After a long day staring at screens for work, I used to go to bed and scroll through my phone until I fell asleep. Whether I was doomscrolling through news headlines, reading hateful comments on social media, or replaying workplace drama on Teams and Slack, I was always plugged in.
This habit started long before bedtime. As the evening wound down, I’d spend hours surfing algorithms, barely paying attention to whatever show was on TV or half-listening to the people around me. Whether it was the endless stream of dystopian news, toxic opinions about pop culture, or posts complaining about annoying LinkedIn jargon, there was always another online scab to pick.
When I finally did fall asleep, it was restless and full of anxiety. With my mind swimming in fears of various apocalypses and the anger of online trolls, it’s no surprise my dreams were filled with the same. After one too many feverish nights, I realized I had to make a change. Determined to break free from my phone’s grip, I started looking for something better to occupy my attention. Books seemed like the obvious answer, and I quickly turned to comics.
I was a huge comic book reader as a kid. Growing up in the early 1990s, I devoured the Beano and Dandy, then moved on to The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix. From there, I got into my dad’s collection of 2000 AD, which felt thrillingly forbidden for a young teenager because of its violent stories. I then read everything I could get my hands on: Preacher, The Sandman, Watchmen, Batman—I read them all.
But as an adult in my 30s, I wasn’t the devoted reader I used to be. That changed in late 2024, when I finally decided to quit doomscrolling. Fueled by the online chaos surrounding Donald Trump’s upcoming second term, I realized I needed to protect my mental health and build new routines before I was completely consumed by fear and anger. And who knows more about self-care than your inner child?
Instead of reaching for my phone in the evenings, I picked up a comic. Reading them as an adult brought back a sense of childlike wonder that helped me rise above my anxieties. I noticed my sleep started to improve. My dreams became more imaginative and less haunted by the everyday fears of life.
I began waking up feeling refreshed, free from the negativity of the previous night’s miserable doomscrolling. Inspired by the colorful images and ideas in comic books, I channeled a new sense of creativity into my work as a journalist. I also felt less urge to check work messages after leaving the office, because that time had become valuable comic book time.
I hadn’t realized how much my attention span had suffered from a decade of jumping from app to app in the blink of an eye. That soon got better—thanks to taking the time and effort to read a long comic series or graphic novel all the way through. It also gave me a sense of accomplishment, instead of the self-loathing I usually felt after realizing I’d just spent an hour on Reddit.
As someone whose mind tends to spiral when left to its own self-sabotaging ways, comic books offered an escape that let me face fears of the apocalypse, dictators, and an AI uprising in a safe space. Dystopian sci-fi and extreme horror comics might not seem like cozy bedtime reading, but they felt like a healthier outlet than the unhelpful fearmongering of online commenters.
Rediscovering my love for comic books isn’t about burying my head in the sand by hiding in imaginary worlds. It’s about carving out time for self-care in a world that demands more and more of our mental space. Leaving behind my evenings glued to my phone and letting my inner child back out has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.My phone has boosted my mood, my creativity, and my overall outlook on life. I let my inner child come back out, and I haven’t looked back since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the topic The one change that actually worked I stopped doomscrolling and started reading comic books instead
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly is doomscrolling
Doomscrolling is when you spend a lot of time reading bad news or negative content online even though it makes you feel anxious or depressed Its like being stuck in a loop of depressing headlines
2 How is reading a comic book different from scrolling on my phone
Scrolling is passive and often stressfulyoure reacting to negative alerts Reading a comic book is active and focused You choose the story you turn the pages and you control the pace It feels like a break not a chore
3 Arent comic books just for kids or superhero fans
Not at all Comics cover every genre you can imagine romance horror scifi history sliceoflife and even literary fiction There are comics for adults teens and everyone in between
4 Will this actually help me stop doomscrolling
It can if you make it a habit The key is to replace the action of scrolling with a different actionpicking up a book Its not magic but it gives your brain a healthier alternative
5 Do I need to buy expensive collected editions or graphic novels
No You can start with free library books cheap digital issues or even single issues from a local comic shop Its usually cheaper than a daily latte
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 How do I actually break the doomscrolling habit and stick with reading
Start small Set a timer for 10 minutes Put your phone in another room Keep a comic book on your nightstand or coffee table The goal isnt to read a lotits to replace the reflex of grabbing your phone
7 What if I dont know where to start with comics
Pick a genre you already like in movies or books If you like mysteries try
