How to Stop Doomscrolling with Jesus

Do you ever get caught up on your phone doomscrolling? Many of us have been there and often it’s addicting. In this post, Shirley shares how to stop doomscrolling with Jesus and three practical steps to restore peace moving forward.

Sighing with frustration, I set my phone down. “Why do I do this to myself?” I wondered.

I used to love scrolling through social media. At first these platforms provided a place to connect with friends and family—especially those who live far away. But now the posts filling my newsreel reflect global devastations, political division, and personal disputes. Instead of finding encouragement, doomscrolling fueled a heaviness in my heart and soul.

Doomscrolling—spending excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that creates anxiety, fear, or even anger—is a relatively new phenomenon. Our brains are hardwired to detect threat. So when we come across a post that triggers a perceived danger, we automatically tune in and experience a small dose of dopamine (a hormone that controls motivation and focus). Every time we engage in these posts, the social media algorithms take note and send more of the same into our newsfeed. Before we know it, our hearts are emptied of the peace of Jesus.

How to Stop Doomscrolling

I knew this, but felt powerless to break the cycle. When I took my struggle to Jesus in prayer, He reminded me that, while the format is new, the need to protect our hearts is not. His Holy Spirit led me to this teaching: 

Jesus’ point is clear: what we store in our hearts will be reflected in what we think, say, and do. Because of this, we need to safeguard our hearts. 

I had allowed the images, thoughts, and emotions embedded in social media posts to take root in my heart. No wonder my heart felt heavy, my thoughts reflected negativity, and apathy settled into my soul. I desperately needed a course correction.

How to Stop Doomscrolling with Jesus

3 Practical Steps to Restore Peace Moving Forward

Jesus, through His gift of the Holy Spirit, restored my peace by following these three steps:

1.) Process through Prayer

As I prayed, the Holy Spirit showed me how negative social media posts and their comment threads created a fault-finding nature within me. This spilled over into the way I talked to myself and looked at others. I became hyper-focused on what was wrong with the world, with me, and with other people.

2.) Prepare a Plan

Jesus helped me see the difference between an awareness of this broken world—and an obsession with it. To help my heart, I began limiting my time on social media. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through my newsfeed, I chose to search for updates from trusted friends.

3.) Prioritize His Promises

Safeguarding our hearts isn’t just keeping bad things out—it’s also intentionally storing good things. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to remind us of His teachings and promises. He knew we would have trouble in this life. To help our hearts, we need to remember Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33). When we fill our hearts with Him, He blesses us with a peace the world can never offer (John 14:27). 

We’ve All Been There

At some point, all of us experience situations that weigh heavy on our hearts. Sometimes it’s caused by external influences such as social media. Other times it’s more personal as we suffer the loss of a loved one, a failed dream, or the burdens of life. But when that heaviness feels overwhelming, we can turn to Jesus to get the help we need. 

Join the Conversation

What has troubled your heart recently? Have you struggled with doomscrolling? Remember we can always ask Jesus for His help. I’d love to hear how He restored your peace. 

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These devotions will encourage your heart as you walk through the troubles of this world. Because life is hard, but God is good.

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