Have you been unmotivated or unfocused lately? Been feeling lazy or want to get rid of some unhealthy habits? Perhaps what you may need is a dopamine detox!
What is dopamine?
It’s a neurotransmitter your body produces. Your nervous system uses dopamine to send messages between nerve cells. Its sometimes called the reward center because when it is released in your brain it makes you feel good!
Why does our brain release dopamine?
From an evolutionary perspective, our brain wants us to survive so we can carry on humanity. Therefore our brains rewards us when it thinks we are doing behaviors that will increase the rate of survival and continue the human race. An example is when we eat junk or fatty foods, our brains rewards us because it thinks we need calories to survive.
Benefits of Dopamine
I think we all know the most obvious benefit right is making us feel good. Dopamine also pushes us to want more and to achieve more. Without it humanity wouldn’t be as advanced as it is today.
Dangers of Dopamine
Have you ever wondered why social medias have like buttons? We live in a time where everyone is fighting to get our attention. Some people take advantage of dopamine and use it to cause people to keep coming back. Companies have spent so much money on figuring out what will cause people to release the most dopamine. They strive by making humans wanting to come back repeatedly.
It is very dangerous because our brains can crave dopamine so much to the point where we will neglect important aspects in our lives because of it. People judge drug addicts for letting their whole life fall apart for dopamine but don’t realize their habits are not so different. It may not be as extreme but people must realize they are not far behind drug addicts. People have neglected spending time with their family because of mindlessly scrolling on my phone countless of times. Some people become addicted and now dopamine controls them. It’s extremely hard to lose attachment.
How to do a dopamine detox
The key is not cutting out all the dopamine in our lives but getting rid of the short-term activities that give us a lot of dopamine quickly. Some common ones are binge eating, video games, going on your phone, drugs, porn, and gambling. Take some time to do nothing. If you are bored, let yourself be bored. Most people are constantly mindlessly consuming every second of there lives. For example, I used to listen to podcasts and music 24/7. Start being comfortable with your own thoughts.
If you have the urge to do these short-term activities, distract yourself by doing something else. Read, draw, or go for a walk. Consume long term content instead of short term. If you want to watch TV, watch a documentary or something that will educate you instead of watching something mindlessly. By getting rid of these addictive behaviors, you will feel much more energetic and focused. You will no longer be controlled by dopamine, and have a more healthy lifestyle.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine
https://www.deprocrastination.co/blog/how-to-do-dopamine-detox-the-right-way
