Strategies for managing overwhelm and breaking the negative cycle of doomscrolling.
Today (10th October) is World Mental Health Day, a day which emphasises the importance of good mental health, raises awareness of mental health issues and current challenges, tackles stigma and helps break down barriers to mental health support.
This year, The Mental Health Foundation’s theme is ‘Overwhelm: when global events and relentless bad news become too much’.
The foundation explains:
“The world is going through a tough time right now and even if you’re not directly affected by events, it can still feel like a lot to cope with. It’s okay to ask for help, no matter what you, or anyone else is going through…We may not have the power to influence or change everything we’d like to on a global scale. But there are things we can do to protect ourselves and others from feeling overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of current events.” 1
With social media, mobile phones to hand and smart speakers in our houses, it’s all too easy to have access 24/7 to current events. Whilst keeping informed can be beneficial to understanding the world around us and feeling a sense of global connection, constant exposure, particularly to distressing news, can actually impact on our mental health. The foundation notes crisis factors such as global conflicts, social injustice, climate crisis, economic instability, political unrest and living through the pandemic as examples of global events and news that can have such an impact. 2
Understanding ‘overwhelm’
When something is a lot to take in, and particularly when we feel powerless or problems seem insurmountable, we can feel overwhelmed. This is an emotional response to continued stress and can, like with any stressful event, trigger a fight, flight or freeze response. Having this response triggered long term can have physical, mental and emotional impacts.
Here are some to look out for:
- Physical impacts: aches and pains, tiredness, digestive problems, sleep issues, nail biting.
- Mental impacts: trouble concentrating, difficulty making decisions, low motivation, memory problems, constant worrying.
- Emotional impacts: irritability, anger, sadness, numbness, despair, feeling “stuck”. 2
To help manage feelings of overwhelm , the Mental Health Foundation has 6 tips:
- Set boundaries with the news – for the amount of content you will consume and how often.
- Use grounding exercises – focusing on the present to help calm in moments of stress/anxiety.
- Have phone-free times – break doomscrolling habits by managing screen time.
- Talk with others – quality time with friends/family/loved ones can help you feel more connected.
- Give yourself permission to rest – self-care isn’t selfish, looking after yourself is important too.
- Focus on what you can control – take small positive actions to help you find a sense of purpose rather than helplessness. 2
The negative cycle of doomscrolling
One specific behaviour that the Mental Health Foundation identifies as contributing to a feeling of ‘overwhelm’ is doomscrolling. Have you ever looked at the time and realised you’ve been scrolling Instagram or another social media app for the last hour trying to learn more about a specific topic you’re concerned about, want to become more informed on or because you’re worried about missing out on something important? That can be described as doomscrolling, where you’re continuously scrolling through negative news for long periods of time.
The Mental Health Foundation explains that whilst doomscrolling can often start with good intentions, it can, ‘quickly turn into an unconscious habit that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and anxious.’ It can also lead to a negative cycle where you find yourself doomscrolling because you are anxious and overwhelmed but you are left with the same feelings or heightened ones as you continue scrolling. There can also be physical impacts as well as mental ones such as headaches, nausea, shoulder pain, problems sleeping and poor posture. 3
How to know you’re doomscrolling
As doomscrolling can be an unconscious habit, how can you recognise that you are doing it?
- Consider how you are feeling when scrolling – notice if you are anxious, tense, stress, angry, emotionally drained or ‘numb’.
- Take note of how long you are spending scrolling and how often, particularly if it is more often or for longer than you intended.
- Reflect on how you are engaging with where you are right now in the present – is it difficult to ‘switch off’ from what’s going on online? Do you find yourself feeling you ‘need’ to check/worried you’re missing out?
If you having got into this habit, here are 6 ways to break it:
- Limit your notifications – review which apps you want notifications on and which in particular you want ‘push’ notifications for (where you get notifications even when not in the app). Constant alerts of potentially distressing information is bound to trigger your anxiety and make you feel like you need to urgently read/respond.
- Swap your phone alarm for an alarm clock/watch – many of us use our phones for our morning alarms or just to keep an eye on the time. To help limit the opportunity for doomscrollling in bed specifically, using an alarm clock or watch means you can leave your phone in another room when you head to bed, giving you a break from the temptation.
- Mange your social feeds – make the algorithm work for you as much as possible by reviewing what you want to see – unfollow those accounts that bring you nothing but stress and anxiety, and the same with specific threads etc. you may be getting notified about that are just increasing your stress levels.
- Set a time limit – part of what makes it doomscrolling is the prolonged time spent scrolling almost endlessly. Limiting your time will limit the amount of content you can take in, reducing that cognitive load and the feeling of being overwhelmed by information overload.
- Phone-free zones – linking with tip 2, having spaces that are a ‘no phone’ area (such as your bedroom) can help you have quality time uninterrupted by your phone where you can focus on the present. You could also do this at specific times, such as when eating meals.
- Balance negative with positive – if you realise you have been doomscrolling, do something to support your mental health – exercise, spending time with loved ones, reading, mindfulness exercises, a hobby you enjoy – focus on something that leaves you feeling positive and helps you be present. 3
Learn more about World Mental Health Day and how to take part
