I replaced doomscrolling with one tiny habit. After 30 days, my screen time was down 44%, and I was way less anxious.

A new habit helped me feel happier using my phone.

Rebecca Strong

For a long time, I've been acutely aware that doomscrolling was making me anxious. But still, constantly scrolling through all sorts of distressing content on my phone was a habit I couldn't seem to break.Whether I was waiting in line at my local coffeeshop or unwinding in bed at night, I found myself unable to resist reaching for my phone, seemingly on autopilot.There was a positive intention behind this: I wanted to feel informed about the world around me. But the constant influx of updates about ongoing criminal trials, natural disasters, and mass-casualty events definitely left me with a pretty negative outlook.Studies have repeatedly shown that doomscrolling takes quite a toll on both our mental and physical well-being, contributing to more stress, anxiety, and fatigue.So, I made one rule for myself: Every time I had the urge to open Instagram, I'd make an effort to learn one tiny thing instead. I call them "micro-curiosities."Here's how it unfolded — and why this is a change I plan to stick with.I started by making a list of things I'm interested in

This summer, I learned to grow basil.

Rebecca Strong