You just scheduled your move with Black Tie Moving and immediately switched over to Instagram. What causes us to swipe through our phones so often? Well, a neurotransmitter called dopamine plays a role in our unconscious desire to reach for the next shiny thing.
Here’s what you need to know about a dopamine fast.
Can You Really Fast When It Comes to Dopamine?
Contrary to its name, a dopamine fast has nothing to do with fasting. It’s impossible to completely fast from dopamine, as it’s a neurotransmitter made in the brain that serves a variety of functions. In many cases, dopamine is incredibly beneficial to us as it plays a role in memory, learning, and attention. However, too much of it can become problematic.
When is Dopamine a Problem?
Along with other functions, dopamine is involved in the reward and pleasure part of our brains. Too much of this caused by unhealthy stimuli like overeating, overconsumption of social media, and thrill chasing can prove to cause problems later in life.
Dopamine becomes a problem when your brain is producing too much of it after continuous behavior that releases dopamine rapidly. Experts attribute too much dopamine to unhealthy conditions like binge eating, addiction, and poor impulse control.
What is A Dopamine Fast?
A dopamine fast, coined by psychiatrist, Dr. Cameron Sepah, involves resisting the temptation to immediately respond to unhealthy stimuli. Think of how you reach for your phone every time you hear it ding or grab a bag of chips when you’re feeling bored. The goal of a dopamine fast is to stop yourself from reacting to the notifications or temptation of reaching for treats in your pantry when they come up.
Think of Dopamine Fasting as a Form of Mindfulness
Dopamine fasting requires you to be aware of your triggers. Otherwise, how would you know to stop yourself from acting on them? Awareness is the foundation that mindfulness rests on. Without awareness, you wouldn’t be able to acknowledge what’s going on in or around you.
Mindfulness and dopamine fasting work together to help you get back to a state of homeostasis. This means that your dopamine levels are balanced instead of tipping too far in one direction. If you choose to try a dopamine fast for yourself, it’s important that you first have a general understanding of mindfulness and put it into practice.
Benefits of a Dopamine Fast
If you try a dopamine fast, you’re sure to feel better after doing so. The goal of the fast is to make it to where you intentionally become less reactive to the bombardment of stimuli from technology, sex, and other potentially addictive acts or products. By doing so, your level of focus, concentration, and well-being are vastly improved. In a sense, you’re no longer constrained by the material or external world. You’re able to find pleasure without needing anything other than a blue sky or meaningful conversation with friends.
The Rundown
It’s certainly not easy to have a dopamine fast, but it’s certainly worth the try. The benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort you’ll have while resisting the urge to check your phone or compulsively shop on your online boutique. This will get better over time as your dopamine levels balance out. Give it a shot and see how you feel!