Anxiety At Home: How Screen Time Fuels Stress For Autism Families

Hey, What's Up! It’s Tommy. This episode is a heart-to-heart on anxiety, what it looks like inside our homes, and why our phones, feeds, and constant news can fuel it. I share how doomscrolling ramps up my nervous system, what my wife changed to feel calmer, and why stepping away from the screen helps me show up as a better dad, husband, and human. I talk about blue light, sleep, dopamine loops, and that heavy, dark feeling that spreads after big news events. Most of all, this is an invite to live in the moment, protect your peace, and make simple choices that bring calm back into your day.

Key Takeaways

• Anxiety often rises from constant stimulation, fast news cycles, and endless social feeds.
• Blue light at night disrupts melatonin, which hurts sleep and raises anxiety.
• Doomscrolling can overload the nervous system and leave you more exhausted than before you grabbed the phone.
• Using social apps with a purpose, then closing them, cuts stress.
• Simple phone rules help: no phone at dinner, out of the bedroom at night, and screen time checks each week.
• Try planned breaks, like a weekly phone-off window. Many people feel lighter and sleep better right away.
• Algorithms feed what you click. If a topic spikes your anxiety, stop tapping on it.
• Presence beats perfection. Engage your kids, partner, and friends in real time. That connection is the antidote to anxiety.
• Faith and focus in the present moment reduce worry. You cannot control everything, but you can control your inputs.
• Small, consistent habits create calmer days and better parenting.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Visit spectrumincamouflage.com for more episodes, tools, and encouragement. If you need uplifting accounts or want to share your story, email me at tommy@spectrumincamouflage.com. If this helped you, share it with a friend and leave a rating so more families can find hope.

You can always reach me at tommy@spectrumincamouflage.com. More at spectrumincamouflage.com.

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Let’s learn, grow, and make a difference, one step, one piece of the puzzle, one child at a time.