When you're looking to cut back on doomscrolling, it's helpful to have a list of things to do instead. So we put together a big list of replacement ideas.
Here are 100 things to do instead of doomscrolling, grouped by mood and energy level. Try a few today and see how different you feel than if you had spent that time scrolling.
- Stretch your hands and shoulders
- Drink a full glass of water
- Step outside and notice the temperature
- Take five deep, slow breaths
- Write down three things you're grateful for
- Clean one small area: desk, counter, sink
- Light a candle or spray your favorite scent
- Do 10 jumping jacks or squats
- Delete one unused app
- Text someone a kind message
- Sketch or doodle anything—badly
- Try journaling one page without editing
- Make a playlist for your current mood
- Experiment with digital or generative art tools
- Rearrange your room or workspace
- Design a new phone wallpaper
- Learn a simple tune on an instrument
- Write a haiku or micro-story
- Bake or cook something colorful
- Take a creative photo of an ordinary object
- Take a slow walk with no headphones
- Sit and listen to ambient sounds around you
- Try a five-minute guided meditation
- Watch clouds move and shift
- Do a body scan meditation
- Sit in silence for five minutes
- Write a "what I feel right now" journal entry
- Write a letter you'll never send
- Practice box breathing: 4-4-4-4 counts
- Look out a window and describe what you see in detail
- Read a random Wikipedia article
- Watch a short documentary on something obscure
- Look up what stars are visible tonight
- Try cooking a dish from a different culture
- Explore a new part of your neighborhood
- Visit a local museum or library
- Sketch or photograph your surroundings
- Write down five questions you're genuinely curious about
- Read a physical book or magazine
- Browse a thrift shop and find something odd
- Call someone you haven't spoken to in a while
- Write a real, handwritten letter
- Compliment a stranger
- Join a local class, club, or meetup
- Share something you created online instead of consuming
- Volunteer for a few hours
- Cook a meal for someone else
- Listen—really listen—to someone's story
- Send a thank-you message
- Leave a positive review for a small business
- Go for a brisk walk
- Try a short yoga video
- Dance to one full song
- Do a 5-minute workout
- Stretch your neck and back
- Go for a bike ride
- Do a set of pushups or planks
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Try deep breathwork exercises
- Take your pet on a longer walk than usual
- Read a page from a nonfiction book
- Watch a TED Talk
- Take a free online course
- Learn one phrase in a new language
- Memorize a short poem
- Write down one new idea
- Listen to an educational podcast
- Revisit an old hobby you forgot about
- Research how something works
- Keep a "things I learned today" journal
- Hide one social app for 24 hours
- Move distracting apps off your home screen
- Charge your phone outside your bedroom
- Schedule one screen-free hour each day
- Turn your phone grayscale
- Disable all non-essential notifications
- Track your usage with Screentox
- Replace evening scrolling with a nighttime walk
- Create a no-phone morning ritual
- Set a 10-minute timer and see what you do without your phone
- Brew coffee or tea slowly, by hand
- Write your to-do list with pen and paper
- Fold laundry mindfully
- Repot a plant
- Listen to an entire album start to finish
- Sit outside and people-watch
- Cook something from scratch
- Tidy one drawer
- Go to bed early
- Wake up without checking your phone
- Pick up a hands-on hobby (woodworking, gardening, painting)
- Train for a 5K or long hike
- Take up photography
- Keep a gratitude or reflection journal
- Plan a day trip to somewhere new
- Read a full book series
- Learn an instrument
- Build or repair something yourself
- Grow a small indoor plant
- Create your own "boredom list" to pull from next time you're tempted to scroll
Quick Resets (2–5 Minutes)
Small actions break the spell. When you interrupt the loop, even briefly, you remind your brain it has other choices.
Creative Outlets
Creativity pulls you into the present—it's the opposite of passive scrolling.
Grounding & Mindfulness
The more you reconnect with your senses, the less you crave the noise of endless feeds.
Real-World Curiosity
Curiosity replaces consumption. It's what your brain really wants when it reaches for stimulation.
Connection & Community
Doomscrolling isolates. Real connection heals that disconnection.
Movement & Energy
Movement resets both mood and attention. It literally shakes off the inertia that scrolling creates.
Learning & Growth
Learning reactivates curiosity—the mental fuel doomscrolling burns out.
Tech Detox Challenges
The goal isn't to abandon technology—it's to use it consciously.
Slow Living
Slowness is medicine for overstimulation. The world won't collapse if you move at a human pace.
Long-Term Swaps
These are deeper commitments that provide lasting alternatives to mindless scrolling.
Final Thoughts
Doomscrolling gives you the illusion of control—like staying on top of the world's chaos will somehow make it less chaotic. But what actually restores your sense of calm and agency is presence.
Each time you choose a small, real-world action over another cycle of headlines, you're rewiring your brain toward balance and curiosity.
Save this list. Share it with a friend. And the next time your thumb drifts toward that infinite feed, pick one thing from this list and do it.
You'll be amazed how quickly life starts to feel real again.