working from home, doomscrolling, and mental health

31 Mar, 2026

I'm an American who is horrified by the things I see my country's government doing, both within our country and on the other side of the world. I see scary, enraging, fucked-up headlines at any given time that I open Bluesky or Reddit. Usually, I try to resolve my anxiety by learning more about situations. Having knowledge generally makes me feel more in control. But when it comes to current events and politics, I think it's become the opposite for me.

Doomscrolling through headlines, articles, or comments sections doesn't make me feel more educated - it makes me feel even more anxious. In headlines, I see things summarized in the most upsetting single sentences posssible. In comments sections, I see people arguing with each other, begging politicians to grow a spine and take action, making morbid jokes, or wondering when things will stop getting worse. In actual articles, I read the details of what my country is doing to innocent people, what atrocities we are committing, and how there is no end in sight. I don't feel better when I learn more.

I used to tell myself that I needed to stay up to date with the news because even if the news upset me, it was better than sticking my head in the sand and choosing to remain ignorant. I insisted upon this, actually. I only made myself so anxious that I became fearful and paranoid. After realizing how much worse this was for me, I realized that I needed to take a step back and limit the amount of time I spent not only looking at anything related to news, but limit my time spent on my phone overall.

For additional context, I have a pretty laidback work-from-home job. It's easy to reach for my phone and fall into the trap of scrolling on Reddit on and off throughout the day, or checking my local Discord server to see what conversations people are having. I don't use Facebook, X, or TikTok, and I have an Instagram account but have all of the notifications muted, meaning I tend to go weeks at a time forgetting to look at the app. Reddit, Discord, and Bluesky are the biggest traps I have on my phone.

The rules I've set for myself to limit my anxiety and screen time are as follows:

1. Looking at any of the aforementioned apps is limited to when I'm on a 15-minute break or during my lunch. These are times when I've actually stepped away from my work desk. I'm okay to text my partner or a friend back throughout the day but after I've responded, I lock my phone and set it aside again.
2. I can use my phone to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks throughout the day. These things make days (especially my work days) more enjoyable without distracting me from my actual tasks, so I give these things a pass. I am trying to be careful with the podcasts and audiobooks I listen to, though, and have been avoiding choosing anything too serious (like a podcast talking about current events).¹
3. When I feel the temptation to reach for my phone, I stop and ask myself why. I try to answer honestly, and what I do next depends on what my answer is. If I'm lonely and want to shoot a quick text to a friend, I'll let myself do that. If I'm bored, I'll choose something like a comedy podcast or start an audiobook. If I just want to be online, well, that's just too bad.
   

Isn't it crazy how working from home blurs the lines of when technology is and isn't usable? It makes it a lot harder to limit the usage of certain devices. I have a coworker who told me she streams shows on her phone throughout the work day because it makes her work day go by faster. I'm sure other coworkers do the same. Is what I'm doing any different? If we work our shifts and meet our metrics, does it matter how much I'm on my phone throughout the day? I guess not, but I'm still trying to be mindful of both how deeply I am entrenched in politics and news and what I choose to redirect my attention to.

#doomscrolling #mentalhealth #personal