Why Doomscrolling Feels So Addictive for Anxious Moms (And What to Do About It)
Takeaway: Doomscrolling is a nervous system response that shows up often for moms with postpartum anxiety, pregnancy-related stress, or perinatal anxiety. It feels like a way to find answers or calm, but it often increases anxiety instead. Understanding why scrolling makes things worse — and learning what helps your nervous system actually feel safer — can be a turning point. Small boundary shifts and in-the-moment regulation tools can offer real relief, especially for full plate moms seeking support.
Why Moms Can’t Stop Scrolling (Even When They Know It’s Making Them Anxious)
Picture this: Your baby is in the thick of the four-month sleep regression. You’re desperate for rest, hoping the next scroll will offer the answer that finally unlocks a stretch of sleep — even though you know scrolling instead of sleeping isn’t helping. But your nervous system is wired to seek something that feels like control.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. These moments are incredibly common for moms — especially those navigating postpartum anxiety. While it may feel like scrolling will offer comfort, clarity, or the "perfect fix," many moms find themselves stuck in a loop that ramps up their worry instead of calming it.
This pattern is called doomscrolling. It’s more than a habit — it’s a nervous system response trying to find relief.Most full plate moms I work with know that scrolling at night makes their anxiety worse, but they aren’t sure how to stop. And because doomscrolling isn’t often listed on traditional postpartum anxiety symptom checklists from places like Postpartum Support International, many don’t realize it’s a common experience linked to PPA.
Here’s what I wish every anxious mom knew: You don’t have to quit social media. You just need to support your nervous system first. When you regulate before you scroll, you often stop the spiral — and then you can use social media in healthy ways, like staying connected to your loved ones.
What Is Doomscrolling and Why It Spikes for Moms With Postpartum Anxiety (PPA)
Doomscrolling often shows up in two patterns:
The obsessive scroll — endlessly searching for the “perfect” answer, consuming page after page of repetitive advice, hoping one will finally bring clarity or calm
The numbing scroll — watching reel after reel, zoning out completely, trying to manage mental overload and quiet anxious thoughts
Both are extremely common among moms with postpartum anxiety. On the surface, they seem helpful — like something productive or soothing. But instead of bringing relief, they often create more questions and deepen anxious spirals.
Someone without anxiety might glance at an article or two and feel reassured. But for a mom already overwhelmed, the information loop feeds the anxious part of her brain — the part that's constantly wondering if she's doing it all wrong. The deeper truth? Most moms need more reassurance — and not the kind an algorithm can offer. We're parenting without the kind of wisdom and day-to-day support that used to come from a village — especially as full plate moms trying to do it all. So of course we reach for our phones. But drowning in information isn’t the same as feeling truly supported.
And that’s where the scroll can start to hurt more than help.
The Neurobiology of Anxiety and Doomscrolling in New Moms
When we experience anxiety, it's because our body has scanned for danger, perceived a threat, and then activated the fight, flight, or freeze response. This is normal and happens to everyone - but for moms navigating postpartum anxiety, this response happens even when danger isn't present or immediate — always on, always alert. In those moments, your nervous system often believes that more information will help you feel safe — but scrolling is often a response to anxiety, not protection from it.
The challenge is, information overload actually fuels your fight-or-flight response. The endless scroll doesn’t calm your anxiety — it keeps you stuck in it.And even though seeking reassurance through doom-scrolling isn’t working, there are solutions. They come in two key forms: boundary-setting and nervous system regulation.
Let’s talk about both.
#1 - Creating Boundaries With Social Media for Moms With Postpartum Anxiety
One of the most effective ways to shift out of the doomscrolling spiral is to set a boundary around the time you’re most likely to scroll. For some moms, that’s at night when the house is finally quiet. For others, it’s during a contact nap or in the school pickup line. You probably already know when your go-to scroll time is — and that’s the moment that needs the most support.
Boundaries aren't about punishment or restriction — they're about keeping you safe. Constant scrolling doesn't actually help your body feel safe; it keeps you stuck in the stress cycle. That's why we get trapped in it instead of feeling reassured.
Try this: Instead of cutting out scrolling completely, start small. Give yourself 10 intentional minutes to research or read. If you’re still not settled, pause. Use a nervous system regulation skill (we’ll cover those next), and reach out to someone you trust — your pediatrician, a family member, or your partner — to help you get what you need.
That’s the beginning of boundary work: knowing when to pause and offering your nervous system a more supportive way to feel safe.
#2 - Nervous System Regulation Tools for Moms With Pregnancy or Postpartum Anxiety
Most anxious moms don’t have time for long breathing exercises or hour-long yoga sessions — and that’s okay. I don't have that kind of time either, so I get it. I recommend simple actions that fit into your daily routine and the moments you feel anxiety throughout the day. Many of these tools can be used right in the middle of motherhood: while caring for your children, commuting, or holding your baby during a contact nap. That’s the time we actually have to work on this.
The power of these quick strategies is that they interrupt the fight-flight-freeze response and allow your prefrontal cortex — the part of your brain that helps you think clearly — to come back online. That’s what makes them different from scrolling — which tends to keep you in the anxious loop.
Want an easy place to start? Download my Mom Anxiety Coping Cards here. This free printable offers 21+ regulation tools that take 30 seconds or less — quick, calming options you can actually use in the middle of motherhood. They're designed to help regulate your breathing, settle your body’s response, and help you feel more anchored in moments of overwhelm.
The biggest shift that these cards help with is realizing that these small tools work better than scrolling. And they help you recognize what kind of real support you may need next.
How Therapy Supports Moms With Doomscrolling, Anxiety, and Nervous System Overload
Therapy gives you space to talk openly and honestly about the stress that leads to doomscrolling. Together, we can explore what’s underneath the urge to keep searching and start uncovering the support that actually makes a difference. You’re not alone in this — and your experience is more common than you might realize. Therapy can be especially helpful for moms seeking support for anxious thoughts, boundary-setting, and nervous system stress.
As a mom and maternal mental health therapist who’s also been through postpartum anxiety, I know how hard it can be to talk about. But opening up is often the first step toward real change — the kind that actually shifts how you feel day to day.
Nurturing the Sisterhood is my Washington-based therapy practice focused on perinatal mental health. I offer care across the state — including Seattle, Bellevue, Bainbridge Island, and the Kitsap Peninsula — providing accessible mental health support for moms in Washington. I specialize in therapy for pregnant women and therapy for postpartum anxiety.
If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more grounded, click here to schedule your free intro call. Let’s see if working together feels right for you.
All moms need and deserve support. I'm here when you're ready.
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