Doom to Dawn: Reclaim Peace in a World That Won’t Stop Spinning

A Cycle of Stress You Can’t Seem to Escape

You know the feeling.

You sit down to rest for "just five minutes," phone in hand. Before you know it, you've been doom-scrolling through endless news headlines, heartbreaking videos, and online arguments that leave you more anxious than informed.

Later that night, or even during the same session, you find yourself on Amazon, clicking "Buy Now" on things you don’t really need. A small thrill follows. Then guilt. That’s doom spending.

Or maybe you’re up late again, watching back-to-back true crime or post-apocalyptic series. That’s doom watching.

Perhaps you’re obsessively reading financial forecasts and making endless lists about how to survive a collapse. That’s doom planning.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.

What Are These "Doom" Behaviors?

Let’s break them down:

• Doom Scrolling – Endlessly scrolling through bad news or upsetting content, even though it increases anxiety.

• Doom Spending – Shopping online as a way to soothe stress or fear, followed by guilt or regret.

• Doom Watching – Binge-watching emotionally heavy shows, true crime, or apocalyptic dramas to escape or process fear.

• Doom Planning – Obsessively preparing for worst-case scenarios like climate collapse or financial disaster without resolution.
  

These are all emotional coping mechanisms. They give us a momentary feeling of control, but they’re usually reactions to deeper emotional discomfort we don’t know how to resolve.

"We doom scroll because our brain is trying to solve a problem that feels too big to fix," says psychologist Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D. "But it often leaves us feeling more helpless" (APA.org, 2023).

It doesn’t help that we live in a time of constant, chaotic news cycles. From climate anxiety to political unrest to financial uncertainty, the barrage of negativity can leave us feeling helpless, overloaded, and trapped in a state of constant stress.

Watching or engaging with this kind of content nonstop is not neutral. It’s a hypervigilant response. Our nervous systems are trying to protect us by scanning for danger, but instead, we get stuck in a loop of emotional reactivity.

The Emotional Toll of Doom Habits

These habits may seem harmless at first, but over time, they erode your emotional and physical well-being.

Common side effects include:

• Sleep disruption

• Rising anxiety and emotional fatigue

• Difficulty focusing

• Guilt, shame, or financial strain

• Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected

• Lowered motivation and mood swings

When the world feels out of control, these behaviors can become rituals that keep us stuck in a loop of survival mode.

This Is a Widespread Struggle

• A 2023 Pew Research Center report found that 48% of U.S. adults say their stress levels increased from scrolling through bad news.

• VeryWellMind reported that 69% of Gen Z and Millennials admitted to stress shopping in the past month.

• Sleep Foundation noted that screen time and news consumption before bed are top contributors to insomnia.

• According to Credit Karma, 72% of Americans reported spending money to manage stress at least once in 2023.

These are not isolated habits. They are signs of emotional overwhelm in a hyperconnected world.

Your Body Is Trying to Help You

When you feel anxious, uncertain, or unsafe, your body sounds an alarm through physical sensations:

• Chest tightness

• A lump in your throat

• Shaky legs or hands

• Buzzing or heat in your arms

But instead of resolving the emotional charge behind those sensations, we often reach for distractions.

That’s where the doom habits come in. They mask emotional discomfort but don’t heal it.

How EmRes Helps Break the Cycle

Emotional Resolution (EmRes) is a gentle and natural method for resolving emotional triggers through the body. Rather than analyzing the past or suppressing emotions, EmRes helps you address emotional resistance at its source.

This process takes just a few minutes and doesn’t require talking through trauma or even knowing its origin.

What Success Looks Like

After resolving an emotional trigger with EmRes, people often experience:

• Less emotional reactivity

• Clearer thinking and better sleep

• Reduced need to escape or distract

• Improved mood and resilience

You regain the ability to respond calmly instead of reacting impulsively.

What You Avoid by Taking Action

By addressing the real emotions behind your doom habits, you reduce the risk of:

• Chronic stress and burnout

• Ongoing financial strain

• Emotional disconnection

• The trap of helplessness or despair

Instead, you build emotional clarity and resilience.

From Doom Behaviors to Emotional Balance

Doom scrolling, doom spending, doom watching, and doom planning are attempts to feel better when life feels overwhelming. But they don’t offer lasting relief.

Emotional Resolution (EmRes) helps you resolve emotional patterns and break the cycle of stress.

When your emotions are clear, your mind is calm. And when your nervous system feels safe, your choices become healthier and more intentional.

Ready to try something new?

Discover EmRes today.