SEATTLE — Doomscrolling: Do you do it? Do you keep on scrolling through the bad news even if you don't like how it makes you feel? Seattle Psychologist Dr. Kate Lund says COVID-19, among other things in the news these days, has taken this habit to an entirely new level.
She says Doomscrolling has serious health ramifications, "As humans, our primal instincts push us to focus on the negative. This was an adaptive practice for our ancestors when real threats were often lurking around the corner – like a wild animal or poisonous berries to be avoided. Such threats made it important to always be on alert.
Without such a real threat – focusing on the negative becomes less adaptive, and in many cases, is damaging and detrimental to our sense of well-being. It keeps us stuck in a state of fight-or-flight or on high alert, which is an exhausting place to live and not sustainable for the long term."
Dr. Lund says people get stuck in that state of fight or flight as they scroll through bad news hour after hour searching for elusive answers and understanding. As a result feelings of anxiety, depression, and discontent go up and their overall sense of well-being goes down.
What can we do?
- Turn off the news for a time. Either entirely or create a designated time of the day to focus on the news and otherwise cut it off.
- Create a daily mindfulness process to shift yourself out of the fight or flight zone and into a more stress modulated space where you are able to manage your response to stressors as they hit more effectively.
- Focus on the good things around you in a conscious way each day
- Gratitude Journal – Record what you are grateful for daily
- Daily Wins Exercise – At the end of each day write down 3-5 things that went well during the day. Refer back to these things often.
- Exercise
- Make an extra effort to connect socially, but don’t fixate on the opinions of others
- Focus on good nutrition and good sleep
About Dr. Lund: "I am a licensed clinical psychologist of 15 years, peak performance coach, best-selling author and TEDx speaker. My specialized training in medical psychology includes world-renowned Shriners Burn Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centers, all of which are affiliated with Harvard Medical School. I use a strengths-based approached to help my clients improve their confidence in school, sports and life while helping them to become more resilient and reach their full potential at all levels." drkatelund.com
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.