Doomscrolling doesn’t start as a decision. It starts as a micro-escape: I’ll just check one thing. Ten minutes later, your to-do list is untouched, your mood is worse, and sleep is farther away. Ending the loop isn’t about shame or superhuman discipline—it’s about building guardrails and rituals that make the good path the easy path. Here’s a clear plan to take back your nights and wake up with energy.

What makes doomscrolling sticky

• Variable rewards: New posts = unpredictable novelty = dopamine. Your brain learns to keep refreshing.

• No stopping cues: Infinite scroll removes natural “time to stop” signals.

• Emotional priming: Anxiety-provoking headlines and hot takes spike arousal, keeping you wired at bedtime.

• Time blindness: Without a visible clock, fifteen minutes feels like two.

Replace the loop with a wind-down system

The goal is not “no phone ever.” It’s intentional access. Build a 20–30 minute routine that ends your day on purpose.

1. Pick a bedtime anchor
   Choose a consistent “lights out” window (say, 10:45–11:15). Your wind-down starts 30 minutes before that anchor.

2. Start a WorkBlock ‘Evening Wind-Down’ routine
   One tap launches a 20-minute session that:

• Blocks short-video, social, and news apps (where doomscrolling lives)

• Displays a gentle countdown so time stays visible

• Prompts your wind-down checklist (below)

3. Run the checklist

• Put the phone on a distant charger (not the nightstand)

• 5 minutes of light stretching or a short walk

• Prep tomorrow’s first task on a sticky note

• Read 8–10 pages or journal three lines

• Optional: white noise or a short sleep story

4. Guard the after-routine window
   Add a second 20-minute WorkBlock that blocks all work apps (email, chat) after 7 PM. Protecting rest is productivity.

If you slip, recover fast

• Don’t “make up” time by staying up later. Protect sleep.

• Run a minimum viable session the next night (10–15 minutes) to keep your streak alive.

• Move the phone charger farther away. Environment > willpower.

Why this works

• Friction on temptation (blocks) + frictionless starts (one tap) flips the default.

• Visible time ends time blindness.

• Completion ritual signals safety to your nervous system—sleep comes faster.

One-week starter plan

• Mon–Wed: Evening Wind-Down (20 min), block social/video

• Thu: Add “no work apps after 7 PM”

• Fri: Keep the block but choose relaxing media intentionally (movie, album)

• Sat: Shorter wind-down (10–15 min) to protect your streak

• Sun: Review WorkBlock analytics; schedule next week

Conclusion: Doomscrolling isn’t a character flaw; it’s a design problem. Redesign the last 30 minutes of your day and your mornings will change themselves. WorkBlock makes it effortless.