How to Actually Stop Your Doomscrolling Addiction?

My thumb was sore. My eyes were burning. It was 1:30 AM, and I had just spent two hours scrolling through an endless feed of bad news, angry comments, and videos of global crises. I didn’t feel informed. I felt sick, anxious, and exhausted.

If that sounds familiar, you’ve been a victim of doomscrolling. It’s the compulsive act of consuming negative news online, even when it’s making you feel terrible. And let’s be honest, calling it a “habit” feels too light. For me, it felt like an addiction.

I tried all the simple advice: “Just put your phone down,” “Go outside,” “Read a book.” But none of it stuck. The pull of the infinite scroll was too strong. I realized I didn’t just need to want to stop; I needed a system to break the cycle. I’m going to share the practical, nitty-gritty steps I took to actually stop my doomscrolling addiction.

First, Let’s Be Honest: Why Can’t We Stop?

Before I could fix the problem, I had to understand it. I wasn’t just weak-willed. My brain, and the apps on my phone, were working against me.

Our brains are hardwired with a negativity bias. For our ancestors, paying attention to danger (like a predator) was a survival skill. Today, algorithms exploit this. They know that alarming, emotionally charged content keeps our eyes glued to the screen.

This creates a nasty loop:

You feel anxious about the world.
You scroll to find information, hoping to feel more in control.
You’re fed a stream of negative content, which makes you more anxious.
The cycle repeats.

Realizing I was in a rigged game was the first step. The second was to change the rules.

The ‘Digital Friction’ Method: Making My Phone Less Fun

My main goal was to make scrolling a conscious choice, not a mindless reflex. To do this, I had to add “friction”—making it slightly more annoying to get my dopamine hit.

Grayscale: The ‘Joy-Killer’ That Works

This was the single most effective change I made. I went into my phone’s accessibility settings and turned on grayscale mode.

The effect was immediate. Without bright, flashy colors, the apps lost their psychological “reward.” The red notification badges, the vibrant photos, the colorful “like” buttons—they all turned into a boring, uniform gray. My brain quickly became bored, and the urge to scroll just… faded.

The Notification Graveyard

Next, I slaughtered my notifications. I realized my phone was constantly pulling me in with pings and buzzes. I turned off all notifications for social media apps, news apps, and email.

News: I can check it when I decide to.
Social Media: Nothing on there is a true emergency.
Email: I check it during work hours.

The only things that can notify me now are phone calls and text messages from my contacts. My phone is now a tool I use, not a master that summons me.

App Timers and ‘Bedtime Mode’

I use the built-in “Screen Time” (iOS) or “Digital Wellbeing” (Android) tools. I gave myself a strict 20-minute daily limit for apps like X (Twitter), Instagram, and my news aggregator. When the time is up, the app locks.

Sure, I could override it, but that extra step of having to type in a password was often enough friction to make me stop and ask, “Do I really need to do this?” Most of the time, the answer was no.

Reclaiming My Time: Building a New Routine

Stopping one bad habit requires replacing it with better ones. I had to consciously rebuild the routines that my phone had hijacked.

The “No-Phone-Zone”

I established two sacred “no-phone zones”: the dinner table and my bedroom.

The bedroom was the most critical. Doomscrolling before bed was destroying my sleep, which in turn made my anxiety worse the next day. I bought a $15 alarm clock (a real, physical one) and now my phone charges overnight in the living room. This has been a total game-changer for my sleep quality.

Finding My “Scroll Swap”

You can’t just create a void. I had to find something to do with my hands and mind during those “in-between” moments (waiting for coffee, sitting on the couch, etc.).

I called this my “scroll swap.” I downloaded the Libby app (for library ebooks) and Duolingo (for language learning) and put them on my home screen where the social media apps used to be. Now, when my thumb reflexively goes to that spot, I open a book or practice Spanish instead.

Scheduling My Worry Time

This might sound counter-intuitive, but it works. I acknowledged that I do want to be informed. So, I scheduled it. I give myself 15 minutes in the morning, after I’ve already had breakfast and coffee, to check a few reputable news sources.

That’s it. 15 minutes. For the rest of the day, I’m “off-duty.” This contained approach satisfies my need for information without letting it consume my entire day.

A Note on Willpower: These changes aren’t just about willpower. They are about designing an environment where your willpower doesn’t have to fight so hard. For more on managing technology for your well-being, the American Psychological Association offers great resources on building healthy digital habits.

Did It Work? My Experience Breaking the Cycle

Am I “cured”? Not entirely. I still have days where I slip up, especially when a big news event is happening.

But the addiction is gone. The mindless, reflexive scrolling that left me feeling hollow and anxious for hours has been replaced. I’m more present with my family. I’m reading books again. My anxiety has genuinely decreased.

To stop a doomscrolling addiction wasn’t about a single grand gesture. It was about building a system of small, practical barriers and replacements that, over time, rewired my brain. I took back control from the algorithm.