We all know that feeling of scrolling endlessly through social media and being unable to put the phone down. It’s become such a problem in recent years that there are now “dopamine detoxes” designed to help people break their cycle of addiction. But what exactly is a dopamine detox, and why should you consider trying one? Let’s explore the idea of a dopamine detox, and how it could possibly help you break your digital habits.
What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter commonly associated with pleasure, reward and motivation. Whenever we do something enjoyable, our brains release dopamine as a reward. This can be anything from eating chocolate cake to checking our phones. So when we check our phones regularly throughout the day, our brains get used to those small doses of pleasure and reward, which makes it difficult for us to resist the urge to keep checking them.
How Does a Dopamine Detox Work?
A dopamine detox involves taking intentional breaks from technology or activities that provide us with an artificial sense of pleasure or reward—things like social media, video games, television shows and more. For example, if you spend too much time on Instagram every day, you might decide to take a few days off from using it completely in order to reset your brain’s response to those activities. That way, when you go back to them after the detox is over, you won’t feel compelled to keep checking them as often as before.
If you constantly get dopamine rushes from certain behaviors, other activities that don’t give as much gratification will start to feel less enjoyable. As children become increasingly captivated by video games and television, they tend to show far less enthusiasm for traditional activities like playing with toys or spending time outdoors. This is particularly evident the more immersed they are in these digital forms of entertainment.
When we abstain from activities that create high levels of dopamine, mundane tasks may become enjoyable and rewarding once more.
We used to have to wait for dopamine till after we did something challenging. It’s evolutions way of rewarding us for doing something good for our survival. Nowadays, we can get a dopamine rush every time we pick up our phone or log into social media. That’s why it’s important to take breaks and detox from these activities so that they don’t become too distracting and all-consuming.
12 Ways To Detox from Dopamine
Choose lower dopamine activities.
- Get out for a walk
- Read a book
- Do something creative like painting or drawing
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
- Spend time with friends or family members
- Spend time with friends or family members
- Listen to soothing music
- Take up a new hobby or activity
- Exercise regularly
- Unplug from technology for a certain amount of time each day
- Do something challenging or outside your comfort zone
- Write in a journal
Following these steps can help you break free from the dopamine-seeking behaviors that are so common today, and find healthier ways to enjoy yourself.
But I feel Depressed When I Start a Dopamine Detox
It’s common to feel bored or even depressed when you first start a dopamine detox. This may be due to the fact that your brain is used to being rewarded for certain activities, so it can become accustomed to needing those rewards all the time.
Don’t panic – this is a common occurrence. Embrace it fully and understand that your low dopamine levels are the cause of your emotions. Knowing this can help you adjust how to manage them, so you’re back feeling like yourself soon!
Have you ever stopped to think about how quickly your enthusiasm fades after something exhilarating happens? Take a moment and recall the last time that you had an exciting adventure. Remember that feeling of disappointment when it was all said and done, or when you returned home? It’s not just because life resumed as usual; it’s also because of the dopamine crash. This phenomenon is much more commonplace than we realize!
After achieving an important accomplishment or task, the euphoria of success reaches a high point as you bask in the celebration. Unfortunately, once this period ends and your dopamine levels drop lower than they were pre-event – returning to your baseline – it can be extremely difficult to adjust back into everyday life.
Taking regular short digital detoxes on a regular basis will help you become more mindful of your not just your technology use, but how you can manage your dopamine from all tasks. Doing so will allow you to appreciate the highs and lows of life and recognize how they affect your enjoyment. This mindfulness can also help you create healthier habits, as well as increase your overall productivity, creativity, and focus.
Ultimately, remember that taking part in a dopamine detox does not mean giving up technology forever— it doesn’t mean you never enjoy pleasurable things, it’s just a way to create more mindful habits. You might be surprised by how much better you feel afterwards!
The Benefits of Doing a Dopamine Detox
The main benefit of doing a dopamine detox is that it allows us to reset our brains’ responses to certain activities or stimuli so that we don’t feel compelled to keep checking them every few minutes. It also gives us an opportunity to focus on other activities that may not provide us with an instant gratification, but are still beneficial for our physical and mental health—things like exercising, reading books or having meaningful conversations with friends and family members. Finally, taking regular breaks from technology can help us become more mindful about how we use technology in our everyday lives.
Things To Avoid During Dopamine Detox
Since dopamine detoxes are essentially a form of “mindful technology use”, there are certain activities that should be avoided during the detox period. These include (but are not limited to): scrolling through social media for hours at a time; playing mobile games; and consuming lots of news or gossip articles online. All of these activities can be detrimental to our mental states and should be avoided during the detox period. It may also be helpful to set specific limits for yourself, such as only checking certain websites or apps for a certain amount of time each day.
How far you take your detox really depends on you, but the key is to recognize when your dopamine levels are getting too high and take a break in order to recharge and reset. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to better regulate your dopamine levels on a regular basis so that you can feel more balanced and in control.
Some things you might not have thought about that increase dopamine, anything that we use as reward to get ourselves to do certain activities or make them more enjoyable.
Try doing your exercise workouts or house cleaning without any music for a few days. Avoid the temptation to reward yourself after doing something hard, with dopamine increase food or shopping. Doing these types of things makes actually harder for you to want to do the task itself, next time.
I’m not saying never listen to music again, but take note on how we use these things to increase our dopamine.
There was an experiment where they took children who liked to draw, half of kids were asked to draw and offered a reward for drawing, the other half received no reward. The next time the kids were asked to draw, the group with a reward actually drew less, then the group without.
Mark Lepper: Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning
Stanford
It’s important to note that we naturally release dopamine when we do something good for ourselves, but if we rely on external rewards it can decrease our natural ability to self-motivate and get things done.
This experiment shows us how dopamine can be used in an unhealthy way, as a means of manipulating our behavior. If we try to consciously use dopamine in a healthy way, we can create healthier habits, as well as increase our overall productivity, creativity and focus.
So take some time to understand where your dopamine is coming from, and if it’s something that you can use in a healthy way to boost your daily activities. Doing so will help reset the balance of dopamine in your system and allow you to feel satisfied and content with the activities you do, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it. This can help lead to a more balanced lifestyle, as well as improved overall wellbeing.
Naturally Increase Dopamine
Although it is important to be mindful of how we use dopamine, there are also some natural activities that increase dopamine levels. These include things like getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, spending time in nature and participating in physical activities. Additionally, having meaningful conversations with friends and family can help boost dopamine levels naturally, as can engaging in creative activities such as painting, writing or gardening.
By taking part in activities that naturally increase dopamine levels, we can avoid relying on unhealthy sources of dopamine stimulation and instead focus on creating a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Doing so will help us to feel more energized and motivated throughout the day and stay happier and healthier overall.
- Get quality sleep
- Spend time in nature
- Stay hydrated
- Eat healthy foods
- Exercise regularly
- Engage in meaningful conversations with friends and family
- Practice mindful breathing or meditation
- Take time for yourself to do something you enjoy, like reading a book or listening to music
- Try creative activities such as painting, writing or photography
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Avoid stress as much as possible
- Reduce your sugar intake
Vitamins Needed To Make Dopamine
Making sure that you are getting adequate nutrition is vital for making all the chemicals and hormones created by your body, including dopamine. It would be reckless of me to cite a single vitamin or mineral without considering the potential to disrupt other essential nutrients.
Both Hopkins and Harvard have not found enough evidence to recommend multi-vitamins for the average person.
Is There Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins?
Hopkins Medicine
Do multivitamins make you healthier?
Harvard.edu
To ensure that you’re meeting your caloric and nutrient goals, I highly recommend keeping a food log every couple of months. If you don’t have an app for tracking your intake yet, now is the perfect time to get one!
For more research on which foods will help increase dopamine, I recommend checking out NutritionFacts.org.
Suggested Reading
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence is an insightful and thought-provoking exploration into the role of dopamine in our lives, and how to use it as a tool to create healthier habits, better productivity, and greater overall wellbeing.
Author Dr. Anna Lembke sheds light on the powerful influence that dopamine has on our lives, and offers an accessible guide to understanding the science behind it and learning how to use it in a positive way. Lembke’s book is essential for anyone looking for more information about dopamine and how to use it as a tool to lead a healthier lifestyle.
The Molecule of More
The Molecule of More, by Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD is a groundbreaking guide to understanding the science and mechanics behind dopamine and its effect on our lives. Dr. Lieberman examines the physiological and psychological power of dopamine, and how it affects our motivation, decisions, and overall wellbeing. He demystifies the complex science behind dopamine, and offers practical insights on how to use it as a tool to create healthier, more productive habits.
Dr. Lieberman’s book is an invaluable resource for anyone curious about the science of dopamine and how to better understand its power in our lives. His accessible writing style makes it an easy read that can be enjoyed by all readers.
Dopamine Detox: A Short Guide to Remove Distractions and Get Your Brain to Do Hard Things
In this helpful guide, you’ll learn what dopamine is and how it works. You’ll also discover the many benefits of completing a dopamine detox – including improved concentration, productivity, and creativity. Plus, you’ll get three simple steps to implementing a successful detox in the next 48 hours. And that’s not all! You’ll also find practical exercises to eliminate distractions and boost your focus. With this handy guide, you’ll have everything you need to finally work on your goals with ease.
All in all, doing a dopamine detox can be beneficial for anyone who wants to break their cycle of addiction and develop healthier habits when it comes to using technology or engaging in activities designed solely for entertainment or pleasure purposes. However, it’s important not be too hard on yourself if you slip up during the process; just remember that progress takes time! With patience and consistency, you will eventually find yourself leading a more balanced lifestyle with fewer cravings for quick hits of digital gratification.
