Replace mindless entertainment with enriching entertainment. E.g. YouTube video essays, lectures, history podcasts, DuoLingo, Anki, Brilliant, artsy/niche movies/games, etc. Always be learning something, even if you'll never need it. Try to limit yourself to memorable, unique, or mind-opening content.
It's no fix, but it trains your brain to be able to wait just a little longer for its dopamine. Also you get to feel like you're sort-of achieving something, not just losing time every time your impulsive brain takes over.
I'm intermediate level in 3 languages, know a shit ton of science, and have played thousands of unique indie games. Is any of this useful? lol no. But do I feel accomplished and in control of some big parts of my life? Hell yes.
On a similar note, I find NewPipe and Lemmy help a lot because they let you "bottom out".
Like, once you watch the recent videos from your subscribed channels on NewPipe... that's it. The feed just yells "hey, yeah, there's nothing interesting left in the feed cause you watched it all! Go do something!" Compared to the twitter/youtube/tiktok being like "yeah here's your timer/sleep-reminder or whatever... BTW 😏, did you see the title of this crazy irrelevant interesting event that everyone is talking about"
Lemmy has been kinda the same way as NewPipe. I can sort by recent on my subscribed communities and actually go through ALL the new posts.
I never expected it, but theres also a kind of satisfaction in knowing I've seen all of it; similar to clearing out an email inbox. I think really helps for getting my brain to not doomscroll. Still happens but feels managable instead of depressing.
Yeah, I'm grateful for Lemmy (ie to you all!) in that regard too - I totally didn't expect that kind of effect or that it would affect my life as much.
Replace mindless entertainment with enriching entertainment. E.g. YouTube video essays, lectures, history podcasts, DuoLingo, Anki, Brilliant, artsy/niche movies/games, etc. Always be learning something, even if you'll never need it. Try to limit yourself to memorable, unique, or mind-opening content.
It's no fix, but it trains your brain to be able to wait just a little longer for its dopamine. Also you get to feel like you're sort-of achieving something, not just losing time every time your impulsive brain takes over.
I'm intermediate level in 3 languages, know a shit ton of science, and have played thousands of unique indie games. Is any of this useful? lol no. But do I feel accomplished and in control of some big parts of my life? Hell yes.
On a similar note, I find NewPipe and Lemmy help a lot because they let you "bottom out".
Like, once you watch the recent videos from your subscribed channels on NewPipe... that's it. The feed just yells "hey, yeah, there's nothing interesting left in the feed cause you watched it all! Go do something!" Compared to the twitter/youtube/tiktok being like "yeah here's your timer/sleep-reminder or whatever... BTW 😏, did you see the title of this crazy irrelevant interesting event that everyone is talking about"
Lemmy has been kinda the same way as NewPipe. I can sort by recent on my subscribed communities and actually go through ALL the new posts.
I never expected it, but theres also a kind of satisfaction in knowing I've seen all of it; similar to clearing out an email inbox. I think really helps for getting my brain to not doomscroll. Still happens but feels managable instead of depressing.
Yeah, I'm grateful for Lemmy (ie to you all!) in that regard too - I totally didn't expect that kind of effect or that it would affect my life as much.