Why am I Always Wasting my Time? | 4 Steps for a Successful Dopamine Detox
How to Stop Getting Distracted | THE Dopamine Detox - YouTube
This is part one of a series I’ll be doing on the benefits of dopamine detoxing, like I’m doing today.
I’ll elaborate on why you should do it, what it does, why it works, how to do it and what it means for your mental fortitude, ability to be calm and present, and your future.
Becoming the kind of person who reframes from dopamine some days is essential to become an extremely efficient and focused laptop-worker, like I spoke about last week.
I’ll leave a link down at the bottom where I sign off. ↓
Okay, let’s go.
What's a dopamine detox and how can it help me?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the brain's reward and pleasure centers. It is involved in feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, and is released in ANTICIPATION of pleasurable experiences, such as eating, sex, and social interactions.
This is why you’ll actually get more enjoyment or almost as much enjoyment out of anticipating pleasure, as opposed to when you actually get it.
I’ll get excited about watching ASMR before bed, but then not give a sh*t when the time actually comes.
I just go to bed.
You can use this to your advantage, but that’s for another part to this series.
Join the Peaky Pines Email Community for notifications when that’s released.
Anyways, while dopamine is an important chemical for maintaining good mental health, too much of it can be harmful.
When we overindulge in pleasurable activities, our brains can become overloaded with dopamine, leading to feelings of addiction, dependency, and compulsivity.
In other words, “quick dopamine-releasing activities” are what many people waste their time indulging in, and they’ll continue to do so because their brain will become SO used to it.
This reliance on sh*tty food, alcohol, drugs, media, porn and the like has manifested it into… MANY people’s brains.
So, a dopamine detox is a process of taking a break from activities that release high levels of dopamine in order to reset the brain's dopamine receptors and restore homeostasis to the brain's reward system.
This can be especially helpful for individuals who may be struggling with addiction, compulsive behaviours, or other mental health issues related to dopamine dysfunction.
How do I create a better life forever? | Benefits of dopamine detoxing
1) Experience improved decision-making and problem-solving skills: Mind is less committed to getting a quick dopamine fix, you’re in a better position to deal with life in a calm way.
For me, I want to have NO crutches in life, nothing I need to rely on.
If that sounds good to you; that someone could take EVERYTHING from you, but you’re okay because you still have your own vessel…
Make sure you’re subscribed or remember this site, rileycaldwell.com.
Dopamine detoxing allows you to build more mental fortitude, because you’ve got time to learn more stuff, exercise more, sleep better, etc.
All things that strengthen your mind.
2) Boost productivity and efficiency: Clear thinking and focus can help us to be more productive and efficient in our work and daily tasks.
I spoke about working effectively in my last article.
3) Deepen relationships and improve communication: Improved mental clarity can help us to communicate more effectively and be more present in our relationships, leading to deeper and more fulfilling connections with others.
Also, if you’re not just scrolling on Tiktok and Instagram, eating stuff, drinking, watching porn, WHATEVER; you have more time for your relationships.
And if you’re using your time to exercise and learn stuff, you become both more confident and know more things to talk to people about.
4) Unlock creativity and innovation: Clarity of thought can help to open up new possibilities and ideas, leading to increased creativity and innovation.
Even if you’re consuming a bunch of content online, that doesn’t mean that you’re learning.
You THINK you are, but studies show that you literally need to USE your brain to actually learn.
That’s why note-taking in school is absolutely ridiculous when it comes to retaining information.
You WON’T, not in comparison to flashcards to practice papers, etc.
With this creativity and innovation, you could also build a product or service that makes exceptional money with that increased creative thinking capacity.
Like the next Facebook, who knows?
5) Reduce stress and anxiety: Mental clarity can help us to feel more in control of our thoughts and emotions, leading to reduced stress and anxiety.
Quick dopamine releasing activities mean we’re not performing OTHER healthy habits, which would reduce our stress if we did them.
Processed food, media and alcohol also inevitably lead to increased stress in the brain because it’s essentially neuro-chemical poison.
So yeah…
Looking for Examples and Tips on How to Do a Dopamine Detox?
Here you go:
1) Identify your dopamine triggers: The first step in a dopamine detox is to identify the activities that trigger high levels of dopamine release in your brain.
These can include activities like social media, video games, sugar, caffeine, and other substances or behaviours that you may be using to cope with stress or negative emotions.
Point EVERYTHING out that you can think of.
What high-dopamine or unnecessary stuff do you indulge in the most?
2) Set limits: Once you have identified your dopamine triggers, set limits on how much time you spend engaging in these activities.
For example, you might limit your social media use to 30 minutes per day, or cut out caffeine or EVERYTHING completely (I do everything).
I say set limits two days in a week, but make one day STRICTER than the other.
3) Find alternative activities: Instead of relying on dopamine-inducing activities to cope with stress or negative emotions, try finding alternative activities that can provide a sense of accomplishment or pleasure without relying on dopamine.
These might include vigorous exercise or INTENSE yoga, hobbies that make you say “wow, this is nice”, or doing something meaningful with your friends and family.
DO PUSHUPS IN YOUR ROOM.
That’s how I started my self-development journey.
4) Seek support: A dopamine detox can be challenging, especially if you are struggling with addiction or compulsive behaviours.
It can be helpful to seek support from friends, family, or a mental health professional to help you through the process.
In this way, you’re actually able to develop deeper relationships and form stronger connections with people who’re both there to support you OR are going through the same dopamine-reliant struggles that you are.
Engage in regular dopamine detoxes.
I do two per week now.
NO music, NO media, NO messaging (except for Mum), NO junk food and NO coffee (ugh).
Implement all of these new positive habits and alternatives to your negative, dopamine-heavy habits, by using my “Article of Crazy Habits”.
It goes over HEAPS of practical ways to implement new habits and break bad ones.
A dopamine detox can be a helpful way to reset your brain's reward system and restore balance to your mental health.
By identifying your dopamine triggers, setting limits on your dopamine-inducing activities, and finding alternative activities to engage in, you can take control of your mental health and reduce the negative impact of dopamine overload.
That’s it!
If you want to make healthy life-long habits like these actually STICK and also want access to more content about building mental fortitude and optimising human performance, join the Peaky Pines Email Community!
Click below:
https://www.rileycaldwell.com/group
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Take care, cheeky dog.
Riley.
