These Three Apps Have Helped Me Stop Doomscrolling

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During the first Trump presidency, I worked at a major news network and found it impossible to distance myself from the tumult of the daily news, which seemed to bring one major headline after another. Even when I got home at the end of the day, I found myself scrolling and scrolling my social media feeds, unable to disengage.

I don't work in political media anymore, but as the news continues to grow in terms of seriousness and sensationalism, from political upheaval to environmental disasters to violent wars, I've found myself falling into my old news-consuming habits. I know that constantly engaging with news and opinions about complex and upsetting topics isn't generally good for me, and can have a real effect on my mental health.

To help curb my habit before it gets out of control again, I've been turning to apps for regulation and distraction. Here are a few I've most found helpful.

To get just enough news: Apple News (or Google News)

Credit: Apple News

Obviously, commentary and context from experts and people with lived experiences can be valuable tools for making sense of the news, but it's easy to get carried away consuming post after post and reaction after reaction. If you want to cut down on how much you're consuming and scrolling but don't want to cut out getting the news altogether, opt for a designated news app.

I've been using Apple News ($12.99/month with a one-month free trial), which lets me customize the kinds of news I see and the publishers I read. I can open the app, glance at the headlines from these outlets, read an article if I want, and go about my day without getting sucked into a discourse hole.

I like Apple News (or Google News if you're on Android or don't want to pay Apple for the service) better than competitors like Flipboard because I don't want to have too many options. I want a curated, condensed look at current events, what other people are reading, and what I need to know, rather than a morass of too many things I could get stuck in for hours.

Use Apple News for:

• Seeing the headlines of the day

• Reading reputable outlets when you want to dive deeper

• Getting a sense of trending stories, which are featured in their own section

• Reading content that would typically be paywalled (Apple News+ only)

• Curating what you want to see

To curb screen time: Steppin

Credit: Steppin

OK, so I can't completely disengage, which is why I haven't deleted my social apps altogether. In those cases, I try to curb my screen time. For this, I like Steppin, which refuses me entry to apps on my blocklist unless I exchange time I've banked by walking around in the real world. I've been using this app for five months and enjoy it because it's a two-for-one deal: It forces me to walk around more, which is good for me, and keeps me off distracting apps, which can be bad for me. Best of all, it's free (but for now, only available on iOS).

Before I found Steppin, I was using One Sec, which forces you to pause before opening designated apps, reminds you to do breathing exercises, tracks your time spent on those designated apps, and can even block certain ones. It's free to use for one app, or $19.99/year for unlimited apps. Ultimately, I like Steppin better because, in prompting you to enter in how many minutes of walking time you'd like to trade for app access, it provides that same mindful pause, plus other benefits, but if you only need the pause or don't get to walk much, this could be a good option for you.

Use Steppin for:

• Cutting down the time you spend scrolling

• Finding encouragement to take a walk and focus on yourself

• Building long-term habits that enable you to resist the urge to open an app and scroll

To calm down after doomscrolling: Headspace

Credit: Headspace

There are two main problems with doomscrolling. First, you waste a lot of time, a problem addressed by the apps above. Second, and worse (for me), you can damage your mental wellbeing. So in addition to cutting down on doomscrolling, you should also have an app that counteracts its negative effects.

For this, I like Headspace ($69.99/year with a 14-day free trial). It houses meditations, sleep sounds, tips on mindfulness, and more, with simple and calming graphics. You do have to remind yourself to use it, but the app is easy enough to use and produces clear enough results that it quickly became a habit for me. The meditative exercises can be small—as short as three minutes—and can be accessed anywhere, which is why I favor Headspace over other de-stressing apps I've tried.

Use Headspace for:

• Monthly check-ins to track your progress on stress or anxiety (depending which you are focused on)

• Brown noise to fall asleep to (which I prefer to Spotify, as it doesn't wreck my algorithm)

• A daily offering of custom grounding exercises, meditations, focus sessions, and even music, some of which you participate in with a group, so you feel less alone

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