Contents
What is dopamine fasting
In fact, this is an analogue of fasting with a voluntary temporary rejection of the usual pleasures and everything that causes an adrenaline rush. Alcohol, sweets, fatty and spicy foods, sex, watching movies, doing extreme sports, shopping, smoking, the Internet and television should be completely excluded from life for some time. Instead, it is recommended to walk a lot, communicate with loved ones, play with children, draw, write letters on paper, meditate, do work in the country and at home. That is, to live a normal real life without social networks, instant messengers, search for trends and the latest news and other irritants. Sounds corny and a little boring? But doing so can take your emotional and mental health to a higher level, as well as positively impact your ability to think outside the box and be more productive.
The author of the methodology, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California Cameron Sepa tested this method last year on special patients – employees of large IT companies in Silicon Valley and achieved impressive results. By the way, the Silicon Valley creatives are ready to test on themselves the most advanced developments of scientists that increase productivity – intermittent fasting, “biohacking” techniques, innovative food supplements. Ideal guinea pigs for ambitious controversial projects.
After Dr. Sepa published the results of his research, a real boom began on the network, and the fashion for dopamine fasting rapidly took over first America, and then Europe, China, Asia and even the countries of the Middle East.
What is dopamine and how does it work?
Many consider dopamine to be a happiness hormone, along with serotonin and endorphin. But this is not the case. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that gives not happiness, but the anticipation of happiness. It stands out when we want to achieve some goal, success, get a certain result and creates the feeling that we can do it. We can say that dopamine is the perfect motivator. It is the motivation for action and the anticipation of a reward. It is dopamine that helps us create, do unusual things, move on. As soon as the goal is achieved, there is a surge of positive emotions, as well as the release of endorphins.
Dopamine also plays a critical role in the learning process, because it gives us a sense of satisfaction when we have done something that helps us survive. We drank water on a hot day – we received a dose of dopamine – we are pleased, and the body remembered that this is exactly what should be done in the future. When we are praised, our brain concludes that a kind attitude increases our chances of survival. He throws out dopamine, we feel good, and we want to get praise again.
When a person lacks dopamine, he is in a depressed state, his hands give up.
But when there is too much dopamine in the brain, that’s also bad. An overabundance of dopamine interferes with the achievement of the goal. Everything seems to be fine, but the global task can wait.
In general, there should be neither more nor less dopamine in the body, but just right. And this is where the problem arises.
Too many temptations
The trouble is that in modern society it has become too easy to get pleasant emotions. Ate a donut – got a burst of dopamine, got a hundred likes on social networks – another burst, took part in a sale – dopamine gives you the feeling that your cherished goal is near and you will soon receive a bonus. People get hooked on easily accessible pleasures and stop pursuing more important goals that require more time and effort. But the degree of quick constant pleasures is not so high, therefore, dependence on the process itself often arises, people become addicts of computer games, eat too much junk food, and cannot live without social networks. Everything is accelerating, and the faster the result, the stronger the addiction.
Psychologists identify several of the most powerful provocateurs that cause a rapid release of dopamine and the fastest addiction.
· Computer games. Constant upgrade of players, reaching new levels, pursuit of points, points, crystals.
· Search for information on the Internet. A common story – looking for something you need, and then “hovering” for hours over other interesting links and posts.
· Race for likes and comments. Desire to receive recognition from “friends” on the network.
· Beautiful photos on the web… You can endlessly look at photos of beautiful girls, cute dogs and cats, delicious food and the most modern cars. Doing nothing necessary, but nice. Browsing porn sites is an even stronger stimulant.
· Hunting for trends. Fashionable clothes, cosmetics, gadgets, restaurants. I quickly found out about new products, and you are “in the know.” Feeling of belonging.
· Sales, discounts, coupons – all this contributes to joyful excitement.
· TV series. It’s interesting to watch, especially when everyone around you thinks this show is cool.
· Food. Especially sweets and fast food. Addiction arises very quickly. Constantly want something sweeter or a piece fatter.
What is the point of dopamine fasting
Dr. Sep’s “diet” aims to help a person become aware of their unnecessary needs and try to get rid of them or at least reduce their influence. The temporary rejection of available pleasures helps to look at life from a different angle, to reassess values. By soberly assessing their addictions, people get the opportunity to control them. And this leads to a more correct lifestyle, which improves health and increases performance.
What should I refuse?
· From the Internet. Allocate at least 4 hours during working hours without going online. This will prevent attention from switching from an important task. And at home, exclude the Internet from your life for a while.
· From games – computer, board and even sports, if they take too long. And especially from gambling.
· From junk food: sweets, chips, any combination of carbohydrates and fats.
· From thrills – watching horror movies, extreme attractions, fast driving.
· From frequent sex and watching movies and adult sites.
· From various substances that expand consciousness and affect the brain: alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, psychotropic and narcotic drugs.
First of all, limit yourself to those desires that are problematic for you. You can’t live without a smartphone – first of all, put it off for a while.
How long can you “starve”?
You can start small – 1-4 hours at the end of the day. Then allocate one day off a week for a dopamine hunger strike. And it’s better to spend most of this day in nature. The next level – once a quarter, arrange a weekend of unloading from pleasures. These days, you can go with your family on a trip to another city or at least to the country. Well, for advanced people – a whole week a year. It is more logical to combine it with a vacation.
They say that after the “dopamine vacation” the joys of life begin to be felt more vividly, other goals appear, and most importantly, you begin to appreciate more live communication in the real world.