DAILY DEVOTIONAL 📖

The Doom Loop  

I was reading an article yesterday morning that asked the question “are we becoming more politically violent as a society?” According to several social scientists, the answer is (thankfully) NO.  A look at our past as a nation showed lots of periods of time where we were worse….sort of hard to believe isn’t it?.. but what makes us look more politically violent is… social media.  Nowadays we learn almost immediately about events such as the potential assassination attempt of a president this past week.

 

One social scientist called this a “doom loop”

The "doom loop" is a self-reinforcing cycle where negative thoughts lead to anxiety-driven, unproductive actions, often fueled by doomscrolling (another new term being driven by social media). 

 

This cycle drains joy and traps individuals in anxiety. Breaking this loop requires shifting focus from fear-driven despair to faith-based joy. 

So how do we encourage this needed shift?

1. Recognize the Loop: Identify when you are spiraling and work to break the cycle.

2. Stop the Scroll: Actively redirect attention away from constant negative inputs. Put down the phone or iPad! Or visit good news networks such as goodnewsnetwork.org. 

3. Take Small Actions: Use affirmations like "I can do this" to interrupt the downward spiral and redirect your life in a more positive way!

4. Make sure the church is in your cycle of life.  Become involved in positive activities, such as church assembly, ladies classes or men’s meetings.  

 

Some social scientists have a term for this too…

1. Introducing the flywheel.  Once you start events of a positive nature (see #4🙂) they have a tendency to just keep on keeping on! ~jme

THOUGHT OF THE DAY 🤔 A good laugh is sunshine in the house. ~William Makepeace Thackeray