Dopamine Detoxing
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- Education, Resources for Teens and Young Adults
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What’s dopamine & why are we fasting?
- Something that I’ve heard people talk about on social media lately is dopamine fasting. People refer to it as dopamine detoxing, too. If you’re like me, you might be asking yourself what’s dopamine and why should I be fasting from it? Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made inside your brain that not only helps you feel good, but it helps you stay motivated and focused too. Dopamine works sort of like a reward center for your brain, it helps you feel pleasure in doing the things your body needs to do to survive. So, think about things like eating, drinking, and moving your body. When I was scrolling on TikTok, I started watching a video from one of my favorite creators on how she was going to be dopamine detoxing for the weekend. But, if dopamine is something our brains create, why do we need to detox from it? The truth is you can’t really completely detox from dopamine, but you can take a break from things that may be causing disruptions to it. Since our brain is technically always creating dopamine and it helps us feel good, we don’t want to get rid of it entirely, we just want to find a healthy balance between feeling hooked to things that give our brains instant gratification like scrolling on TikTok, video games, or staring at our phone for long periods of time and allowing ourselves and our brain to relax, reset, and breathe. While dopamine allows us to feel good, we can become overwhelmed, upset, angry, bored, or confused when we get too much of it.
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Am I bored or overstimulated?
- With the rise in TikTok and all social media platforms over the past decade, I found myself consuming content and making my own content online almost daily. At first, short form content like TikTok felt exciting. I loved watching people live their own lives and have their own experiences through my screen. It felt good to have this shared connection and understanding in different niche communities across social media, but the more I scrolled throughout the years, the worse I started to feel. It wasn’t necessarily because of the content I was making or consuming but because of how ‘second nature’ scrolling started to become. I went from feeling like I needed to check out what videos were on TikTok a few times a week to everyday, then multiple times a day and sometimes even multiple times an hour. I wanted to stop spending so much time online, because I felt like I was neglecting my real-life experiences. Then I started noticing that things I loved doing in real life, like reading, slowed down for me. I went from reading multiple books a week to struggling to finish one. My brain started to associate that happy feeling I got from scrolling as a necessity. It expected a new reward or a dopamine rush every minute rather than that same happy feeling I’d get from finishing a book in a few days. Those real-life moments started to feel boring and I hated it. Not because dopamine is bad, but because constantly chasing stimulation from my screen can make real life feel less vibrant, fun, and meaningful. What helped wasn't deleting my apps forever but limiting my screen time. I started setting limits on all my apps, to spend no more than an hour scrolling.
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How to fast from dopamine:
- When I heard about dopamine fasting in the past, I found it a little unrealistic. There’s no one way to completely fast from dopamine, but there are a few ways you can unplug or take a break from too much of it. One of the first things I tell myself when I’m trying to take a break from too much dopamine is that I want to be more intentional about where my attention goes and what I’m focused on. I don’t want to spend the extra hours in my day outside of work scrolling and missing out on the moments of my real life. I try to set a designated timeframe for myself where I stay off my social media apps. Sometimes that will only be a few days, but I have had times where I’ve unplugged from apps like TikTok and Instagram for several months. I also lean into things that I call natural dopamine. So going for a walk for forty-five minutes, watching one of my favorite shows that I haven’t been able to catch up on, fueling my body with foods that make me feel good, hanging out with friends I haven’t seen in a while, or reading a book from my endless “to be read” pile. It’s important to remember that your dopamine fast/detox/break doesn’t have to look like mine or anyone else's, it’s personal to you and the goals you have.
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Soft launching a break from dopamine:
- I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I hear one of my favorite online creators talking about dopamine fasting. Not because I think taking a break from dopamine is a bad thing, but because completely cutting off my daily habits that increase my dopamine sounds scary. But there has to be a way to soft launch or ease my way into a dopamine fast, right? Here’s a few suggestions that I’ve come up with that can make dopamine fasting a little less intimidating. Instead of cutting my screen time down completely, I decided to stop checking my phone as soon as I wake up. Instead, I wake up, stretch, open my blinds, and take in the sunshine. It’s not until I’ve eaten breakfast, that I even reach for my phone. Normally, if I'm bored, I’ll open my phone and scroll on social media, but I’ve started gravitating toward the hobbies I love instead. So reading, painting, coloring, and writing. I’ve also started trying to be more intentional when I eat. Instead of scrolling while I eat, I focus on my food and my surroundings. How does my food taste and how does it make me feel? Would I eat it again? I allow myself to sit with my boredom instead of distracting myself from it. I’ve also started meditating daily, which helps build my tolerance for sitting in silence and stillness. Meditation helps my brain reset back to its baseline. My suggestion to anyone who’s struggling with taking a break from too much dopamine, is to start small. Once you start implementing those small habits into everyday life, ask yourself how you feel. Do you feel more focused? Are you sleeping better? Are you reaching for your phone less? Remember, dopamine fasting isn’t about punishing yourself, but becoming more aware of your habits so you can focus on the things that bring you joy both on screen and off.
About the Author:
Kat works in healthcare and advocacy. As a former youth with lived experience, one of her biggest goals is to uplift youth voices within the child welfare system and influence policy to reflect better outcomes for youth in care. Her passions surround everything related to the art of storytelling.