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Hi!

Today, we’re taking a look at the vicious cycle

of doomscrolling.

That’s where you try to find something positive on the

internet to relieve your anxiety, only to find more and

more bad news, which makes you even more anxious and

stressed.

In our last lesson, we talked about where to go instead

of doomscrolling, and today we’ll look at your new life

without the negative habit.

You’ve had a whole week to break your habit—have you

succeeded?

If you’re not quite there yet, don’t beat yourself up. It

takes time to break an unhealthy habit and substitute a

healthy one instead.

You might need a month or more to fully rid yourself of

the doomscrolling habit. Just remember our tips and tricks

and keep plugging away. You’ll get there!

In the beginning, creating boundaries with your phone

and the news may feel weird and difficult.

Give it time and you (as well as your “lizard brain”)

will become used to the new reality.

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, a Harvard physician, reminds us

that “It’s easy to quell something that you’ve been

doing for two weeks, but it’s more difficult to quell

something you’ve been doing for five months—or for years.

But the brain is better than any smartphone out there.

It is always adapting and evolving and responding to

its external cues so what you focus on grows. Over

time there will be a difference.”

Find ways to stay connected with the important people

in your life. Virtual visits may not be as satisfying

as real ones, but they are connections, and you need

those more than ever now.

And while you’re keeping those important relationships

alive, don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.

It may sound cliché, but self-care is just as important

as maintaining your social support system.

Make sure you’re participating in activities you enjoy

and taking time to pursue your hobbies.

Discover new hobbies as well—there’s no time like the

present to learn something new. If you find you’re

struggling with time, try creating a schedule for yourself.

Actually put your hobby or activity onto your calendar and

“make a date” with yourself to have fun.

Another way to take care of yourself is to seek help if

you need it.

If your doomscrolling habit has made you anxious and

depressed, find a good therapist who uses cognitive

behavioral therapy techniques.

This is a practice where you learn to replace unhealthy

thoughts and habits with healthy ones, which is exactly

what you need to do with doomscrolling.

A good therapist doesn’t judge, but only helps you clarify

your own thoughts and feelings and make some healthier

decisions in your life.

You can find a good therapist by checking the local online

white pages, then calling to see whether they use cognitive

behavioral therapy or not. You can also contact the National

Institute of Mental Health or check out their very

informative website.

You can also try group therapy designed for busy people

with too much stress, or seek out a psychiatrist. You

probably don’t need medication if your anxiety and stress

are caused by doomscrolling, but if you do need it, give it

a shot and see whether it will work for you.

Just make sure you ask your doctor to avoid anything

habit-forming because you certainly don’t want to replace

one unhealthy habit with another one!

Your life after doomscrolling can be a positive, healthy

one if you put the effort into making it so.

Follow our tips and you’ll soon see what we’ve been talking

about. You’ll feel more in control of your life and feel much

better about yourself.

In time, you’ll be able to put down the phone or computer and

walk away from the bad news.

You’ll get your news from reliable sources that are relevant

to your life and ignore the doomscrolling click-bait that

social media often throws your way.

#wupples #wuppleshealth #health #swipeleft #swipe