What is Dopamine ?
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that controls our desires, from simple cravings like drinking water to more complex ambitions such as writing a master’s thesis or launching a big project! My experience with dopamine fasting over the last two months gave me remarkable results that I want to share with you, the most notable being a weight loss of about 8 kilograms.
My interest in dopamine began about four months ago when I realized that a significant part of my life was dependent on sugars and social media, which are quick sources of dopamine that diminished my motivation for important tasks. We get dopamine from various activities like walking or reading, but these don’t compare to the dopamine rush from consuming sweets, cakes, or browsing through TikTok and Instagram right ?
How much dopamine ?
The crucial question is, what controls the amount of dopamine? Well there are two main factors:
- the time it takes to receive the reward
- the effort required to achieve it.
The first factor is time: The shorter the time needed to get the reward, the higher the motivation and dopamine levels.
You mention sweets? Yes, I eat desserts and enjoy them in my mouth.
You mention exercise? Okay, it might offer some dopamine.
You mention reading? It requires some time and has a cumulative effect, so the dopamine will certainly be lower and therefore less attractive.
The second factor is effort : how much effort is needed to trigger dopamine. Eating? Just a spoonful. Social media? Just a flick of a finger and dopamine is activated. But exercise? I need to go out, run, and exert a lot of effort. Reading? I need willpower to reach the level of a regular reader.
So, the equation becomes: harmful actions = high dopamine, beneficial actions = lower dopamine.
And this is where the problem begins.
As long as these harmful activities are available, no matter how hard we try, our dopamine will struggle to resist the large quantities released by these simple and easy actions.
We all agree that these three types of addiction are harmful to our bodies, leading to health issues, low self-esteem, lack of achievement, distraction, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. These addictions affect all areas of life.
Dopamine fasting
The solution to all these dopamine-wasting problems is a "factory reset" it's like when you have a device that starts acting up and you need to reset it to its original settings. That’s what you need , to give our brains the chance to release dopamine for beneficial activities.
Over time, reading can become enjoyable, exercise may be painful but rewarding, and learning, though challenging, becomes fulfilling. These activities can provide a sense of accomplishment and well-being when practiced regularly.
How do we manage dopamine ?
To achieve this, we need to fast from and avoid as much as possible those high-stimulus triggers like junk food, excessive phone use, and pornography. It's about giving our minds a break from these overwhelming stimuli and gradually shifting to activities that provide natural, healthy dopamine boosts.
You’ll find yourself calmer, clearer, more focused, and able to concentrate better on activities that truly benefit your life. However, change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not about suddenly changing everything at once. It’s a gradual process.
Think of it like pouring water into a cup of strong tea. Initially, the tea is diluted but still there. As you keep adding water, the tea becomes lighter and eventually turns into clear water. Similarly, you gradually replace bad habits with good ones until they fill up your life.
So, it’s not just about saying, "I want to quit smoking," and that’s it. No! you need to quit smoking and fill that time with something else, like spending time with your family. If you want to cut out sugar and sweets, replace that habit with going to the gym. There should always be something to keep you occupied.
Substitute a bad habit with a good one !
Most of these addictions need to be stopped completely, as we mentioned earlier. You have to quit without looking back, because relapse is always a risk. But when you stop, there has to be a substitute to fill the void. This is crucial, and I want to emphasize it. You need to really focus on this point, maybe even go over it again to make sure it’s clear and applicable.
For instance, my journey with dopamine fasting started about three to four months ago, beginning with reducing phone usage. We cut back on phone time, then gradually reduced sugar and sweets, managed weight, and moderated phone usage. While I didn’t set a strict daily limit, I aimed for around two hours spread throughout the day. Sometimes things go off track, but the goal is to balance it as much as possible.
Reward yourself !
During your day, you could decide to focus on a challenging task for two or three hours. It might be boring or difficult, but commit to it and reward yourself afterward. This will create new neural pathways in your brain, associating the beneficial action with a reward. Gradually, you can extend this time, making positive changes in your life.
One thing I highly recommend is trying dopamine fasting within your routine—like dedicating one day a week without your phone, deleting social media apps, spending more time with family, and doing beneficial things you want to do but feel a barrier to. Whether it’s reading a book or exercising, these are just mental barriers. You might think, "Who am I to start reading books or exercising?" These are just illusions. By reducing these stimuli, you’ll find a renewed motivation for these beneficial activities.
Finally, here’s a question for you:
What was the last difficult and boring task you accomplished that you’re really proud of? How does it feel when it got done? always seek that pleasure!