#also i keep falling back into the habit of doomscrolling and i need to stay off tumblr when i’m in a crisis fr

[gregmarriage]

i think one of my main goals for the rest of this year, and probably for the new year as well, is to actually write in my proper journal, instead of making posts on tumblr, bc the latter doesn’t feel healthy or productive

[yvonest]

The Secret to Breaking Free from Phone Addiction: Make It Boring

Many people struggle with phone addiction, often fueled by endless doomscrolling. The solution? Make your phone boring. Your phone isn’t designed for constant use, and your brain isn’t meant to be constantly fed content. Overusing your phone not only shortens its lifespan but also wastes your own time. I recently started lowering my screen time, and it’s been a surprisingly successful journey so far—one that’s helped me regain focus and enjoy life offline.

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Taking control of your phone habits is easier than you think. Here are some tips that have helped me so far:

1. Start your mornings differently

Avoid using your phone first thing in the morning. Starting your day without it helps you focus on other tasks and sets a productive tone. The less you rely on your phone in the morning, the less tempting it will feel throughout the day. Though it's hard at first, it's so worth it.

2. Delete social media

Social media is the biggest culprit of phone addiction.

You don’t need to live under a rock, but cutting out apps like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat can make a huge difference. Keep apps you truly need for communication, but limit their use to just that. Without the constant pull of social media, your phone becomes less distracting—and that’s the goal.

Deleting social media doesn’t make you an outcast or boring. You can still stay informed by talking to people around you and keeping up with what truly matters. It might be hard at first, and you might feel tempted to reinstall the apps, but it gets easier. Over time, you’ll start finding better ways to spend your free time, and boredom can even lead to new creativity.

3. Find a hobby

Breaking free from your phone is much easier when you have something else to focus on. Explore new hobbies—there are tons of Tumblr posts with ideas, so you’re bound to find one that suits you. Whether it’s journaling, drawing, learning an instrument, or even baking, the key is to find something you genuinely enjoy. (Reminder! You don't have to be good at it to enjoy it!!!)

Having a hobby not only fills your time but also helps you feel more accomplished and creative. Instead of reaching for your phone out of boredom, you’ll have something far more rewarding to do.

4. Discipline

Breaking free from your phone starts with self-discipline. Set clear boundaries for when and how you use it, like avoiding your phone in the morning or during meals. It might feel hard at first, but every time you resist the urge to check your screen, you’re building stronger habits.

Discipline doesn’t mean being perfect—it’s about making conscious choices. Over time, these small actions add up, and you’ll find it easier to focus on what really matters instead of falling back into old scrolling habits.

5. Unfollow accounts

A cluttered feed can easily lead to endless scrolling. On Tumblr, for example, I simply scroll past posts that don’t catch my attention—whether it’s a fanfic, a meme, or a picture. If it doesn’t interest me, I don’t bother to glance at it. Instead, I focus on content that is more useful or enjoyable to me.

By unfollowing accounts that don’t align with your interests, you can make your feed more purposeful. This way, you’ll spend more time on content that adds value to your day. The more intentional you are with what you follow, the less likely you’ll waste time on things that don’t matter to you.

+If you can't make it boring, make it useful

If you can’t make your phone completely boring, at least make it useful. Find something that genuinely interests you—whether it’s a hobby, learning something new online, or listening to informative podcasts. It’s already a huge improvement over mindlessly scrolling.

A high screen time isn’t always bad; it just depends on where you put that time to use. After all, we live in a world surrounded by modern technology. For example, I really enjoy classical music. I spend time researching composers I love, creating playlists, and even discussing it with friends. Another example could be blogging, like I do.

By filling your phone time with things that add value to your life, you can make it enjoyable and purposeful. Make your phone fun, but also meaningful.

♡

[scentedrunawayshark]

‘Doomscrolling’: What is it and why do we do it?

When is the last time you stopped scrolling on Instagram to watch cute pets or looked for new workout routines to try, instead of reading the coronavirus news? If your answer is. “I don’t remember” or “Maybe 5 months back”, you are officially a ‘doomscroller’. 

 What is ‘doomscrolling’?

The Urban dictionary defines doomscrolling as “When you keep scrolling through all of your social media feeds, looking for the most recent upsetting news about the latest catastrophe. The amount of time spent doing this is directly proportional to how much worse you're going to feel after you're done.”

 Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic left us locked down in our homes, we follow the same ritual, thumb down, and thumb up on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and literally on all social media apps. We do this in a desperate attempt to find some clarity among all the things that are happening around us right now. But as we do this, we fall into an endless downward spiral of feeling bad. This is what called ‘doomscrolling’ or ‘doomsurfing’.

 Why do we ‘doomscroll’?

Theory #1: Humans love information

According to experts, humans love information. So, having access to endless information for 2 4 hours via or smartphone means we can binge on it in excessive amounts, which is undoubtedly bad. Especially now, because the daily news is almost invariably negative and depressing and yet, we cannot resist the urge to scroll through and read all about coronavirus. 

 Theory #2: We have nothing much to do.

According to a report from Axios (https://www.axios.com/kids-screen-time-coronavirus-562073f6-0638-47f2-8ea3-4f8781d6b31b.html), during this coronavirus period, the screen time is up as much as 50% among children ages 6-12. It is bad, but understandable of course. Because bad news isn’t necessarily in short supply these days ad with the whole stay at the home scenario, people pretty much tend to doomscroll.

 Theory #3: We are hardwired to see the negative

Another reason why we doomscroll is that we, humans are all hardwired to see the negative and be drawn to the negative. We do this because of our long-learned trait of ‘If we knew all about the bad, we can find a way avoid the bad’. It is a kind of a survival mechanism that is hardcoded in our DNA. It helps us sense danger and learn more about it to avoid it. 

 But in reality, even if we keep scrolling and scrolling, hoping that doomscrolling would be helpful, we will only end up feeling worse afterward. But fortunately, there are some things we can do to lessen our doomscrolling habit.

How to stop doomscrolling?

 Step 1:

The first step to stop doomscrolling is to admit that you are doing it at all. Checking tweets about coronavirus first thing in the morning? Doomscrolling. Keeping tabs on the count of coronavirus positive cases in your area all day? That’s right. You are doomscrolling.

 Step 2:

Now try to analyze your state of mind after you have doomscrolled. Does it make you feel better or do you end up feeling more hopeless? If it’s the latter, you need to stop doomscrolling right now!

 Step 3:

Try to limit your smartphone usage and social media usage. Keep a fixed time limit and when time is up, put your phone down and don’t doomscroll again for the rest of the day. 

 Step 4:

Now, train yourself to see more positive things around you. You can also approach this methodologically by looking for at least three positive things a day. This will make you feel better.

 Step 5:

Now all you need to do is to stick to it. Focus only on the positive things and try to avoid all negativity around you. 

 Ultimately, stopping doomscrolling and not looking at your phone won’t stop the pandemic. But doomscrolling regularly isn’t going to any good to your physical or mental health. So, try to stop your doomscrolling habit and focus on the positive things around you.