Try This to Recover from Doomscrolling
(by Kirsten Keach, MA, LMFT) When your online world is filled with fear inducing news it can be difficult to turn it off. If you find yourself spending long periods of time reading online content that is sad, depressing, or makes you feel bad inside, you are likely doomscrolling. Doomscrolling is a new term used to describe the experience of continually reading bad news without the ability to stop or step back (On “Doomscrolling” and “Doomsurfing”, 2020).
A run of doomscrolling can leave you feeling hopeless, worried, anxious or fearful. But don’t worry, you don’t have to stay in that difficult emotional place. You can come back to a sense of peace here in the present moment.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to bring yourself back to a calm centered place is to connect with your body. You can do this by practicing a technique called Simplified Self-Havening*. This simple body-based technique helps your body to relax and allows you to return to a sense of peace and calm more quickly. Practice the technique right now by watching the video below and following along. You can also download written instructions in English. Spanish will be available soon.
Video: How to do Simplified Safe-Havening
Why It Works
By using energy-based techniques like Simplified Safe-Havening, you help your body reduce stress hormones. This allows you to return to a calm state quickly and easily. Exposure to too much upsetting news can cause your brain to signal your body that you are in danger. This can lead to your system being flooded with hormones that put you in a state of high alert. This is what makes calming down difficult. By using the technique above, you give your body and mind a boost by reducing those stress inducing hormones.
If you haven’t given the Simplified Safe Havening technique a try yet, do it now. Take notice of how your body feels both before and after you use the technique. This technique is just one of many you can use to bring yourself back after you’ve read upsetting news.
If you found the Simplified Safe Havening technique helpful here are a few more tools you can use to calm anxious feelings: Soothing Butterfly Hug, Healing Head Hold, Calm Breathing.
Need Help From a Professional?
Recovering from trauma and shock is difficult. It’s normal to need help with this. You don’t have to go through this alone. Check-out the ACEP practitioner directory to find a certified ACEP therapist in your area or Online.
Author: Kirsten May Keach, MA, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Kirsten Keach is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Orlando, Florida. Her specialty is relationships. She helps couples and singles develop meaningful, lasting, soulful love relationships. In her free time she is an avid traveler, improv comedy performer and amateur salsa dancer. Learn more about Kirsten here.
Video Resources Provided by the ACEP Humanitarian Committee
The mission of the ACEP Humanitarian Committee is to share energy practices and resources to promote safety, connection, happiness, health and resilience around the world. Learn more here.
Bibliography
On “Doomscrolling” and “Doomsurfing”. (2020). Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 09 24, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching
