The Antidote to Doomscrolling
Three Action Steps for Hope
Find the dangers. Get sucked in. Become Anxious. Repeat.
I am writing this blog post as a personal action step to stop the loop. I hope that parts of my story will resonate with you as well.
I was feeling totally overwhelmed and consumed by a cloud of despair. Under my cloud I stumbled upon a diagnosis. My condition is actually a thing. Doomscrolling.
Coronavirus infections are up. Kids can’t go back to school. The economy is cratering. I would read the bottomless doom-and-gloom news.
What could I do to stop the dopamine loop and end the vicious cycle of negativity eroding my mental health?
Some of my doom content I was just not willing to give up. (Looking at you Andy Slavitt and Michael Barbaro). However, I think the key to moving forward is figuring out what to do with the discomfort.
Here is what I came up with: Balance minutes of doom with minutes of hope.
My 3 Action Steps for Hope:
Step 1- Request Your Absentee Ballot
“I like to vote in person.”- Voter from 2016
Okay voter from 2016, welcome to 2020. In our world we have quarantine and riots and childcare crises and probably some sort of yet unnamed bowls. Do not take a chance on this one.
The post office is recommending two weeks lead time for mail in ballots. Don’t be the kid that turns in homework at the last minute. It was cute in high school, but we are in an existential crisis. Get it done now.
Already requested? Great. Text five friends and family members the link to request their ballot. Then, ask them to text five of their friends. Exponential math is fun when it’s not a virus.
Got that done? Now, every time you are playing outside with your kids or going for a walk, put chalk in your pocket. Along the route write “mnvotes.org” (or your state SOS site). Every person that sees the message will be reminded to vote!
Step 2- Donate/Use your PCR funds
Donate to a political campaign. Whatever you can- even if it is $1.00. Do you live in Minnesota? Read on…
Minnesota has a program called the Political Contribution Refund. Never heard of it? Well, it is a kickass program that forgot to hire a social media intern. No Instagram or TikTok page and thus relatively unacknowledged. But let me tell you more.
If candidates don’t appeal to the wealthy, they are basically alienated from the political process. Mega-donor cash swamps state elections, so how is a first time candidate supposed to have the resources to run an effective campaign? How can the average voter have more power in the process? The answer- Small donor democracy!
Minnesota has a fund that gives you $50 to donate to a Minnesota political party or candidate for state office. Simply- donate, get receipt, fill out the form, and get a check in the mail. Done and Done.
Step 3- Phone Bank for a Campaign
This action step is slightly higher on the difficulty level and requires a more sustained commitment. However, if you can allot one hour a week to phone bank for a candidate, you will see a huge return on investment.
You may be thinking, “Why is phone banking important?” or “It’s not really my thing.” Here are my three reasons why you should phone bank this political season.
- Candidates can’t connect by “normal” avenues. Where candidates used to rely on summer festivals, parades, backyard events and door knocking- there is a huge void in connection. The main way to connect with voters is phone banking.
- Your energy creates value for the candidate. Don’t worry- no difficult conversations required. As a volunteer you are basically working your way through the list to weed out wrong numbers and call refusals. Anyone who wants to have a meaningful conversation can be called back by the actual candidate. What an effective use of the candidate’s time you have created! Bravo!
- People are looking for connection. I have had many conversations with individuals, especially elderly, who are just thrilled to be talking to an actual human! In the COVID era, it is our communal responsibility to reach out to our neighbors and let them know they are not alone. Your connection could give the person on the other end permission to move out of the freeze. To move out of the doomscrool. To take some Action Steps.
Hopefully you are inspired to balance your doomscrolling with action. I can tell you, the dopamine feed is way stronger over here. Once you get started, you’ll want to keep going.
Please reach out to me directly at stephanie.kennelly@gmail.com. I’d love to hear more about your experiences with doomscrolling and action steps. Also, check out Moms Demand Action for a great community to get you started.
