How To Do A Dopamine Detox
5 years ago, I participated in a 10-day silent meditation retreat. In addition to the “no talking” rule, there were also a bunch of items and activities that were banned: no phones, no electronic devices, no books, no writing, no drawing, no music, no snacks, no exercise other than walking. When I returned home after the retreat, I was less irritable, slept better at night, and felt more at peace than I had in years. I was also flooded with creative ideas and actually had the motivation to act on them. The meditating certainly contributed to my experience, but I had also unknowingly participated in something that reset my brain’s reward center: a dopamine detox.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that releases in your brain as a reward when you do something pleasurable. With instant gratification easier than ever to access these days, our internal rewards system is constantly fired up. You can doom scroll all day and night, entertain yourself wherever you go, or have delicious food delivered in under an hour. But all this easy access to dopamine is actually causing harm to our brain’s reward system, and that’s where a dopamine detox can help.
How does dopamine work?
Dopamine works by making you feel good any time you have a pleasurable experience. This reinforces the behavior that led to the experience and makes it more likely that you will repeat it. That’s why harmful behaviors like drug use, compulsive gambling, and hoarding are so addicting. The surge of dopamine that occurs with those behaviors keeps people coming back for more.
Dopamine also plays a part in several of your brain’s main functions including attention, memory, and learning. When your dopamine levels are up to par, it’s easier for you to maintain focus and be flexible in your thinking. Emotional regulation and mood is yet another way dopamine affects your brain. Low dopamine has been associated with mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Dopamine also influences our motivation by giving us the drive to set and achieve goals, and helps us have control over our body movements.
Is too much dopamine bad for you?
Yes, too much dopamine can lead to negative health effects. Too much dopamine can lead to addictive behaviors as well as lack of motivation and productivity, keeping you from achieving the things you want or need. High levels of dopamine are also associated with risk-taking behavior and impulsivity, which can make you unable to stop yourself from doing something inappropriate or harmful. Too much dopamine can also negatively affect your mental health. It contributes to hallucinations, delusions, and racing thoughts in those with schizophrenia, as well as the “mania” phase of bipolar disorder. In extreme cases, too much dopamine can also lead to neurotoxicity or diseases like Parkinson’s.
What are the benefits of a dopamine detox?
A dopamine detox is a great way to reduce the dopamine spikes we encounter in modern society, and there are several benefits to doing one. First of all, your productivity increases. When you remove distractions like social media or video games, it’s a lot easier to focus and complete important tasks. In addition, when you eliminate activities that provide short-term pleasure, you’re more motivated to focus on activities that are more meaningful and have long-term benefits.
A dopamine detox can also increase your creativity. When your mind isn’t focused on a TV show or your Facebook feed, your imagination is free to roam and explore new ideas. If you decide to try a dopamine detox, you may also experience better sleep, improved mood and emotional stability, and a greater sense of self-awareness.
HOW TO DO A DOPAMINE DETOX
Here are a few tips and guidelines for doing a dopamine detox:
1. Set A Goal
Before you start your dopamine detox, it’s a good idea to figure out why you want to do one. What are you looking to achieve by resetting your internal reward system? Do you want to feel more motivated to achieve your goals, or increase your productivity at work? Or are you looking to be more creative? Having a clear goal will help keep you motivated and on track during your detox.
2. Decide How Long To Detox
Figuring out a time period for your detox can help you get through it. Knowing that there’s a defined endpoint to your challenge will help keep you motivated and committed to the process. There is no wrong amount of time to detox, but the longer you go, the better your results will be. It’s ok to detox for a short amount of time, too. If going a whole week without TikTok makes you feel nauseous, maybe start with one day, or even a few hours.
3. Choose Which Activities To Eliminate
Everyone has different “addictions”, so what you chose to eliminate should be personal to you. If you rarely play video games, then cutting them out during your detox isn’t going to give you very good results. Of course, there are some activities that you won’t be able to cut out entirely, especially if they’re something that you need to do for work, like reading emails. But you can work around this by setting your phone or computer on focus mode so that certain apps are unavailable and only important notifications come through.
Here are some pretty common dopamine-generating activities that you can try to eliminate:
Social Media
Video Games
TV and Streaming Services
Junk Food and Sugary Snacks
Caffeine/Energy Drinks
Internet Browsing
Online Shopping
4. Find Alternate Activities
Once you’ve decided what you’ll be eliminating during your detox, it’s time to find activities that will take their place. Going outside and enjoying nature, picking up a book you’ve been meaning to read, or starting on a personal project are all great alternatives. It’s also good to do activities like crossword puzzles, sudoku, a jigsaw puzzle, or an adult coloring book. These will help you avoid screens, challenge your brain, and provide stress relief without giving you large dopamine spikes.
5. Have A Plan In Place For When You Feel Tempted
One of the best things to do when planning a dopamine detox is to remove all the tempting items from your environment. Unplug your TV and move it to another room. Uninstall or hide the apps you use the most on your phone. Have meal plans in place so you don’t resort to eating out or getting delivery. Get rid of all the sweet and salty snacks in your home. If you live with roommates or a significant other, you can also use a fridge/cabinet lock to keep yourself away from food temptations (there are French door refrigerator locks as well).
Speaking of roommates and significant others, the people around you can be a helpful resource to get you through your detox. Friends and family can hold you accountable and make sure you don’t slip up when you’re having particularly strong cravings for your banned activities or substances. Making plans or connecting with friends is also a great way to distract yourself.
6. Use Tools To Keep You On Track
There are several tools you can use to help you through your detox. Dopamine Detox: Bad Habits is an app that helps you break bad habits and replace them with others. There are also apps like Habitica that allow you to track your process and stay accountable during your detox. If you need help limiting your screen time and staying focused, you can check out an app like Freedom.
If playing on your phone or using apps is a habit that you are trying to eliminate during your detox, or you’re trying to cut down on screen time, there are non-digital ways of tracking and being mindful. This detailed Habit Tracker Calendar helps you to track several daily and weekly habits and contains space for you to write your notes or thoughts. You can also use this Five Minute Journal to practice self-reflection, mindfulness, and identify patterns or triggers related to the activities you’re eliminating.
Doing a dopamine detox is a great way to reset our baseline for enjoyment. The good news is, you don’t have to give up your beloved dopamine quick fixes permanently and you can return to them once your detox is over. If you achieved great results, maybe keeping some of the eliminations on a smaller scale, like no video games on Sundays, will be beneficial to you in the long run.
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