Help! I’m Stuck in the Scroll Hole of Doom and I Can’t Get Out! - A modern survival guide for when your nervous system gets hijacked by WiFi.
/This isn’t your typical “how to stop doomscrolling” post. There’s plenty of that out there to scroll by.
Today, you won’t find productivity hacks, generic, repetitive instructions, or any shame.
Just a little self-awareness, a few nervous system resets, and a gentle reminder that you're more okay than you think—you’re just overstimulated and emotionally maxed out.
Welcome to the Scroll Hole™. Let’s crawl out—together.
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Hi. If you’re reading this, you’re already doing it.
You meant to check one thing.
Now it’s been 94 minutes, your eyes are dry, and you’ve accidentally read a 2 hour comment-argument about skincare between a 22-year-old influencer and a dermatologist named Pumpkin Spice.
Welcome to the Scroll Hole™.
We meet nightly. No dress code. Bring your regrets.
🧠 Why You Can’t Stop Scrolling (And It’s Not Your Fault)
You say, “I can’t stop scrolling! ” Or, “It’s 4 a.m. and I’ve been watching TikToks for four days—what is wrong with me?! I’m so lazy. I have to get to work.”
But here’s the 411 (information, dropped directly to you):
This isn’t laziness.
It’s a slick, expertly engineered Amygdala Ambush™—a modern attention trap designed to keep your stress circuits activated and your dopamine chasing more.
Scrolling or “Doomscrolling,” is often a coping mechanism, albeit not always a truly soothing one, for things like:
Loneliness
Boredom
Overwhelm
Avoidance
Anxiety and Low Key Panic
Grief, exhaustion, sadness
Mental and emotional burnout
The sinking, creeping feeling it’s all just too much
Doomscrolling isn’t necessarily self-sabotage. It’s self-regulation with a side of algorithmic sludge.
🚨 Scroll Hole™ Bingo
(Check all that apply. No shame.)
You meant to check a text but ended up on your ex’s cousin’s engagement page.
Your thumb is sore, but you kept on scrollin’.
You’re now emotionally invested in a Reddit thread about someone else’s yeast infection.
You keep seeing “10 hacks to stop scrolling”… and scroll right past them.
You’ve used your phone so much it’s basically a body part. Is that my arm, or…..?
🧰 Scroll Hole™ First Aid Kit
Because your nervous system deserves better than TikTok at 2 a.m.
👀 1. Emotional Check-In Prompts
Checking in with what’s happening with your body, your mind, your life—that’s the whole idea behind these prompts.
To gently inquire:
What’s really behind my four-hour fascination with puppies jumping over unicorns… and whatever my BFF from 4th grade uses for concealer?
Maybe you're avoiding something.
Maybe you're tired.
Maybe you're just a human being trying to soothe your brain in a world that won’t stop yelling.
Here is an invitation to try pausing for 5 seconds, breath in once, breathe out once, when you're about to scroll (or 73 minutes into it), and ask:
What am I actually feeling right now?
What do I imagine would happen if I actually let myself feel it?
Who or what am I avoiding in my life that I secretly can’t stand?
Do I want to keep scrolling… or am I trying not to feel something?
If scrolling didn’t exist, what would I be doing instead—and what about that scares me?
What would be 1% kinder to my brain or body right now?
What’s actually working about scrubbing through content for hours? What’s the payoff?
These aren’t for judgment. They’re for data.
Because sometimes four hours of puppies jumping over unicorns and tracking down your 4th grade best friend’s concealer brand… is about everything except what you’re watching.
Bonus mantra:
“This isn’t weakness. It’s wiring. And I can work with it.”
🧭 2. Micro Reset Ideas (Instead of Scrolling)
These won’t solve your entire life.
They won’t unlock your chakras, repair trust issues, or delete your ex’s birth chart.
But they will interrupt the spiral. And sometimes, that’s a win!
💧 Drink some water like it’s the antidote to whatever this is.
🙆♀️ Stretch your arms overhead like you’re reaching for the stars!
🪞 Stare at a wall and pretend you’re buffering.
🕯️ Light a candle and let out a dramatic sigh like your nervous system just landed in a fluffy cloud.
🚪 Put your phone in another room like you’re breaking up with it—but low key.
🧍♀️ Do absolutely nothing for one full minute and try not to combust.
🌬️ Try a breathing technique: Inhale. Hold. Exhale slowly. Rise, repeat, resist the urge to open TikTok. (It’ll be there when you come back)
✋ Do a round of EFT Tapping! (More on that below—no experience needed.)
🔁 3. Mini Boundaries That Might Actually Work
You don’t have to delete your apps and move to the forest.
You just need to stop letting your phone use you like an emotional support object with WiFi.
Try one:
⏰ Set a scroll timer (5–10 minutes, then pause, reassess, proceed)
🚶♀️ No scrolling while standing, walking, or pacing in your local coffee shop
🚽 Are you scrolling in the bathroom? Okay… but can you place it across the room like a trust exercise with yourself?
🛏️ No scrolling in bed—ok, unless it’s healing memes (ducks in hats, cute pets in sweaters, or raccoons doing yoga)
💬 Try telling your phone, “You’re not the boss of me,” out loud. It won’t help, but you might laugh, and that’s medicine!
🌿 Bonus- EFT Tapping to Reduce to Doom Scroll Doom. – No experience needed.
These simple, calming lines are adapted from Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping)—a powerful method where you use your fingertips to tap on nine designated acupressure points while stating what’s causing the stress. This helps rewire the brain by reducing cortisol and the fight/flight/freeze response in your amygdala- the stress center of the brain. Hello parasympathetic, and good-bye fired up sympathetic nervous system, and thank you EFT.
You don’t need to know how to tap to try this.
If you’ve never done EFT Tapping before, just read the words slowly—out loud or silently. Let them land in your body. You’re giving your brain something else to focus on—something validating and grounding.
You’re gently interrupting the scroll spiral, honoring what’s present, and setting the intention to let go of stress in your cells… while your nervous system does the rest.
🌱 Want to learn how to actually tap?
Stay tuned for my upcoming post on EFT Tapping! I’ll walk you through how to use it step-by-step, points and all. And if you're curious now, there's an abundance of excellent EFT Tapping content online.
✋ Scroll Spiral Reset Script (Say out loud or think silently, and breathe)
-Even if I’m so stressed out and I can’t stop doomscrolling, this is where I’m at right now—and I choose to relax.
-Even if I feel overwhelmed, stuck in the Scroll Hole, and unsure how to get out, I honor how I feel—and it’s safe to release this stress now.
-Even if I’m sick of scrolling and tired of myself, I allow my body to settle into a calmer, more peaceful place.
I can’t stop scrolling—and part of me doesn’t want to.
I feel stuck and overstimulated.
Part of me is trying to numb out.
I might be avoiding something I don’t want to feel.
And that’s okay.
I don’t need to shame myself.
I’m doing my best with what I’ve got.
What if I could pause… just for a moment?
I’m allowed to rest without losing myself in a screen.
I wish I could stop scrolling.
I am open to releasing this stress now.
I allow myself to let some of it go.
It’s okay to feel safe enough to pause.
It’s okay to let my body and mind relax.
I am a scroll-free master—even if it’s just for now.
You can repeat this a few times. (Add the EFT Tapping points once you learn them).
You’re not fixing everything—you’re just resetting the loop. That’s enough.
📚 EFT Tapping Has Research Behind It
Want proof that it’s not just woo? Here’s a small sample of studies that back it up:
Church, D. et al. (2012). Psychological Trauma, 4(1): Cortisol reduction and symptom improvement following EFT
Clond, M. (2016). The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease: EFT significantly reduced anxiety in clinical populations
Stapleton, P. et al. (2020). Journal of Clinical Psychology: EFT improves outcomes for depression, anxiety, and PTSD
Feinstein, D. (2019). Review of General Psychology: Mechanisms of change in energy psychology interventions
More coming soon in my full EFT post!
😒When Digital Coping Turns Into Digital Collapse
Let’s be real: doomscrolling, distraction, and emotional avoidance are relatable—and often harmless in short bursts. But for some people, compulsive, addictive, digital use becomes something more serious.
If you’re finding that screen use is disrupting your daily functioning, sleep, relationships, or mental health in ways that feel unmanageable, please know this is extremely common—and there’s help out there!
National & Online Resources for Digital Addiction Support
A hub of research, education, and resources for families and professionals navigating digital overuse, especially for kids and teens.
Research, assessments, and clinical support focused on compulsive internet use, gaming, and screen dependence.
One of the first residential treatment programs for internet, gaming, and technology addiction. Offers in-person and online support options.
A curated network of professionals, educators, and digital wellness advocates offering tools and programs for healthier tech use.
Search for therapists who specialize in behavioral addictions, digital overuse, or compulsive behaviors. You don’t have to go it alone.
Final Reminder
If you’re deep in the Scroll Hole™, you’re not bad or broken. You’re probably just overstimulated, emotionally maxed out, or using screens to cope in the only way you know how right now.
But if it’s starting to hurt? You deserve support.
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Disclaimer:
This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing distress that feels unmanageable, please reach out to a licensed provider in your area or explore the resources listed above.
🧠✨ If this resonated with you and you're located in California,
Feel free to reach out through this website, and I look forward to connecting with you.
I offer telehealth sessions throughout the state.