Blog article

5 activities to distract from doomscrolling that may improve your mental health

By HBF
3 MINUTES
1 October 2025
A man scrolling through his phone at night

If the hours you spend scrolling are creeping up and you’re dodging your screen time reports more than a teeth cleaning – you may have an unwanted hobby on your hands.


Doomscrolling is the popular name given to the behaviour of ‘deep diving’ into distressing topics or events, leading to lengthy sessions consuming digital content that can quickly cross over from being educational to overwhelming.

A closer look at doomscrolling

Harvard Health reports that doomscrolling activates the brain’s limbic system, particularly the amygdala, which is responsible for detecting threats. This leads to a cycle of hypervigilance and stress. Chronic doomscrolling can result in:

So, is there a satisfying and safe way to scroll and how do you go about avoiding doomscrolling with the way the world is?

Below are five activities backed by psychologist Marny Lishman worth considering if you’re looking at curbing those couch hours spent scrolling – at the very least they can support you in getting some solid hours away from your devices.

5 activities that break the cycle of scrolling

Tip: Try a social media cap

Separating yourself from your devices and your scrolling habits isn’t easy. Why not look at limiting your time on social media to one hour a day, make notes of how you’re feeling and see if you notice changes in mood, creativity, or sleep.

If you’re using an iPhone, you can set limits directly in your settings:

  1. Go to SettingsScreen Time.
  2. Tap App LimitsAdd Limit.
  3. Select the apps you’d like to limit (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Facebook).
  4. Choose your daily time allowance (for example, 1 hour).
  5. Tap Add to confirm.

Once you’ve hit your limit, your phone will remind you to take a break—helping you build healthier scrolling habits. 

What is a digital detox and should I try it?

How do I know if my screen time is affecting my mental health?

Acknowledging your mental health is suffering takes courage. If you’re aware of a doomscrolling pattern in the way you engage with social media, understanding the dangers will help you assess whether feelings of anxiety or depression are related.

For parents, this government resource is a good place to start on understanding how much physical activity and screen time your child should be getting for their age. From there you can rule out time as a factor and start to look into ways to manage screen time as a family.


This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

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