{"id":2185,"date":"2025-08-24T07:51:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T07:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/?p=2185"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:09:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:09:48","slug":"doomscrolling-how-to-break-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/?p=2185","title":{"rendered":"Doomscrolling: How to break Free?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2185\" class=\"elementor elementor-2185\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64d7be27 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"64d7be27\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47076eb1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"47076eb1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d get a lot more sleep if I didn\u2019t insist on reading the entire internet every night before bed.\u201d If that sounds like your life, you\u2019re not alone. This late-night habit has a name: doomscrolling. It\u2019s the tendency to compulsively scroll through negative news and content online, even though it leaves you feeling anxious, restless, or low.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Why do we <\/strong><strong>D<\/strong><strong>oomscroll?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Experts say doomscrolling taps into the human brain\u2019s negativity bias\u2014we are wired to pay more attention to threats than positive events. In the past, that helped our ancestors survive. Today, it keeps us locked to glowing screens at midnight. During uncertain times like the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to constant news updates as a way of feeling informed and in control. Unfortunately, more information rarely brings peace of mind\u2014it usually increases stress. Social media and news apps are designed like slot machines\u2014each swipe could bring something shocking, dramatic, or \u201cimportant.\u201d That unpredictability makes our brains crave the next scroll. This creates an endless dopamine loop. Another reason is Fear of missing out (FOMO). Nobody wants to be the last to know when \u201csomething big\u201d happens. That urgency keeps people glued to their screens. Apart from that some use this as a coping mechanism to a stressful situaltion.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>The Toll on Mental and Physical Health<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Research shows doomscrolling can worsen both mental health and physical health<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drpawan.org\/anxiety\/\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-2-depression\/\">depression<\/a>, and stress rise with constant exposure to distressing headlines.<\/li>\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drpawan.org\/sleep-and-sleep-hygiene\/\">Sleep problems<\/a> are common\u2014screen light and a racing mind disrupt rest.<\/li>\n\n<li>Physical strain builds up: neck pain, posture issues, even arthritis from endless scrolling.<\/li>\n\n<li>Hormonal stress response (cortisol and adrenaline) remains high, raising long-term risks for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drpawan.org\/internet-addiction\/\">Internet addiction<\/a> has also become a real thing in today&#8217;s world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>In short, what begins as \u201cstaying updated\u201d can quietly turn into a cycle of fear, fatigue, and poor health.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Breaking the Cycle: Practical Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>The good news is that doomscrolling isn\u2019t inevitable. You can take back control with some simple steps:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Turn off notifications from news and social apps.<\/li>\n\n<li>Set a timer before you scroll, instead of letting hours slip away.<\/li>\n<li>Track your screen time\u2014awareness itself can cut usage.<\/li>\n<li>Balance your feed with positive or educational content.<\/li>\n<li>Swap scrolling for real life: hobbies, exercise, conversations.<\/li>\n<li>Seek professional help if doomscrolling is worsening your anxiety, depression, or sleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>A Psychiatrist\u2019s Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Scrolling itself isn\u2019t the enemy\u2014connection and information are valuable. But when your online habits hijack your mental wellbeing, it\u2019s time to pause. As a psychiatrist, I often see patients trapped in this cycle of \u201cjust one more headline.\u201d With therapy, digital hygiene strategies, and when needed, medical support, it is absolutely possible to step out of doomscrolling and reclaim focus, calm, and sleep.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Doomscrolling is the endless scrolling of negative news that harms mental health, sleep, and wellbeing. Learn why we do it, its health effects, and simple tips to stop. Consult a psychiatrist in Kathmandu if it\u2019s affecting your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2185"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2204,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185\/revisions\/2204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drpawansharma.com.np\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}