Here’s a break from doomscrolling.

City center, Sofia, Bulgaria. September, 2019.

Hello, friend ~

Doomscrolling. A new(~ish) word to describe the act of spending too much time on our devices poring over grim news.

Of course, it’s easy to do when it feels like the world is spinning out of control. We want to know the latest, so we can protect ourselves and our loved ones. According to some experts, being constantly vigilant for threats has allowed humans to survive. According to other experts, social media is designed, at least in part, to take advantage of this.

The result? Doomscrolling.

I’ve been a bit guilty of this lately, leading me to question whether I should bother finishing this latest blog post. It didn’t feel justifiable to take a break, to avert one’s eyes, in the midst of a pandemic and civil unrest. If even for a moment.

But I realized it’s OK, even healthy, to take a break from the news. It’s my coping mechanism. Keep working, dig in, pay attention to my little part of this world. It’s not avoidance, as I know the problems certainly won’t go away. But it does help me clear my head so I can think more productively about things.

The result of my coping mechanism? A quick photo story about the last of our pre-COVID trips:

Seeking sun in Sofia, Bulgaria

Take a 5–Minute Vacation in Sofia through our eyes. Or, just unplug for 5-Minutes. Either way, give yourself a break. You deserve it.

Stay safe and be well ~

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!