Doomscrolling Detox: My Journey to Switching Off the News  

The weight of always being informed

I used to think that staying on top of the news was a necessity in life. That being informed—properly informed—meant knowing everything that was happening, all the time. Floods, fires, politics and war … I was across it before most people had even had their coffee.

Living in the news cycle

For over 20 years, I worked in media. My job was literally to monitor and replay news stories—over and over. Breaking news, press conferences, distressing footage, angry opinion pieces. I didn’t just watch the news—I lived in it. I could hear the tone of a newsreader’s voice and know if a disaster was coming. Every day started with headlines and ended with another replay of something awful.

Back then, I thought this was normal. Necessary, even. But over time, I noticed I felt constantly wired. Even when I wasn’t working, I would still be across the news. I didn’t sleep well and felt overwhelmed, anxious, and always waiting for the next bad thing. I had absorbed so much of the world’s pain that I’d forgotten how to feel lightness in my own life.

When news becomes noise

And here’s the thing: the research now backs up what I was feeling. Studies show that even just three minutes of negative news in the morning can affect your mood for the rest of the day. It spikes cortisol, the stress hormone, and can lead to feelings of helplessness and fear. Psychologists call it Mean World Syndrome—where we start to believe the world is far more dangerous and hopeless than it really is.

I look back now and realise I was living in a constant state of emotional alert.

Choosing change

So, I made a change. It has taken some time and is still a work in progress.

I still care deeply about what’s going on in the world; however, I’ve had to learn how to protect my energy—to find a healthy balance between being informed and being consumed.

My doomscrolling detox toolkit

Here’s what’s working for me:

1. Setting boundaries around news

I don’t start or end the day with it anymore. Mid-morning is enough. The world will keep turning if I don’t know everything by 7am.

2. Curating a feed that lifts me up

Because, honestly, it does. I’ve muted accounts that trade in fear and drama. I’ve filled my socials with grandchildren dancing, people playing Auskick, and others dancing badly in their kitchens. Joy is just as important as information.

3. Pausing before I click

Not everything that’s “breaking” is worth breaking me over. If I can’t do anything with the information, I don’t let it take root in my day.

4. Replacing scroll time with soul time

A walk, a stretch, a phone call. Even just five minutes sitting in the sun. Little things help me reconnect with the real world, not just the digital one.