Introduction

For many years I’ve used a browser extension called StayFocusd to stop myself from getting sucked into social media doomscrolling.

I kept opening social media tabs without any particular reason. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, but I was still checking them several times a day.

How it works

The extension is pretty simple. You choose the websites that you want to block and, optionally, set the maximum amount of time you can spend on them each day. The limit can be zero too, but I found that 20 minutes a day works best for me.

Once you reach your daily limit, those websites are blocked until the next day. This small bit of friction is enough to make me stop and ask myself why I’m opening the website in the first place.

There are several other options too, but I don’t really need them. The basic blocking feature already solves my problem.

If you regularly find yourself opening social media without a reason, try it. It might be enough to break the habit.