We’ve all caught ourselves doing it – scrolling endlessly through videos or posts on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok.

You know that you should stop. You’ve got other things you need to do. In fact, you have other things you WANT to do! At this point, you’re not even enjoying the pointless scrolling, but you can’t seem to stop.

You feel guilty and lazy, which just makes you want to scroll even more.

You tell yourself, “Just one more video,” but then that quickly turns into 45 minutes of more mindless scrolling.

What can you do to stop zombie scrolling?

First of all, understand that you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. Tens of billions of dollars have been spent on making those websites as addicting as possible. 

Your brain wants the rush of dopamine it gets from seeing what comes next in your newsfeed. Will it be interesting? Will it be funny? 

Because you never know what you’re going to see next, the act of scrolling becomes extremely addictive. (It’s very much like a slot machine.)

The developers of social media websites know that, and they design their sites to take full advantage of it. 

Since the invention of the “infinite scroll” feature, there is no natural stopping point. Your brain will tell you to scroll forever, always hoping for that release of dopamine.

The good news is that you can retrain your brain to get out of the doom scrolling habit. All it takes is for you to be willing to act as soon as you realize you’re doing it.

If you’re serious about reducing your phone time, I highly recommend checking out these steps to take control of your phone use and reclaim up to 4 hours of time every day!

Here’s how to stop zombie scrolling instantly:

AS SOON AS you realize you are doing this, you need to make a physical change. This physical change will help you make a mental change that will set you on your way to retraining your brain and breaking this habit.

Here’s a simple 3-step process to break the habit of zombie scrolling:

Step #1 – State a positive mantra out loud

As soon as you realize you are doom scrolling, say something out loud. 

It should be a positive mantra that reinforces your goal or identity. 

(Positive means not something negative like “I’m such a loser; I need to stop wasting time.”)

Here are some ideas for mantras:

• “I’m a new me.”
• “I am worthwhile, and so is my time.”
• “My time is mine.”
• “I am alive; I am present.”

Whatever you want your mantra to be, say it out loud. Speaking is the easiest physical act you can do (it’s easier than moving), and that’s why it’s step #1. 

Step #2 – Apply pressure

Right after you say your mantra, put down your phone and grab a pressure point on your hand.

Apply firm pressure to the webbing between your thumb and pointer finger. This is called the “union valley point.” It’s used in acupuncture to relieve stress and headaches, which will help you to calm your overstimulated mind after all that scrolling. 

But to be honest, the real trick is that grabbing this pressure point also ensures that you won’t pick your phone straight back up! By holding this point on your hand, both hands will be occupied and won’t be able to scroll.

While holding this pressure point, close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths, repeating your mantra in your mind.

Step #3 – Change environments

Move somewhere physically different.

This will disrupt the brain pattern that led you to doom scroll and help you to reset your brain. 

Even a small change of environment can be enough to give your mind a new start and wake it up again. It will help you to focus on the present.

So, go on! Go on a mini-walk right there and then. Leave your phone behind. 

If you can go outside, amazing. Fresh air is great for your brain.

But that’s not necessary. In fact, you don’t even have to move far. If you’re on your couch, go to a chair at the kitchen table. If you’re at your desk at work, take a quick walk to the water fountain or restroom.

If you’re in bed because it’s bedtime, stand up and do a stretch or walk to the kitchen to get some water.

When you’ve moved locations, put your phone in a different place than it was in relation to you before. Leave it in another room if you can. If you need it with you, put it on the ground at your feet or in a drawer – somewhere out of sight.

If you do this every time you catch yourself scrolling mindlessly, you will eventually break the habit altogether.

Conclusion

Mindless scrolling can steal so much of your time – time that you could be spending on things that you love, or things that you actually need to get done.

It happens to all of us, but the next time it happens to you, fight back!

Instead of saying, “Just one more video,” do the three-step process:

1. Say your mantra out loud
2. Grab the pressure point on your hand and breath deeply
3. Physically move locations

It may take some time to get used to doing every time, but I promise it will help you feel so much more in control of your time and your life.

Best of luck!

P.S. The best way to prevent zombie scrolling is to set an intention for your phone every time you pick it up. Check out this article to read about the easy way to do that.

Before You Go…

If you’re sick of your phone sucking you in and making you waste time when you don’t even want to be using it (Ugh, I’ve been there), check out my course, Take Control of Your Phone. Reclaiming ownership over my time and my thoughts has been the best gift I’ve given to myself, and there are steps you can take to make the process simple and oh-so-life changing.