Doomscrolling and anxiety

You meant to check the news for five minutes. An hour later, you're still scrolling through headline after headline, and your chest feels tight. This pattern has become common enough to earn its own name.

What it is

Doomscrolling is the habit of compulsively consuming negative or distressing news online, often for far longer than intended. It can feel like a way of staying informed or prepared, but the constant stream of bad news, especially without context or resolution, tends to heighten anxiety rather than ease it. Our brains are wired to pay close attention to threat, which is exactly what keeps us scrolling even when it makes us feel worse.

Signs to notice

• Losing track of time while scrolling through news or distressing content.
• Feeling more anxious, hopeless or on edge after reading the news.
• Checking news apps or headlines compulsively throughout the day, including at night.
• Difficulty sleeping because your mind is preoccupied with what you've read.
• Feeling a strange pull to keep reading bad news even when you know it's affecting your mood.

What helps

• Set specific times to check the news, rather than leaving it open-ended, and stick to a time limit.
• Choose a small number of reliable news sources rather than an endless, algorithm-driven feed.
• Turn off breaking news notifications, which are designed to pull you back in.
• Balance news consumption with grounding activities - movement, time outdoors, connecting with people - especially after a heavy news session.
• Ask yourself what action, if any, you can actually take about what you're reading. If there's nothing actionable right now, it can help to consciously set it aside.
• Avoid news consumption right before bed, since it can keep your nervous system activated when you're trying to wind down.
• If you find yourself needing to know everything as it happens, it can help to remind yourself that most news will still be there, with more context and clarity, a few hours or a day later.
• It can also help to talk to someone else about what you've read, since sharing a worry out loud often takes some of its intensity away, compared to holding it alone while scrolling in silence.

When to reach out for help

If doomscrolling is fuelling ongoing anxiety, panic, sleep problems, or a sense of hopelessness that doesn't lift, it's worth speaking to a professional. This is especially important if you're finding it hard to stop despite wanting to.

Getting help in South Africa

Your Cleared Mind EAP counsellor can help you manage anxiety linked to news and social media consumption. SADAG's Mental Health Line (011 234 4837) offers further support if anxiety is becoming difficult to manage on your own.