Author: fizur-philip@cooperhealth.edu

Joyscrolling, and other Doomscrolling Antidotes

It is official, Doomscrolling has been added to the dictionary. For those who are not familiar, this term describes the practice of obsessively checking online news for updates, especially on social media feeds, with the expectation that the news will be bad, such that the feeling of dread from this negative expectation fuels a compulsion to continue looking for updates in a self-perpetuating cycle. This behavior has been associated with poor sleep, increased depression and anxiety, as well as increased substance use.  

Dr. Ariane Ling of the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine says that we engage in this behavior because we as humans are hardwired to constantly assess for risk as a survival mechanism. The problem is that when this hardwire connection was made in the human brain early in our evolution there was no such thing as social media, and so our risk assessments did not take very long since the amount of data was small and did not change that often. What we are seeing today is maladaptive belief that is understood well through basic behaviorism: “I consumed all the information possible about the plethora of terrible things out there, I did not die, thus I must continue to consume all the information possible to be sure nothing catches me off guard and thus will not die.” Sadly, this logic will not stand the test of time for any of us.

So what do we do to combat Doomscrolling? Dr. Ling has some practical advice:

• Be Informed, Not Inundated: We do need to stay informed, so choose some trustworthy sources and check in only at regular intervals. For example, you can commit to checking in with the CDC and WHO websites once per day or even only once per week if your focus remains on gathering COVID-related information.
  
  
• Joyscroll, too! If you are going to be online, balance your exposure to distressing content with some Joyscrolling, or intentional exposure to positive content. This can help combat the impact of its more negatively focused counterpart, Doomscrolling. While John Krasinski is no longer producing his “Some Good News” series, other websites continue to curate more inspiring content.
  
  
• Build Awareness, Set Limits: Set a limit and be intentional about how much news you are consuming. Ask yourself if you were not on your phone, what would you be doing? Build awareness is usually the first step in any behavior change. Once you are more aware you can set a reasonable, specific time limit and set a firm boundary for yourself on how much news you are consuming. Once you have reached that limit, and found your good news balance, log off and find a way to re-engage with the world around you. Need help re-engaging? Check out this article from Positive Psychology.

Historically when one thinks Delta Blues they think of musicians like Robert Johnson and one of the earliest-known styles of Blues music here in the States. But as COVID cases rise again, and the majority of those cases are of the Delta variant, and many are already feeling anxiety about potential new waves, hospital utilization, impact on schools come Fall, and countless other issues. This is to be expected. During times like this it may be a good idea to return to some of the basic coping skills we learned early in the pandemic.

• F = Focus on what’s in your control – You cannot control what others think, believe, or do. You can, however, control things your diet, your exercise, your sleep behaviors. You can turn to reliable sources about COVID.
  
• A = Acknowledge your thoughts & feelings – Thoughts and feelings tend to pop up automatically, almost like any other reflex. We can, however, manage our response to them once they show up and that starts with acknowledging them. Acknowledge them as normal responses to an abnormal situation. Here is an exercise to help you with this.
  
• C = Come back into your body – Many times these distressing thoughts and feelings we have about COVID or anything else are treated like actual, physical threats. Sometimes it is a good idea to bring our attention back to our body, to help our brain understand what is actually going on around us in this moment. You can learn how to do this via Grounding Techniques as explained here.
  
• E = Engage in what you’re doing – As above, often our goal is to keep our attention on what is here, and what is now. We can often benefit from keeping that attention on activities that are important to us. You can learn more about this from the author of FACE COVID Russ Harris.
  
• C = Committed action – Committed action means effective action, guided by your core values; action you take because it’s truly important to you; action you take even if it brings up difficult thoughts and feelings. Once you have dropped anchor using the above methods you will have a lot of control over your actions – so this makes it easier to do the things that truly matter. What are simple ways to look after yourself, those you live with, and those you can realistically help? What kind, caring, supportive deeds you can do? Can you say some kind words to someone in distress – in person or via a phone call or text message? Can you help someone out with a task or a chore, or cook a meal, or hold someone’s hand, or play a game with a young child? Can you comfort and soothe someone who is sick? Or in the most serious of cases, nurse them and access whatever medical assistance is available?
  
• O = Opening up – Opening up means making room for difficult feelings and being kind to yourself. Difficult feelings are guaranteed to keep on showing up as this crisis unfolds: fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, guilt, loneliness, frustration, confusion, and many more. We can’t stop them from arising; they’re normal reactions. But we can open up and make room for them: acknowledge they are normal, allow them to be there (even though they hurt), and treat ourselves kindly. You can learn more about Developing Self-Compassion here.
  
• V = Values – Committed action should be guided by your core values: What do you want to stand for in the face of this crisis? What sort of person do you want to be, as you go through this? How do you want to treat yourself and others? Your values might include love, respect, humour, patience, courage, honesty, caring, openness, kindness …. or numerous others. Look for ways to ‘sprinkle’ these values into your day. Let them guide and motivate your committed action.
  
• I = Identify resources – Identify resources for help, assistance, support, and advice. This includes friends, family, neighbours, health professionals, emergency services. And make sure you know the emergency helpline phone numbers, including psychological help if required. Also reach out to your social networks. And if you are able to offer support to others, let them know; you can be a resource for other people, just as they can for you. One very important aspect of this process involves finding a reliable and trustworthy source of information for updates on the crisis and guidelines for responding to it. The World Health Organisation website is the leading source of such information.
  
• D = Disinfect & distance – I’m sure you already know this, but it’s worth repeating: disinfect your hands regularly and practice as much social distancing as realistically possible, for the greater good of your community. And remember, we’re talking about physical distancing – not cutting off emotionally. If you aren’t quite sure about what this means, read this. This is an important aspect of committed action, so align it deeply with your values; recognise that these are truly caring actions.

One aspect of wellness often discussed clinically, in the research literature, and simply amongst friends is the ongoing effort to strike a satisfactory Work-Life Balance. Many of us want to be successful and be considered hard workers by our peers and family members, and at the same time to not want to give up time with our loved ones, leisurely pursuits, and other aspects of self-care. One place where this often manifests for those working a traditional work week is Sunday afternoons into the evening. This phenomenon was recently described by Jessica Stern, PhD, who also offered some tips on how to manage it.

Dr. Stern describes feelings of worry, fear, dread, and anticipatory feelings of being overwhelmed at what is coming up in the next week, along with sadness at leaving other things we enjoy behind. She feels that this anticipatory distress is often chronic, is common, and is a sign it is time to check in with ourselves, what we have on our plates, and how we are coping with this.

The goal is not to avoid the thoughts that trigger these uncomfortable feelings but to manage them effectively by finding ways to take control of what you can. To help with this, Dr. Stern suggests that we prep for the week throughout the weekend in brief ways through activities such as meal preparation, putting together outfits and hanging them in order in the closet, or scanning your calendar to get a good sense of what your game plan is going into the week, so things feel more predictable when you hit the ground Monday morning.

If we are being honest, most of us know the changes we could make to improve our health and wellbeing, but it is complicated. Even the easiest changes have prerequisites as well as impact on what is often already a very right schedule. This is why the field of psychology often puts early emphasis on breaking big goals down into smaller ones, and taking things step by step.

First, think about what needs to change. Are you ready for tweak your diet? Up your exercise? Rededicate to personal or spiritual relationships? Pick JUST one, and figure out where you are in the change process with this brief guide.

Then, develop a SMART goal using this guide.

The key is to start SMALL! If we try to do everything all at once we set ourselves up for failure and become less likely to do anything. If you want to lose weight, start by tracking your diet for a few weeks before you try to change anything. Then, identify that one snack, soda, or other indulgence you do not need and see if you can reduce or eliminate it for two weeks, then on to the next goal, and so on.

Your progress may seem painfully slow at first but, before you know it, you will be well on your way to where you want to be!

How are you?

This is question that you may ask others all throughout the day, and that others may ask you, to which you or they may provide a very automatic “find, and you?”

But everyone now and again it is helpful to stop and take stock of how you are actually doing as objectively as is possible.

One of the ways we might do this is through formal or semi-formal assessment, which also lets us track how we are doing over time. One such measure, called “The Wellness Assessment” is available for free here.

There are no standardized metrics to consider here. The authors simply suggest that as your score increases so, too, as your attention to wellness. So be sure to check in with yourself today and, if the assessment suggests one area in particular is suffering, consider a review of our Setting Intentions exercise to address that area.