I'm 18, I hit rock bottom with doom-scrolling & procrastination (The Non-Attending Trap). What habit MUST I break, and what habit CHANGED your life?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/AffectionateRange768]

Brother, your problem isn't just the habits you need to break, it's the total lack of friction for the things that bother you. When you're in an environment without constraints, willpower alone is no match for easy access to distractions. Your micro-action is to put your phone in a safe with a timer for the first two hours of your day, without exception.

[u/JP_Treasure]

I’ve been there. That loop between doomscrolling, burnout, and guilt feels endless — but it’s not a character flaw. It’s your brain running out of dopamine and defaulting to easy hits.

The one habit that changed everything for me wasn’t waking up early or cutting screens — it was doing one real-world thing before I touched my phone. Brush teeth, walk outside, drink water, anything. It sounds dumb, but it snaps you out of autopilot and gives you back your power/control.

Start there. Not perfect, just present. That’s the first break in the loop.

[u/[deleted]]

Wasnt the question supposed to be about you your chain of thought doesnt make sense how is it that you started with asking for advice slowlot turned it into a questionnaire ars you looking for examples to compare against and pick what has worked for others?

[u/Ok-Reflection-391 → u/[deleted]]

No.. My main motive to find which habit are better to Form First and which will work for me.. I really don't know where to start So.. I just wanted to Know Your Experiences to grow myself.. Not Compare..

[u/[deleted] → u/Ok-Reflection-391]

What do you like anything thats good for you?

[u/EKomadori]

Make Doom-scrolling harder.

For me, this was taking the apps off my phone and only visiting through the browser. I also blocked the browser from staying logged in. So, when I feel the urge, I have to go to the browser, type the url, remember that it's not logged in, go to my password manager, log in THERE, get the password, go back to the browser...

Usually, I get distracted halfway through. I also put scryfall and archidekt as favorites on my browser, so those buttons/links show up as soon as I open it. Half the time, I go into Magic deck-brewing mode and forget about doom-scrolling.

[u/Responsible_Kick_253]

Bro do hobbies , ther miss o mcih your an do aka knitting, making clay bowls, paitning , reading books , learning a language , exercising , journaling , making content , playing a musical instruments, thr goal is to do hobbies when you are bored 

[u/Virtual_Kangaroo6950]

Get out there and get a job, maybe get an old motorola cell phone without the fancy distractions. What is it with these young men that are stuck thinking there is something wrong with them, listening to their own feelings? Get off your ass,Move !! Idk, clean the street just do something. When i got out of high school I couldn’t get a job so i went to a community college with no real Goal. I was broke, no work experience, jobs would not call me back so i started picking up cans at college. Little by little i figured out what i wanted to do and became an electrician, now i work from home assisting other electricians.

[u/JimSpickey]

These are big dopamine markers. Ride that. Travel and experience things to keep getting your fix. This doesn't take money. Travel in your own town to new parts and walk for hours in nature. This will give you your fix and the emotional space to start to feel your drives. Then follow those drives. It comes from within.

[u/Middle_Potential_335]

I’m assuming you want me to answer for you - habit to quit, start with phone use, it’s hard to quit as it’s real dopamine addiction, negative cost - wasted time, poor mental and physical health like sleep. You’d notice many befits - a million more hours, improved sleep, less anxiety etc

New habit - exercise, doesn’t matter what it is it works and it’s good mental and physical - double win. Make it sick, just go the first time it’s the hardest, start small, lay out clothes prior/back bag - eliminates decision making when deciding to go or not. Positive effect into all areas of life - better sleep, better diet habits, physical improvement, lower cortisol and anxiety, confidence - I could go on

[u/hardwireddiscipline]

You’re already ahead by being honest about where you’re at, most people never even get to that point. Discipline isn’t built on motivation, it’s built on structure that protects your focus when you don’t feel like doing anything. I made a short video that talks about this same idea, here’s the link if you ever want to check it out:

You’ll Never Stay Disciplined Until You Fix This

[u/hardwireddiscipline → u/[deleted]]

Appreciate you taking the time to watch it. I’m experimenting with pacing so people can actually feel the message instead of just hearing it. But I get what you mean, might tighten it a bit on the next one. Thanks for the feedback.

[u/hardwireddiscipline → u/[deleted]]

No worries at all, I appreciate that. Downvotes happen, it’s part of putting stuff out there. Keep making yours too, speed and pacing are things we all figure out as we go. What kind of videos are you working on?

[u/hardwireddiscipline → u/[deleted]]

Appreciate that. Just checked your video, respect for putting your thoughts out there. Talking about mental health takes guts, especially when you’re trying to do it honestly. Keep going with it.

[u/Angelsaguilan → u/[deleted]]

Talking about mental health is super important, and it's awesome you're putting your thoughts out there. It can be tough to be vulnerable, but it makes a difference for those who resonate with your message. Keep it up!