What to Do Instead of Doomscrolling

Why you need a replacement, not just willpower

Stopping a habit leaves a gap, and the gap is uncomfortable. In a set of experiments published in Science, people asked to sit alone with their thoughts for 6 to 15 minutes mostly did not enjoy it, and in one study 67% of men and 25% of women gave themselves a mild electric shock during the 15 minutes, despite having said beforehand that they would pay to avoid one. A phone is the easiest way out of that discomfort, which is why removing it without a plan rarely lasts.

Habits are also tied to cues. Once a habit forms, the cue can set off the routine automatically, so the boredom or worry that used to send you to the feed will keep arriving. The fix is to decide in advance where the cue goes instead. A meta-analysis of 94 studies found that specific if then plans like "if I reach for my phone while waiting, then I read a page of my book" had a medium to large effect on reaching goals.

First, notice what the scroll is for

The scroll is usually doing a job. Match the replacement to the job and it is much more likely to stick.

Things to do instead of doomscrolling, by how much time you have

If you have one minute

1. Look out of the window and find three things that are moving.
2. Drink a glass of water. Most long scrolls happen sitting still and slightly dehydrated.
3. Stand up and stretch your neck, shoulders and back.
4. Send one message to someone you have not spoken to in a while. In 13 experiments with nearly 6,000 people, those who reached out consistently underestimated how much the other person would appreciate it, especially when the message was a surprise.
5. Write the worry on paper. If the news is what pulled you in, putting the specific fear into words is something you can finish, unlike the feed.
6. Take three slow breaths before deciding whether to open the app.
7. Put on one song you love and do nothing else while it plays.
8. Tidy one small thing: a shelf, a drawer, the surface in front of you.

If you have five minutes

9. Walk around the block. In experiments at Stanford, people produced on average about 60% more creative ideas while walking than while sitting, and some of the boost lasted after they sat down again.
10. Read a few pages of a book you have left open where the phone usually lives.
11. Call someone instead of reading what other people are doing.
12. Make tea or coffee properly, and drink it away from the screen.
13. Do one chore you have been putting off, such as the washing up or a reply you owe.
14. Pick up an instrument, a sketchbook or a craft for one short go.
15. Do a crossword, sudoku or word puzzle on paper.
16. Start the task you are avoiding for two minutes. Starting is usually the hardest part.

If you have fifteen minutes to an hour

17. Get outside, ideally somewhere green. In a study of 19,806 people in England, those who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing. People with less than that showed no difference from those with none, and the benefits levelled off at 200 to 300 minutes.
18. Cook a real meal from scratch.
19. Exercise: a run, a class, a video workout with the phone in another room.
20. Read a chapter of something long.
21. Write in a journal, even just what happened today.
22. Learn something with your hands: a new recipe, a repair, a plant to repot.
23. Meet someone in person, even for a short walk.
24. Help someone: a neighbour, a friend, a local volunteer slot.

If it is late and you are in bed

25. Charge the phone outside the bedroom. In a survey of 844 adults, phone use in bed went with taking longer to fall asleep.
26. Read a paper book by a warm lamp.
27. Listen to an audiobook or podcast with the screen off and a sleep timer set.
28. Write tomorrow's list so your mind can let it go.
29. Do a few minutes of gentle stretching.
30. Go to sleep. If you are scrolling because you are tired, this is the thing you actually need.

If you are going to scroll anyway

Not all scrolling is doomscrolling. In a 2021 experiment, a few minutes of pandemic news lowered people's mood and optimism, but the same time spent reading stories about acts of kindness did not. If you want to stay informed, a 2022 daily diary study found that social media use was linked to more depression and PTSD symptoms while traditional news was not, so read the news from one source at a set time rather than scrolling for it. Decide what you are opening the app for, and close it when that is done.

How to make the swap stick

• Make the alternative easier than the scroll. Leave the book on the pillow, the puzzle on the table, the trainers by the door. Friction works in both directions.
• Write one if then plan for your most common cue. "If I sit on the sofa after dinner, then I pick up my book first."
• Expect it to take weeks. In a study of how habits form, a new behaviour took between 18 and 254 days to become automatic, with a median of 66.
• Notice the time while you scroll. The moment you realise how long you have been there is the moment to switch. For the full method, see how to stop doomscrolling.

Common questions

What can I do instead of doomscrolling at night?

Charge your phone outside the bedroom, then read a paper book, listen to an audiobook with the screen off and a sleep timer, write tomorrow's list, or do some gentle stretching. Phone use in bed is linked to taking longer to fall asleep.

What hobbies can replace doomscrolling?

Hobbies that occupy your hands work best: reading, puzzles, drawing, an instrument, cooking, gardening or crafts. Walking and time outdoors have research behind them too: walking boosted creative thinking in experiments, and two hours a week in nature is linked to better wellbeing.

Is it okay to scroll sometimes?

Yes. The problem is scrolling negative content past the point of usefulness. In one experiment, reading stories about kindness for a few minutes did not lower mood the way pandemic news did. Decide what you are opening the app for and close it when that is done.

Why do I doomscroll when I'm bored?

Because sitting with nothing to do is surprisingly uncomfortable. In experiments, many people found 6 to 15 minutes alone with their thoughts so unpleasant that they chose a mild electric shock instead. A phone is the easiest escape, so it helps to have a replacement ready.

What should I do instead of doomscrolling the news?

Read one trusted source at a set time each day, then close it. Write down the specific worry the news raised, and do one useful thing about it if you can. Research links social media news use, but not traditional news, to more symptoms of depression and PTSD.

Sources

1. Wilson, T. D. et al. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science, 345(6192). doi.org/10.1126/science.1250830
2. Wood, W. and Neal, D. T. (2007). A new look at habits and the habit-goal interface. Psychological Review, 114(4). doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.843
3. Gollwitzer, P. M. and Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38. doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
4. Liu, P. J., Rim, S., Min, L. and Min, K. E. (2022). The surprise of reaching out: Appreciated more than we think. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000402
5. Oppezzo, M. and Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4). doi.org/10.1037/a0036577
6. White, M. P. et al. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 9. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
7. Price, M., Legrand, A. C., Brier, Z. M. F. et al. (2022). Doomscrolling during COVID-19: The negative association between daily social and traditional media consumption and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 14(8). doi.org/10.1037/tra0001202
8. Buchanan, K., Aknin, L. B., Lotun, S. and Sandstrom, G. M. (2021). Brief exposure to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: Doom-scrolling has negative emotional consequences, but kindness-scrolling does not. PLOS ONE, 16(10). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257728
9. Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W. and Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6). doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
10. Exelmans, L. and Van den Bulck, J. (2016). Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults. Social Science and Medicine, 148. doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.11.037