The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of our lives. One such effect is DOOM scrolling or web surfing. But what exactly does this term mean? Let’s find out. What is the use of the screen? Excessive use of screens while scrolling through negative news is mainly known as surfing/scrolling. It’s common to find yourself swiping through the page after searching for more details about a worrying piece of news. Many of us cannot stay away from reading/watching news related to the pandemic and the crises people are going through. We keep checking different websites and news channels hoping to get some new information. You will be surprised to know that this phenomenon is nothing new. Our tendency towards negativity bias causes us to scan more negative news than positive news. But we all know that this is not good for our mental health. So here are five ways to reduce the impact of drug use on your mental health. Time limit for social intermediaries has a feature where they can record the time you spend on each app. Keep an eye on this so you aren’t tempted to use it constantly. Try to avoid scrolling before going to bed and immediately after waking up. The best way to do this is to keep your phone out of your bed. Track your health exercise to help release beneficial neurotransmitters. Yoga and meditation also help reduce stress. Eat a healthy and balanced diet and avoid munching on junk foods while scrolling through your phone. Practice mindfulness of whatever task you are doing. Whether you are reading, writing or working, you must pay full attention to the same. Make sure the news source you are reading is genuine. Also, inculcate a positive habit of reading news and also share the same with your friends and family. Try the stopping technique If you cannot control the scrolling, you can try the stopping technique. If you feel you’ve exceeded your screen time and can’t control your fingers, say stop and give yourself a physical stimulus at once, maybe a touch on your hand. As you do this repeatedly, your brain will be trained that it’s time to stop the current activity.
