Protecting Your Energy From Doomscrolling

It is 11 PM and you are three hours deep into a feed that is nothing but bad news, climate anxiety, and political chaos. Your heart is racing, your jaw is clenched, and you feel like the world is ending. This is doomscrolling, and it is a literal poison for your hope. I am not saying you should be ignorant of the world’s problems, but there is a massive difference between being informed and being traumatized by your algorithm. You have to set boundaries with the internet.

Your brain was not designed to process the collective tragedy of eight billion people in real-time. It is too much for any one nervous system. When you consume a constant stream of negativity, your brain goes into 'survival mode.' In survival mode, hope is impossible because you are just trying to stay afloat. You have to turn off the noise to find your center again. Put the phone down. Look at the room you are in. You are safe in this moment. Start there.

Hope in 2025 is an act of rebellion. It is refusing to let the most loud and angry voices dictate your internal state. There is a lot of good happening in the world, too, but it doesn't get the same number of clicks. You have to actively seek out the light. Follow people who are building things, solving problems, and spreading kindness. Balance your intake. For every piece of bad news, find two pieces of evidence that humanity is still worth rooting for.

Remember that you cannot help the world if you are paralyzed by anxiety. Taking care of your mental health is not selfish; it is a prerequisite for being a useful human. When you are grounded and hopeful, you have the energy to actually contribute to the solutions. You can volunteer, you can help a neighbor, you can do your job with integrity. Those small, local actions are how we actually change the world. Global problems require local hope.

Tonight, let your phone die in the kitchen. Read a book, talk to a roommate, or just sit with your thoughts. The world will still be there in the morning, but your peace of mind is fragile. Protect it like it’s the most valuable thing you own—because it is. You are allowed to unplug. You are allowed to be happy even when the news is bad. In fact, your happiness is a form of resistance against the chaos. Stay hopeful.