Doomscrolling ruins your health

How to not let your smartphone outsmart you by setting boundaries.

- Lisa Harrison

It all begins innocently – a late-night peek at your favourite social media site before bed. You catch a headline with "breaking news" you can't afford to miss.

Like following digital breadcrumbs, one click leads to another. Before you know it, you're tumbling down a rabbit hole of endless updates and emotionally charged social media posts. Two hours later, your shoulders are tense, your stomach is in knots, but you can't put your phone down.

This endless scrolling through bad news – known as "doomscrolling" – sneaks up on us.

Just like a healthy diet, we must be smart about our news consumption to avoid it taking a toll on our health.

The good news is there are proven ways to stay informed without letting it take over your life. Research shows setting clear boundaries around your news consumption can make a huge difference.

How to set boundaries

It's worth considering why you feel compelled to stay constantly informed. Ask yourself: "Will this information change what I can do about it?"