by admin | May 13, 2025 | Health & Wellness
In stressful or uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught in an endless cycle of scrolling through negative news and social media. This behavior, known as doomscrolling, is increasingly common—but it can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. This article explores the risks of doomscrolling and offers practical tips to help reduce this habit.
What Is Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling refers to the habit of endlessly consuming negative news—stories about crises, conflicts, tragedies, and other distressing topics. Often, it happens without you even realizing it, and once you’re in the loop, stopping can feel nearly impossible. It triggers the release of dopamine, creating a hard-to-break cycle that fuels anxiety and stress.
How Doomscrolling Affects Your Mind and Body
- Mental Health Effects: It increases anxiety, stress, sadness, and feelings of being overwhelmed. People often report feeling more pessimistic, mentally fatigued, and depressed. For those with pre-existing mental health conditions, doomscrolling can worsen symptoms and may even trigger panic attacks.
- Physical Health Effects: The habit is linked to headaches, nausea, muscle tension, reduced appetite, and elevated blood pressure. It can also disrupt sleep, leading to insomnia and poor sleep quality, which further exacerbates mood and stress levels.
- Social and Lifestyle Impacts: Excessive doomscrolling can reduce time with friends and family, decrease motivation for exercise, and contribute to unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior.
Tips to Reduce Doomscrolling
While we can’t control the global news cycle, we can manage how we engage with it. Here are some effective ways to cut back:
- Set screen time limits. Use your device’s built-in tools or apps to limit time spent on social media or news apps. Creating these boundaries helps you stay mindful of your screen use.
- Edit your news feeds. Unfollow accounts or remove apps that contribute to negativity. Instead, follow credible sources and uplifting content that inform without overwhelming.
- Stay active. Regular physical activity lowers stress levels and improves mood. Whether it’s a short walk or a workout, movement can help shift your focus and reduce the urge to scroll.
- Find positive actions. While the news can feel overwhelming, taking small steps—like donating to a cause or volunteering – can help you feel more in control and optimistic.
- Practice self-care. Activities like deep breathing, journaling, or mindful walks can bring you back to the present and help regulate stress.
- Tidy up your space. Organizing your surroundings can reduce mental clutter and help you focus on healthier, more productive habits.
- Connect with others. When the news feels too heavy, reaching out to friends and family can offer much-needed support and perspective.
A steady diet of negative news can wear you down mentally, emotionally, and physically. Reducing your doomscrolling habits gives your brain a break and helps you stay grounded in your daily life. By setting limits and focusing on positive actions, you can create more room for meaningful connections and a more hopeful perspective.
With any actions that increase anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional. Help is available, and you don’t have to face it alone.
by admin | May 6, 2025 | Custom Content, Health & Wellness
Every year, millions of people experience mental health challenges with limited access to care. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 8 people globally are affected. Conditions like anxiety and depression significantly reduce productivity, costing the global economy around $1 trillion annually. Despite the rising demand for support, more than two-thirds of those who need mental health care don’t receive it.
When left untreated, mental health issues can deeply impact the workplace—reducing productivity, increasing absenteeism, and driving up healthcare costs. Offering meaningful mental health benefits is a proactive step employers can take to support their workforce and reduce these risks.
Raising Awareness
Employers can help employees feel less alone by developing campaigns that raise awareness. Here are a few ways employers can raise awareness, address stigma, and foster a sense of belonging in the workplace:
- Enhance accessibility. Mental health programs should be inclusive and easy to access for employees from all backgrounds. Employers can explore both digital platforms and in-person options to ensure support is available in ways that meet diverse needs.
- Showcase mental health benefits: Ensure employees are aware of mental health benefits by holding meetings, providing resources, and sharing instructions about accessing care through benefit offerings.
- Integrate wellness into workplace culture: Formal strategies that infuse mental well-being into the company culture focus on providing workplace processes and benefits that help reduce stress and promote mental well-being, including flexibility, time off, added breaks, environmental changes, etc.
- Have mental health conversations in the workplace: Normalizing conversations around mental health in meetings, informal discussions, and one-on-one talks can help reduce stigma and bolster employee belonging.
Encouraging Self-Care
Integrating self-care throughout your daily schedule improves both mental and physical health. Yet, self-care is often reserved for hours outside of work. Employers can help employees practice self-care by changing workplace policies and improving work-life balance. For example, creating flexible work schedules can help employees manage personal responsibilities without missing work. Providing mental health days or time off for self-care activities can give employees more balance and improve morale. Developing a company-sponsored wellness program can provide employees with resources and eliminate cost barriers to services that can improve mental and physical wellness.
Providing Support and Resources
Stigma surrounding mental health often leads to limited knowledge about mental health conditions and ways to prioritize mental wellness. Employers can provide employees with resources about the importance of mental health care and offer frequent, transparent information about the company’s mental health benefits and how to use them.
by admin | Dec 2, 2024 | Custom Content
For some, the lyrics “with those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings when friends come to call, it’s the hap-happiest season of all” stirs happy memories of Christmas caroling. However, for others, the holidays can be one of the most stressful and isolating times of the year. The season often brings a whirlwind of demands—shopping, baking and entertaining to name a few. For those managing mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, these challenges can feel even more overwhelming.
Holiday depression can sometimes be dismissed as just the “winter blues.” During this time, many people focus more on their physical health than their mental well-being, often prioritizing weight loss over emotional care. This lack of awareness can allow holiday depression to deepen into major depression.
Here are nine tips to help manage holiday depression:
- Be Realistic – Holidays and traditions evolve as people do. Kids grow up, people relocate, and new relationships form. Embrace these changes, cherish new traditions, and appreciate memories from past holidays while being present in the current moment.
- Schedule Downtime – Spend 15-20 minutes daily for quiet relaxation, such as taking a bath, listening to music, or reading. And remember, it’s okay to say no—you don’t need to attend every party or event.
- Stay Connected – Avoid isolation. Seek social interactions, even if you can’t be home for the holidays. Invite a friend over for a chat or volunteer for a cause that interests you.
- Limit Alcohol – Alcohol is a depressant and can intensify negative emotions. Try to drink in moderation.
- Exercise Regularly – Although exercising can feel challenging when stressed, even a short walk can be beneficial. Exercise has been shown to help reduce depression symptoms.
- Focus on the Positives – Each day is a gift. Practicing gratitude has a powerful effect on mental well-being by increasing self-esteem, enhancing positive emotions, and promoting optimism.
- Manage Expectations – Set realistic goals and pace yourself. Make a list to prioritize what’s most important, helping to keep holiday activities manageable.
- Communicate with Loved Ones – Don’t hide your holiday depression from friends and family. Sharing your feelings can prevent your mental health from worsening. Be honest about what you’re experiencing, but make it clear you don’t expect them to “fix” it.
- Seek Professional Help if Needed – If you feel persistently sad, anxious, unable to sleep, or find routine tasks overwhelming despite your efforts, reach out to a doctor or mental health professional.
Don’t feel pressured to embody the “joy of the season.” With planning, self-care, and meaningful connections, you can manage holiday depression and find moments to enjoy. Be kind to yourself, keep expectations realistic, and stick to your healthy habits. By actively caring for your mental health, you can make the most of the holiday season.
If you are experiencing these symptoms over a period of several weeks, you may be depressed. Talking with a mental health professional or taking a mental health screening test can help you understand how well you are coping with recent events. Seek help.
by admin | Oct 29, 2024 | ACA, Compliance
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule that significantly expands the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act (MHPAEA) requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This rule aims to ensure that health plans provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits as they do for medical benefits.
Key Changes in the Final Rule:
Expanded Parity Definition: The rule expands the definition of mental health conditions to include substance use disorders and conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder.
Expanded Treatment Limitations: The rule prohibits health plans from imposing stricter limitations on mental health benefits than those applied to medical benefits. This includes limitations on the number of visits, days of service, or types of treatments.
Enhanced Enforcement: The rule strengthens enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with mental health parity requirements.
Implications for Health Plans and Employers
Compliance Review: Health plans will need to review their benefit plans to ensure they comply with the expanded parity requirements.
Benefit Design Changes: Some plans may need to be modified to eliminate discriminatory treatment of mental health benefits.
Increased Costs: The expanded parity requirements may lead to increased costs for health plans.
Improved Access to Care: The rule is expected to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for individuals with health insurance coverage.
Next Steps for Employers and Employees
Review Your Plan: Employers should review their health plans to ensure compliance with the expanded parity requirements.
Understand Your Benefits: Employees should become familiar with their mental health benefits and how they are covered under their plan.
Seek Assistance: If you have questions or concerns about your mental health benefits, contact your health plan or your employer’s human resources department.
The final rule represents a significant step forward in ensuring that individuals with mental health and substance use disorders have access to the same level of care as those with medical conditions. By understanding the expanded parity requirements, employers and employees can work together to improve access to mental health treatment and promote overall well-being.
by admin | May 13, 2024 | Health & Wellness
Overview
Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.
How can I take care of my mental health?
Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.
Here are some self-care tips:
- Get regular exercise. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can boost your mood and improve your health. Small amounts of exercise add up, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t do 30 minutes at one time.
- Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated. A balanced diet and plenty of water can improve your energy and focus throughout the day. Pay attention to your intake of caffeine and alcohol and how they affect your mood and well-being—for some, decreasing caffeine and alcohol consumption can be helpful.
- Make sleep a priority. Stick to a schedule, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Blue light from devices and screens can make it harder to fall asleep, so reduce blue light exposure from your phone or computer before bedtime.
- Try a relaxing activity. Explore relaxation or wellness programs or apps, which may incorporate meditation, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises. Schedule regular times for these and other healthy activities you enjoy, such as listening to music, reading, spending time in nature, and engaging in low-stress hobbies.
- Set goals and priorities. Decide what must get done now and what can wait. Learn to say “no” to new tasks if you start to feel like you’re taking on too much. Try to appreciate what you have accomplished at the end of the day.
- Practice gratitude. Remind yourself daily of things you are grateful for. Be specific. Write them down or replay them in your mind.
- Focus on positivity. Identify and challenge your negative and unhelpful thoughts.
- Stay connected. Reach out to friends or family members who can provide emotional support and practical help.
Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy. It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you.
Learn more about healthy practices for your mind and body .
When should I seek professional help?
Seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more, such as:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
- Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning because of mood
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable
- Inability to complete usual tasks and activities
- Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
How can I find help?
Originally posted on National Institute of Mental Health
