Overcoming the urge to scroll

Overstimulation (sensory overload) occurs when the brain receives more inputs than it can process. Some of the symptoms of overstimulation include:

• fatigue
• irritability
• restlessness
• difficulty concentrating
• switching activities frequently without completing tasks
• difficulty with social interactions

Overstimulation has become a common phenomenon and talking point in our modern culture, especially among the younger generations who oftentimes link it with “brain-rot”.

Brain rot is defined as, "a state with negative mental, psychological or physiological effects caused by an excessive time spent on social media (or the internet in general), consuming low-quality digital content (short-form videos, images or text), mostly for entertainment purposes and with no other notable benefits or value added to one’s life."

Many people report that this digital overconsumption leaves them feeling drained afterwards, having lower motivation and drive for other, more meaningful activities which require effort. Yet, despite their best intentions, most are unable to stop themselves from engaging in it, which suggests that there is an addictive behavioural component to it.

The role of dopamine

Engaging in readily available and highly stimulating content feels rewarding for our brains, triggering an excessive release of a neurochemical called dopamine, which is urging us to seek out the activity more and more, and less and less of everything else.

The negative consequences

This cycle can oftentimes make us feel as if our moments are meaningless are empty, as if we have no energy or motivation to do the things most important to us, causing stress and dissatisfaction with the quality of our lives. In some cases, due to overlapping symptoms, this may be related to other mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or ADD/ADHD.

The good news: Change is possible. 

There are a couple of ways you could try to overcome this destructive habit, and I invite you to pick and choose the ones that make the most sense to you, adapting them to your current individual situation.

• Limit - You could set yourself time-limits, such as not engaging in the activity in the morning, e.g. for 90 minutes after waking up and/or 90 minutes before going to bed at night. You could also set time limits during the day (e.g. 1-2 hours of total usage), or only engage in it during specific times (such as for 10 minutes every three hours, starting at 9 am). Note that the amount of these hours/minutes is meant only as an example, so please add your own instead, because nobody knows you better than you!
• Delay - Whenever the urge arises, tell yourself that you will engage it, but not at this very moment. Instead, you will do it in five minutes. Like muscle-training in the gym, this is meant to train yourself to resist an urge and not give in as soon as it happens, but rather in your own time. After the time passes, notice if the urge is still there. If yes, then keep your promise. Sometimes, the urge will have passed, meaning that you can choose not to engage in this activity but do something else instead. Finally, once you become comfortable with the five-minute delay, increase it to 10, then 15, and so on… Again, adapt the amounts as they specifically relate to you.
• Replace - Simply replace it with a similar form of higher-quality entertainment (e.g. 30 minutes of scrolling short-form content to 30 minutes of an interesting mini-documentary on a topic you’re curious about).
• Stop - Set an intention to completely stop for a set period of time, like a week or a month at first, and after that, decide if and how you would like to get back to it. Perhaps you could set yourself some different rules this time, drawing on the previous suggestions, or engaging the internet only purposefully and intentionally (i.e. to look something up, to check in on a friend, etc). You might come across some withdrawal symptoms at first (such as irritability, anxiety, moodiness), but they will only get easier to manage over time.

Some final suggestions are to celebrate the wins, no matter how big or small they are, and to track your progress on a basis of your choosing (daily/weekly/monthly…).

Whichever method you decide to implement, keep in mind that it is a process which may take some time to get right, so “falling back to the old ways” should be a natural and expected happenstance for most, especially if the urges and addictive behaviours are strong. Knowing this makes it easier to lessen or eliminate the feelings of guilt whenever something didn’t go as intended.

Therapy can also be beneficial during this process in multiple ways: by helping you identify the root causes and reasons for these behaviours, as well as the needs and desires which are being fulfilled; providing you with clarity and understanding. Furthermore, it can support you in planning and measuring your progress, exploring the obstacles and inner-resistances that arise, giving space to the thoughts and emotions accompanying you during this difficult, yet for many, a much-needed journey of life and self-transformation.