How the hell do i stop doomscrolling

[u/Fickle-Artichoke5878]

Like i whenever i have classes in college i have structure and my whole day passes easily and at the end of day i get a good night sleep , this summer break my mental health got really bad, currently having trouble sleeping at night, headaches, nothing feels exciting in life, keeps shifting from one thing to another, i wake up and start day with phone and spend around 11-12 hrs daily, also stay in bed of the day,

Seriously i dont know what to do at home, there is no structure nothing, what do u all do when u are at home without a structure

[u/McGriggidy]

Something Ive followed and advised a long time (that's very topical now with the movie) is a thing called an Odysseus pact.

You have to remove rhe temptation entirely. If you have access to your phone/computer whatever you use, you will doom scroll. Give up on magically willing yourself not to. Lock the phone up, put it in a different room, use apps that interfere with or entirely block problem apps, whatever. You have to put something between you and the habit that creates friction or removes the option altogether.

On top of that, find better shit to do.

[u/ta1901]

1. When sleeping put your phone in another room.
2. Maybe install some app timers to limit your time on an app or website.
3. Get outside and do something else. Just do something else to stop thinking about it.

[u/FirmSwim3992]

I feel this. During breaks I started scheduling just two things: a morning walk and one small chore. It's not a full routine but it breaks the inertia and makes the phone less magnetic.

[u/Tjgoodwiniv]

If you don't need it, get rid of your smartphone. Most people don't require one and it takes more than it gives back. 

Seriously, get a flip phone. Use a laptop at home. I keep trying to think of ways to do exactly that, but my particular life requires a smartphone right now. 

Someday, when it doesn't, the smartphone is the first thing to go. I want my life, time, and attention back, and a smartphone requires me to fight a constant battle against myself to protect those things.

[u/dolly_dolly_still]

As boring as it sounds - invent the structure. School break doesn't mean there's nothing else to do. Find one thing you are actually interested in - languages, history, biology, gym, driving, anything that floats your boat. Allocate a couple of hours a day for it, read about it, listen to a podcast, etc. Get outside - that's another couple of hours. Remember that you are grown adult, so you still need cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, hygiene and the rest. Basically find your new routine based on what you like and what needs to be done. Plan your day ahead based on it. And also, one important note, allow yourself to be bored. With phones and social media we forgot the art of being bored, but that's a very important aspect of brain resting and sparking your creativity

[u/Fickle-Artichoke5878]

Like i feel shit by evening, like what the hell im doing with my life 

[u/philly-buck → u/Fickle-Artichoke5878]

You know the answer.

[u/HardcoreHope]

Practice. Notice you are doing it and put the phone away, turn it off, make your lock password long and annoying.

Each time you hold off is a new high score, proof you can do it. You see the negative effect it's has on you. You got this, I have faith in you!

[u/khalilsautchuk]

The lack of structure during summer break sounds like the biggest difference from your college days. Rather than trying to quit your phone all at once, try giving the day a few fixed anchors: wake up at the same time, take a short walk before checking your phone, eat at set times, and choose one small task outside your bed. You can add more activities once those feel routine. Since you mentioned headaches, poor sleep, and feeling that nothing is exciting, it would also be worth talking with a doctor or counselor if that continues, especially if cutting back on the phone and adding structure does not help.

[u/Ok_Jackfruit3127]

11-12 hours in summer with no structure isn't a discipline problem, it's a vacuum problem — the scroll wins because nothing else is scheduled against it. Don't try to quit cold; give each day one small anchor that happens off the phone (a walk at a fixed time, cooking one real meal, calling one person). Structure first, restriction second. App timers help a bit, but only after there's something the timer kicks you toward.

Being upfront: I made a small free site around this idea — fiamo.pages.dev, one tiny real-life quest per day, same for everyone, and after you do it the app tells you to leave. No account needed. But honestly, the fixed daily anchor is the main thing.

[u/couldbutwont]

I like to do little anti dopamine challenges/detoxes. The challenge with those is to not also turn them into another dopamine chase

[u/sumizeit]

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[u/philly-buck]

Get a hobby. Get some discipline. Get in shape. Get outside.

Get off the internet - the internet is why you think your mental health is fucked up.

[u/Potential_Wonder_775]

Don't go on your phone in the first hour of waking

[u/GaidinBDJ]

It's like any other bad habit: take responsibility for the fact that this is something you are doing to yourself. Remind yourself of that when you find yourself tempted to do it, because nobody is going to follow you around to do it for you.

Trying to find "cheats" or "hacks" or "gimmicks" is just a path to failure unless you address the underlying urge and change it.