better use than watching another 100 TikTok videos and I won’t ever regret it!
Tip 3: Charge your phone away from you.
This is a screen time tip you will hear a lot but that is for a good reason!!
Charging your phone away from where you are keeps the distraction further away from you.
This isn’t just at night but let’s talk about that first because it’s more obvious. Charging your phone across the room at bed time not only helps you not doom scroll when you should be sleeping. But it also helps you not wake up and immediately heading to social media right away. It gives you opportunities to be present with yourself and work on night and morning routines that actually benefit your life.
But you can use the charging tip during the day too!
Working or studying? Don’t let yourself get distracted. Charge your phone out of arms length to help you stay focused.
Spending quality time with a loved one? Charge your phone in a totally different rooms. Those are the relationships that matter not anything that you can consume on the Internet.
Tip 4: Delete apps!
Alright let’s be brutal here guys- deleting apps is extreme but in so many situations it is necessary. If you don’t need to have social media apps for work then seriously consider this option. Deleting the most addicting or all of your scroll worthy apps is going to eliminate the temptation all together.
Many of us can’t resist the urge to scroll unless the ability to do so is totally removed. It will feel weird at first but once you get into new routines you’ll be amazed at how much free time you are creating for yourself.
This also doesn’t have to be permanent!
Once you have shook the scrolling addiction you can consider adding back one or all of your social media apps. Especially if you have learned to prioritize things outside of your phone and built new, positive routines.
Tip 5: Do a social media detox.
Detoxing your social feeds not only can make them less addicting they also can make them a lot better for your mental health.
Go through your following and unfollow anyone that stirs up extreme emotions or that you tend to get lost in their content for hours. That is content that is designed to keep you scrolling and on the app and that temptation isn’t something you need in your life.
By removing the most time consuming accounts you are creating a feed that is less addicting for you.
Another step is to curate your feeds- if there is content that gets you all worked up and scrolling longer then it’s time to tap the “not interested” button and decrease how much of that content you see.
A curated feed to what you really want to consume and what is actually okay for your soul is truly life improving!
Tip 6: Track and celebrate your progress!
Set goals for decreasing your scrolling and screen time and then track that progress. And most importantly celebrate that progress!
Just like any goal that you set for yourself, stopping a scrolling addiction will involve time and effort. And committing to those efforts and keeping to your goals is worth celebrating.
As soon as you commit to your anti-scrolling goals go ahead and set some tangible goals and tangible rewards. For example: if you get your screen time to under 6 hours a day you will finally get those shoes you have been eying. Shoes that are perfect for getting out of the house in and enjoying time in the real world!!
Tip 7: Turn off notifications.
Notifications pull you out of your focused trance and back into the world of social media and phone apps.
So removing that temptation and distraction can be soooo helpful for your scrolling addiction.
Here’s how you can do it by turning off certain apps (you don’t need to turn off all notifications because you may actually miss important calls or other things that we actually need phones for) –
Open Settings → tap Notifications → scroll down to find and select the specific app → toggle off Allow Notifications at the top (or customize by turning off Lock Screen, Notification Center, or Banners) → adjust Sounds and Badges if you only want partial notifications turned off.
Tip 8: Remove apps from your Home Screen.
Not willing to commit to permanently or temporarily deleting apps? No worries- you can at minimum make them a lot harder to access. This is the case for me as I need social media apps for posting for my business BUT I can make them harder to just casually see when I don’t need them for work.
Out of site- out of mind is real! Not immediately seeing social media apps helps you not mindlessly click on them so you don’t start scrolling. Not scrolling is honestly easier than stopping it when you have started.
And that is all for now guys! I truly hope that these tips will help you with your scrolling addiction. I know this is hard. But admitting that you have a problem that needs to be worked on is a huge step in the right direction. Reading through this and figuring out what might work for you is how you can start to beat this addicting habit and reclaim yourself and your time!
I fully believe in you and wish you the best of luck!!
Korra-Shay
If you enjoyed this article on How To Stop Scrolling When You’re Feeling Addicted then you probably (hopefully!) will enjoy and find these articles helpful as well:
You must be logged in to post a comment.