Rebooting Your Mind: A Look Into Dopamine Detoxing
You wake up, check your phone and scroll through TikTok to look at at new fashion trends, what influencers eat in a day and “get ready with me” videos. You put on a podcast as you brush your teeth and when you step out the door, you shuffle your favorite playlist as you stroll to class. Sound familiar?
Most of us are victims of the need for constant stimulus. With a plethora of entertainment at our fingertips, it’s become second nature to consume content throughout the day.
A recent fast in the realm of health and wellness is aiming to target this stimulation-filled lifestyle: “dopamine detoxing.” Dopamine detoxing involves identifying behaviors that you turn to frequently for a quick boost such as social media scrolling, gaming and watching Netflix, and taking a break from them for a period of time. By “fasting” from these activities that trigger the brain’s neurotransmitters, people become less dependent on the emotional “hits” that dopamine provides, which can sometimes lead to addiction. “The idea is that by allowing ourselves to feel lonely or bored, or to find pleasures in doing simpler and more natural activities, we will regain control over our lives and be better able to address compulsive behaviors that may be interfering with our happiness,” according to a Harvard University article on dopamine detoxing.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which means that it functions to help nerve cells communicate messages in the brain and the rest of your body. Specifically, dopamine helps in regulating our mood, learning, body movements, sleep and concentration. Dopamine can be activated by a wide range of pleasurable experiences such as eating, having sex, shopping, listening to music or earning money. During a dopamine detox, a person avoids dopamine triggers for a set period of time, which can be anywhere from an hour to several days. Anything that stimulates dopamine production is off-limits throughout the detox.
California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah popularized the trend in 2019 when he posted an article on Linkedin titled “Dopamine Fasting 2.0.” His method is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In a dopamine detox, Sepah recommends increasing dopamine fasting periods of time usually associated with rest. To help people schedule this, he suggests setting aside about four hours at the end of the day (depending on work and family demands), one weekend day (spending it outside on a Saturday or Sunday), one weekend per quarter (going on a local trip) or one week per year (going on vacation). It’s suggested to tailor a dopamine detox plan to your lifestyle and desired goals. Influencer Emma Chamberlain tried a dopamine detox of her own when she cut out excessive technological habits such as Doordashing food, scrolling through social media and listening to music.
A proper dopamine detox, though, is unattainable. The human body naturally produces dopamine, even when it's not exposed to certain stimuli. Therefore, a better way to look at a dopamine detox is “unplugging” or taking a break from the digital world for a period of time. Dopamine fasting won’t reset your brain or replenish your stocks of the feel-good chemical. But, Sepah's method for challenging unhealthy or compulsive habits is grounded in CBT, an evidence-based treatment for impulse disorders. As such, it may help to improve well-being and increase productivity. Next time you reach for your phone to scroll or listen to a podcast on the way to class, practice living alone in silence with your thoughts and see where the wandering mind takes you.