March 4, 2022

5 Tips To Help You Stop Doom Scrolling

Dearest Peach…

Many of us are feeling as though we have entered some kind of end of the world era; it’s been a long couple of years of stressful news, and just when we thought we’d seen the worst of it – the climate (politically AND globally – hello war and floods) seems to have shifted again.

In a not so distant past, we would have to wait for the daily newspaper or watch the news on the telly for our updates. But now, we are able to absorb the often harrowing news in real time – every single second of the day. The habit is known as ‘doom scrolling.’ Having 24 hour access to our screens has potential to become compulsive and all consuming – it’s like not being able to look away when you see a car accident.

Whilst our belief that safety is knowledge during a crisis – the constant ability and need to refresh for an update or answer can leave us feeling completely frazzled. Most of us intuitively know that once the scrolling session begins, we go well past the point of any valuable information, and that’s when our emotional and mental wellbeing is at risk.

But Peach, we have your back: we’d like to share some tips we have personally implemented, aiming at giving yourself space, and reducing the urge to put your thumb to screen and fall down a social media scroll hole.

1. Turn off and sign out. Unplugging does not mean you don’t care. Read that again. It means you are able to take control, and choose when is the right time for you to check in on and engage with social media. Signing out of the app means that you have to consciously log in when you’re ready to part take, rather than absent-mindedly clicking on your poison (read: app) of choice.

2. Stop and breathe. Listen to your body – if you find yourself tensing your shoulders, clenching your jaw or your breathing pattern changes – stop scrolling, step away and take some grounding breaths. You can also choose to focus on a few things positive things around you – the news can be triggering, but reminding yourself of the generosity of your local community, or the new trees recently planted by a brand you support can help you to see the bright side.

3. Nourish your body – lose yourself in the kitchen. Whether it’s making a delicious meal, trying a new recipe, cooking is a great way to create space in our minds and do something good for body and soul. Keep an eye out for our Cooking Club 😉

4. Move your body – we all know that exercise is medicine for the mind – but did you know it also triggers a release of feel good hormones in the body? Endorphins have been likened to Morphine by scientists – powerful stuff, Peach!

5. Start and end your day without your phone. How you start each morning will set the tone for your day. Give yourself 15 minutes in the morning to go about your routine without ‘switching on’ – you’ll be more productive and less distracted. At night, we suggest unplugging half an hour before bedtime – so that you can give your body the time to naturally allow melatonin levels to rise, a hormone that aids in deep sleep.