Do you need a dopamine 'detox'? Three steps to successful dopamine 'detox'.

 

Like most people, you probably heart about dopamine and what it does, or you might have some general idea. However don't worry, in this section, I will cover it for you.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which helps us identify the anticipation of a reward such as food or sexual relationships. In short, dopamine is the engine that gets us started on taking actions that will earn us the reward when the task is done. This neurotransmitter is very powerful and it had help us survive and reproduce. Many people believe that dopamine is a pleasure chemical, however, even if our dopamine is triggered by an event it doesn't mean is something we get pleasure from. Based on many studies actually after receiving the reward, we often feel empty inside and look for the next 'fix'.

What are the dopamine 'traps' of today's society?

Also known as the 'molecule of more', this is because the more environment or actions that trigger dopamine we have the more we will crave the next dopamine 'rush' This is how many addictions work as it is a self-reinforcing mechanism.

Tolerance, to drug addiction or alcohol, is created when a person does trigger the dopamine way too many times and builds a tolerance. Now every time they will need a higher dose to have the same feeling and sensation of pleasure for and first time.

Addictions are not limited to only drugs and alcohol many activities can become addictive, such as:

• Gambling
• Sex
• Shopping
• Video games
• Work
• Social media
• Phone addiction
• Exercise(to extreme limits)

How our dopamine neurotransmitters are being hijacked.

You might know this, your focus is worth money. People's focus has become a very expensive asset these days and big companies spend billions each year so they can attract your attention. All the big apps that everyone has on their phones are designed to keep you glued to the screen for as long as possible. Big companies like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok spend billion on development to keep you 'hooked' this is because they make many through advertisement, the more you stay the more ads you see, and the more ads you see the more likely you are to buy a product.

Now let's talk about being hijacked, we will take social media notifications as a solid example. Every time you get a notification you will anticipate a reward( a message, like) and you will get your dopamine fix when you click on it, this will release the dopamine. However, this won't make you feel any sensation of fulfilment or happiness, not for long at least. Keep in mind that dopamine is activated when you think you might get a reward. These ' pleasures' are temporary.

Other examples of dopamine hijack:

• Checking your email- you expecting rewards such as a message or news
• When you check your investment or payslip
• When you visit youtube
• When you visit social media

What are the benefits of dopamine 'detox'?

If you feel overstimulated or hijacked, we should try to reduce and/or eliminate some stimulus from our life so we can focus on things that we should.

A dopamine 'detox' will help you reduce stimulation, this will allow you to get back to a more natural state of mind. You will observe that the boring task that you had before and wouldn't do it, now when you are less stimulated will be more appealing to wash dishes than staring into space( your misses will be happy about the dishes)

Guide to a successful dopamine 'detox'.

This section of the article will focus on the action plan you will need to perform a successful dopamine detox.

Step 1. Identify your biggest distractions.

As in any plan, your first step will be to identify the biggest temptation and distraction you currently have. This can be done with a pen and paper by creating two columns with 'can' and 'cannot'

In the 'Can' column, you will write everything you allow yourself to engage in. For example, you will go for a walk, work on the project you keep delaying, write a journal or read a new book. 

In the 'Cannot' Colum write down the things you won't allow yourself to do, such as watching youtube, checking social media, check your emails.

To take the right decisions yourself these questions:

1. What activity should I avoid to have a more productive day?
2. If I stop doing only one thing, which one will increase my productivity and boost my focus?

Step 2. Add friction.

Think about this, the harder the access to something, the less likely you will be to do it and work another way around. This will help you make a few changes in your environment. By making these changes the bad behaviours will be more difficult to engage, meanwhile making it more desirable for the good behaviours so they will be easier to engage.

Check the list you made earlier about 'can' and 'cannot' and think of ways to make it harder for bad behaviours and easier access for the good ones.

These examples will help you better understand what I mean:

• If the phone is your biggest distraction, then switch your notification off or just set it on aeroplane mode and if this won't cut it for you, just leave it in a different room.
• If you watching tons of youtube videos, we recommend you the google chrome extension 'DF tube'. This extension will remove all suggestions and you will only watch videos that will fit your purpose.

Step 3. Get everything done early in the day.

Just get started in the morning with whatever goal you have. Probably all noticed that if you start checking your phone in the morning you will easily become overstimulated and probably let things for another day.

What I notice is that if I do things in the morning, I have a higher chance of achievement.

We also recommend you create a morning routine that will help you kick start your day with a positive feeling and with a strong focus. Over a long time, the morning routine will make you a high achiever and make a significant impact in your life.

Conclusion.

I hope you enjoy reading so far, and if you are here that means you are considering seriously a dopamine 'detox' and want to learn more about the subject.

For more information on the subject at hand we recommend you the book: