25 Better Things to Do Instead of Doom Scrolling

Ever picked up your phone to check one thing and looked up an hour later? You’re in good company. Americans check their phones 186 times a day, and nearly 46% consider themselves addicted to their phones.

Here’s the good news. Your phone time doesn’t have to vanish into an endless feed. With Swagbucks, you can earn SB, Swagbucks’ rewards points, for things like playing eligible games, answering surveys, and scanning grocery receipts. So when you do reach for your phone, that time can count toward gift cards and PayPal cash.

Below, we’ll cover why doom scrolling is so hard to stop and how to break the habit. Then we’ll share 25 things to do instead of doom scrolling, from quick resets and creative hobbies to easy ways to earn rewards.

Key Takeaways

• Know what’s pulling you in. Doom scrolling taps into your brain’s negativity bias and the unpredictable rewards of an endless feed, which is why putting your phone down can feel so hard.
• Add a little friction. App timers, logging out, and charging your phone outside the bedroom make the scroll harder to start, and a go-to replacement activity makes it easier to stop.
• Make your screen time intentional. When you do pick up your phone, reward apps like Swagbucks let you play eligible games, answer surveys, and try Daily Trivia to earn SB toward gift cards.

What Is Doom Scrolling?

Doom scrolling is the habit of continuously scrolling through negative or distressing news and social media content, even when it leaves you feeling anxious, drained, or upset. The term became widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people spent hours refreshing their feeds at home.

A doom scrolling session usually starts innocently. You open an app to check one notification. Then the feed keeps serving up headlines, hot takes, and alarming videos until the minutes slip away.

Not all scrolling is doom scrolling, though. A recipe video or a friend’s vacation photos can be a fun break. The difference is how you feel afterward, and whether you chose to keep going or simply couldn’t stop.

Why Is Doom Scrolling So Hard to Stop?

Your brain is wired to notice threats first. This tendency, called negativity bias, helped early humans stay alert to danger. Today, it makes alarming headlines grab your attention faster than good news.

Endless feeds also work a lot like a slot machine. Each swipe might bring something funny, shocking or important. That unpredictability keeps your brain’s reward system coming back for one more scroll.

Scrolling can also feel like a way to stay in control. When life feels uncertain, reading one more update can seem like preparation, even though more information rarely leaves you feeling calmer.

Often, the urge to scroll is your brain trying to meet a real need. Boredom, anxiety, loneliness, and the desire to stay informed can all send you reaching for your phone. The best replacement activities meet that same need in a way that leaves you feeling better.

How Does Doom Scrolling Affect Your Mental Health?

Research has linked doom scrolling with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. A recent systematic review found consistent associations across studies, though most research so far shows a connection without proving one causes the other.

Late-night scrolling can cut into your rest, too. Cleveland Clinic psychologist Adam Borland notes that doom scrolling can fuel stress and anxiety and even disrupt sleep. And with nearly half of Americans sleeping with their phones, that last scroll before bed is all too easy to start.

Borland also suggests watching for physical cues like headaches or muscle tension as signs it’s time to take a break.

How to Break the Doom Scrolling Habit

Set a time limit you can stick to. Built-in tools like Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android let you cap daily use for specific apps. A simple alarm can also signal when it’s time to put your phone down.

Add friction to the habit. Logging out of social apps, moving them off your home screen, or turning off nonessential notifications adds a few extra steps. That pause gives you a chance to decide whether you really want to open it.

Change where your phone lives. Nearly 85% of Americans check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up. Charging yours outside the bedroom, or leaving it in another room during meals, makes it less likely to be the first thing you grab.

Have a replacement ready. A habit is easier to break when you know what you’ll do instead, so pick a few favorites from the list below.

5 Physical Things to Do Instead of Doom Scrolling

1. Take a Short Walk

A quick walk around the block gives your eyes a break from the screen and your mind a chance to reset. Leave your headphones at home and notice what’s around you.

2. Stretch or Try a Quick Workout

You don’t need a full gym session to feel better. A few minutes of stretching, squats, or a beginner yoga video can release the tension that builds up while you’re hunched over your phone.

3. Cook or Bake Something New

Cooking keeps your hands busy and gives you something delicious to show for your time. Try a recipe you’ve been saving, prep snacks for the week, or bake something to share with a friend.

4. Tidy One Small Space

Decluttering a whole room can feel overwhelming, but one drawer or shelf takes about 10 minutes. You’ll trade the scroll for a quick win you can actually see.

5. Make Something With Your Hands

Knitting, painting, embroidery, and simple DIY projects give restless hands a job, which makes it harder to reach for your phone. A beginner kit is an easy way to start. If you’re picking up supplies online, shopping through Swagbucks can earn you cash back on craft supplies at eligible retailers.

5 Mindful Ways to Reset Instead of Scrolling

1. Try a Breathing Exercise

Box breathing is simple to learn. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold for four. A few rounds can help you slow down when you feel the pull to grab your phone.

2. Journal for Five Minutes

Jot down how you’re feeling and what’s on your mind. Over time, you may spot patterns in what sends you to your feed.

3. Meditate

Start with just two or three minutes. A guided meditation can help, or you can sit quietly and focus on your breath, gently bringing your attention back whenever it wanders.

4. Write Down Three Things You’re Grateful For

Negativity bias pulls your attention toward what’s going wrong. Listing three good things from your day, even small ones, is a quick way to balance the scales.

5. Let Yourself Be Bored

Boredom is uncomfortable, and that’s often what sends you to your phone in the first place. Try sitting with it for a few minutes. Notice the urge to scroll without acting on it, and let your mind wander.

5 Creative and Brain-Boosting Activities

1. Read a Book

A good book gives you the same “just one more” pull as a feed, with a much better payoff. Keep one on your nightstand or try audiobooks. If your to-read list keeps growing, you can redeem SB for a Barnes & Noble gift card.

2. Work on a Puzzle

Crosswords, sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles keep your mind engaged and come with a clear finish line.

3. Learn a Language or Instrument

Ten minutes of practice a day adds up faster than you’d think. Pick something you’ve always wanted to try, and use your usual scrolling time to chip away at it.

4. Start a Creative Project

Sketch, write a short story, or go on a photo walk with a theme in mind, like the color yellow or interesting shadows. Making something of your own feels very different from consuming someone else’s content.

5. Dive Into a Topic You’re Curious About

Choose a subject that fascinates you, like local history, space or how your favorite snack is made, and learn everything you can. A documentary or library book turns downtime into something that feeds your curiosity.

5 Ways to Connect With Real People

1. Call a Friend or Family Member

A 10-minute phone call can lift your mood more than an hour of scrolling past other people’s updates. If you’ve been meaning to check in on someone, now’s the perfect time.

2. Plan a Get-Together

Host a game night, organize a potluck, or set up a coffee date. Planning it is a great use of your phone.

3. Send a Handwritten Note

A card or letter takes a few minutes to write and can make someone’s whole week.

4. Volunteer in Your Community

Helping at a food bank, animal shelter, or community event puts you around people who care about the same things you do. It’s also a powerful antidote to the helpless feeling doom scrolling can leave behind.

5. Have a Phone-Free Meal

About 56% of Americans use their phones while eating dinner. Try putting phones in another room during meals and giving the conversation your full attention.

What Is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a free rewards platform where you earn SB for everyday activities like playing eligible games, taking surveys, shopping online, and scanning grocery receipts. 100 SB is equivalent to $1 in rewards, and you can redeem your SB for gift cards or PayPal cash once you meet the applicable redemption requirements.

You can earn on our website or in the Swagbucks app, so it fits right into the spare minutes you might otherwise spend scrolling. Existing members who download the app earn 5X more.

Swagbucks has been rewarding members since 2008. The platform reports more than 13.9 million active members and over $700 million in rewards paid out.

5 Ways to Earn Rewards When You Do Pick Up Your Phone

Sometimes you’ll still want your phone in hand, and that’s OK. Swapping an endless feed for an activity with a clear goal is one of the most practical things to do instead of doom scrolling. With Swagbucks, that time can earn you SB.

1. Play Eligible Games

Choose from game categories like puzzle, word, strategy, and board games, and earn SB when you complete eligible milestones according to the offer terms. Browse eligible games and check each offer’s requirements and deadlines before you start, so you can pick games that pay and that you’ll actually enjoy finishing.

2. Test Your Knowledge With Daily Trivia

Swagbucks Daily Trivia lets you answer trivia questions for a chance to earn SB. It has a set end point, so it’s easy to play and then put your phone down.

3. Share Your Opinion in Surveys and Polls

Brands want to hear from real people, and you can earn SB for sharing your take. You choose which surveys are worth your time, and quick polls fit into just a minute or two.

4. Scan Your Grocery Receipts

After a grocery trip, open the Swagbucks app, select Magic Receipts and snap a photo of your receipt. Eligible purchases earn SB, so a minute on your phone turns into rewards for shopping you already did.

5. Earn Cash Back When You Shop Online

Social feeds are full of ads designed to spark impulse buys. When you’re ready to buy something you actually need, shopping through Swagbucks lets you earn cash back at eligible retailers. You can choose from over 1,500 retailers, and the SwagButton browser extension can remind you when cash back is available.

Make Your Screen Time Count With Swagbucks

Breaking a doom scrolling habit gets easier when you understand what’s driving it and have a few go-to swaps ready. A walk, a puzzle, or a phone call can meet the same need that sends you reaching for your feed.

And when you do pick up your phone, it can work in your favor. Rewards apps like Swagbucks turn a few spare minutes into SB you can redeem for gift cards or PayPal cash, and there are no caps on your daily earnings.

Ready to find better things to do instead of doom scrolling? Sign up for Swagbucks for free and start earning SB today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some things to do instead of doom scrolling?

Some of the best things to do instead of doom scrolling are quick, easy swaps like taking a walk, stretching, journaling, reading a book, working on a puzzle, or calling a friend. If you’d still like your phone in hand, Swagbucks lets you play eligible games, try Daily Trivia, or answer surveys to earn SB.

Why can’t I stop doom scrolling?

Your brain naturally pays more attention to threats, and endless feeds deliver unpredictable rewards that keep you coming back for more. Because feeds are built to hold your attention, adding friction and having a replacement activity ready tends to work better than willpower alone.

Is doom scrolling bad for your mental health?

Research has linked doom scrolling to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, along with disrupted sleep. Most studies show an association, so scientists are still learning how much doom scrolling directly causes these effects. If scrolling is affecting your mood or daily life, talking with a healthcare professional can help.

What can I do instead of scrolling before bed?

Try charging your phone outside your bedroom and keeping a book, journal or puzzle book on your nightstand. A few minutes of box breathing or writing down three things you’re grateful for can also help you wind down.

How long does it take to break a doom scrolling habit?

It varies from person to person. A well-known study from University College London found it took an average of 66 days for a new daily behavior to feel automatic, with individual results ranging from 18 to 254 days. Missing a day here and there didn’t derail progress, so focus on building your replacement habit consistently.

Can you earn money on your phone instead of scrolling?

Yes! Rewards apps like Swagbucks let you earn SB for playing eligible games, taking surveys, scanning receipts and shopping online, then redeem your SB for gift cards or PayPal cash. Your total depends on how often you participate and which activities you choose, and it can be a great way to earn extra spending money in your downtime.

Is Swagbucks legit?

Yes. Swagbucks has been rewarding members since 2008. The platform reports more than 13.9 million active members and over $700 million in rewards paid out, and it’s free to join on our website or in the Swagbucks app.