12 Minutes

Edited & clinically reviewed by SENSES Team
Fact checked

Temporary refraining from tempting activities like social networking sites, listening to music on smartphones, and Internet gaming is part of the dopamine fasting process. It can also include a temporary restriction of socialization and food. “Improvement Pill”, a YouTube channel, initially popularized the word on YouTube in November 2018; its roots are unknown.

Dopamine fasts are undertaken by people who want to remove themselves from the usual sources of stimulus, like sugar, social media, and shopping. They’ve swapped out for less impulsive routines and ways of life. It’s up to you how long you want to fast.

Dopamine fast is not a method that has undergone rigorous scientific study, and this should be kept in mind. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there may be some benefits, but the majority of the benefits come from avoiding potentially addictive hobbies. However, they have little to do with the real process of dopamine fasting.

It’s based on the premise that avoiding pleasurable things can help break bad habits, provide time for introspection, and improve overall well-being by providing a respite from the monotony of digital technology use.

Dopamine fasting will be examined more thoroughly here, including possible side effects and even some accidental advantages.

What dopamine fasting is, how it works, and how often it should be done are all questions that remain unanswered in this practice. Some proponents go further, forbidding themselves from all employment, physical touch, or superfluous speech in order to complete the procedure.

An advocate of the practice says that the goal is not to lower dopamine in the body but instead to reduce compulsive tendencies that are encouraged by it. To avoid impulsive actions like playing a game on your smartphone after the contract ends, you may want to try this technique, according to one account. Some argue that dopamine fasting is an antidote to technology companies’ efforts to keep people addicted.

Experts say that dopamine fasting should be used to treat the following six compulsive behaviors:

  • Emotional or mood-induced eating 
  • Excessive web surfing and computer gaming
  • Compulsive shopping and gambling
  • Masturbation and porn
  • An insatiable appetite for excitement and novelty
  • Drugs for recreational use

People might lessen their reliance on the emotional “hits” provided by dopamine by abstaining from certain activities that trigger brain neurotransmitters, which can sometimes result in addiction or dependence.

It has been claimed that dopamine fasting resembles the religious fasting practices of many faiths. Complete sensory deprivation, in which all external stimuli are eliminated in order to encourage tranquility and well-being, would be an extreme type of dopamine fasting.

There are others who believe that reducing one’s intake of dopamine is an effective strategy to improve one’s ability to exercise self-discipline, and New York Times technology reporter Nellie Bowles found that doing so made her daily routine “more thrilling and entertaining.”

Dopamine fasting is founded on a well-known cognitive behavioral therapy strategy called stimulus control. To interrupt the loop of doing something we despise in order to satisfy our dopamine cravings, it’s possible to make a conscious decision not to engage in obsessive activities like checking your phone or stress eating.

Here are some suggestions on how to dopamine fast:

  • Choose a single behavior with which you struggle
  • Take a one-hour break every day from the said behavior, gradually increasing it to four hours.
  • Eventually, give it up for one weekend day a week, a weekend every quarter, or a week per year.
  • Set aside 5-30 minutes each day for feasting, and do it 1-3 times every day.

Starting small is a viable option. Try one-hour dopamine fast. Allow your body to get used to the new sensations. For the next few weeks, progressively increase the amount of time you spend sleeping.

During dopamine fast, you don’t need to meditate. Begin by doing things that are consistent with what you believe in exercising and preparing food for a healthy diet. To learn or read. Create (art/writing). Relationship building (bonding over activities, talking).

Before you start dopamine fasting, here are five dopamine fasting rules and facts you need to know:

It’s a great way to relieve stress.

Dopamine fasting may be able to assist you in re-calibrating or finding more equilibrium in your life if you are the type of person who feeds on constant excitement (or stress). Whether it’s masturbation and gambling or porn and shopping, the idea is to cut back or stop doing things that stress you out or make you addicted.

Our brains are reprogrammed when we limit our splurges. We shouldn’t have everything we want all the time since that diminishes the thrill of really getting what we want. Essentially, you are creating space for a slowdown and limiting behaviors when you go on dopamine fast to keep you constantly feeling ‘on.’

It is based on conventional therapy

Despite the lack of data on the ‘mental boost of dopamine fasting,’ it is based on a behavioral therapy strategy called ‘stimulus control,’ which has been found to help people with physical or behavioral addictions by avoiding or removing their triggers. ‘ Time-based stimulus control provides a framework and decreases impulsive behavior by restricting the amount of time you spend engaged in stimulating activities.

College students who used social media apps for around two hours a day took a week off from it, according to Sepah’s research. The researchers observed that the students were more likely to report ‘healthy conduct’ than previously. They reported eating at restaurants less, making fewer impulse purchases, and being more efficient with their time, as well as feeling much less melancholy as a result of these changes.

Not everything in your life needs to be stopped

A lot of people have misunderstood and exaggerated dopamine fasting as it has gained immense significance. Because of this, it’s now sometimes referred to as “Dopamine Fasting 2.0”

Sepah argues that returning to a state of mental health and equilibrium doesn’t necessitate a prolonged period of abstinence from a specific set of behaviors. You simply need to stop doing the things that you find to be personally harmful to you. Distressing behaviors (you’re troubled by how often you engage in them), impairment (they affect your ability to perform at your best in social or academic settings), and addiction are all included in this category (you desire to cut down, but cannot persistently do so).

Mini dopamine fasts can be done

It’s important to plan rest periods so that you can re-center yourself. You can increase dopamine fast frequency instead of fasting for longer periods. Dopamine fasts can last anywhere from 1 to 4 hours towards the end of the day, depending on your schedule and the needs of your family and/or work. You can also choose to spend one weekend day each quarter or one week of the year outside.

Fasting will continue to be a hot topic in the future

Videos about dopamine fasting are quite popular, and many have received over multi-million views to date. It’s ironic, given that most people are attempting to avoid social media and the internet throughout their fast. Dopamine fasts may soon be as common as intermittent fasting because of the growing popularity of tracking one’s “screen time” in the wake of the recent additions of screen time records by Apple and Instagram. Zero Fasting app users have already completed 35 million food fasts, so we can expect this trend to expand to dopamine fasting as well.

During a dopamine fast, a person abstaining from dopamine-stimulating stimuli for a predetermined amount of time is required.

In order to complete dopamine fasting, a person must avoid all excitement, especially pleasure cues. During the course of fasting, all activities that encourage the production of dopamine are prohibited.

If all goes well, a person will be able to return to a more normal state of mind after completing the fast. A real dopamine fasting, in which all dopamine action in the brain is halted, is not achievable.

We manufacture dopamine even when we aren’t exposed to stimuli that cause it to be released. It’s more accurate to call the dopamine fasting “unplugging” from the outside world.

People who use the practice on a regular basis may reap the benefits. Nevertheless, the phrase “dopamine fast” itself is questionable, and it’s not physiologically accurate. In the words of Dr. Sepah himself, the title does not need to be taken literally.

The following are some of the key benefits of dopamine fasting:

Improves concentration and alertness.

You can improve your capacity to focus with the aid of dopamine fasting. When it comes to the principle of reducing stress and distractions, dopamine fasting has a lot in common. Your daily routine can be changed to make this happen.

Motivates you to work harder on your own goals

To increase work efficiency, dopamine fasting improves mental health, which helps boost self-motivation. Dopamine fasting has a positive impact on our daily lives, as well as helping us achieve our long-term objectives and career aspirations.

Enhances control over one’s emotions.

We tend to keep away from harmful social activities and other pollutants when on a dopamine fast, which aids in emotional regulation and in restoring harmony to our lives.

Great self-discipline and willpower are developed.

Dopamine fasting allows us to keep a healthy distance from the outside world and from the pressures of social media. This sort of fasting is linked to mindfulness-based exercises, which aid in the development of strong self-control and willpower.

Develops and enhances tolerance

Taking part in mindfulness activities, such as dopamine fasting, can contribute to developing and increasing patience. The more we practice it before bed, the better our patience and sleep patterns will be.

Improves overall well-being

When we begin to live a more tranquil and stress-free lifestyle, we begin to feel more content with our lives. In essence, by removing us from the tumultuous and stressful environment in which we live, dopamine fasting restores our sense of calm and well-being.

Repair Dopamine Receptors

Reduced distractions and stress are a goal. We can only achieve this by reducing the number of outside influences in our daily lives.

Dopamine fasting, for instance, can have a favorable effect if practiced for three to four hours before bedtime. These stress-relieving techniques resemble those found in mindfulness meditation. As a result, dopamine fasting aids in the prevention of bad behaviors.

It’s critical to remember that restoring your brain’s dopamine levels will require time and effort. Nothing you can do will instantly restore your dopamine levels. Your goal should instead be to enhance your dopamine levels in a safe and sober manner.

To help you heal and restore your brain’s dopamine levels naturally while you work to achieve and maintain sobriety, consider using the following suggestions:

Make your daily routines fascinating. Even if they’re pointless, make time for pleasurable things every day. In those moments of numbness or loneliness, these things will serve as a source of inspiration to keep you going.

Make a concerted effort to optimize your sleeping patterns. The time that sleep provides for the body and mind to recover and recharge is absolutely critical. Getting enough sleep is essential for healing. Maintain a regular sleep routine and ensure that you receive adequate sleep each night.

Eat a healthier diet. Dopamine levels can be boosted by certain foods, while they can be lowered by others. Increase your intake of nutrients like vitamins and minerals, as well as protein, on a daily basis.

Exercise. When you work out, your brain naturally produces dopamine.

Become more self-aware. Focusing on the present moment is made easier by mindfulness and meditation techniques.

Get into the groove with some music. Whenever you’re feeling down, pull up a copy of your favorite tunes and play them for yourself.

Almost all brain chemicals are affected by prolonged drug use and addiction. Dopamine, found in the brain’s reward center, is among the most affected brain chemicals. It is dopamine’s job to identify and encourage pleasure-seeking behaviors. Dopamine is so depleted in the brain from drug usage that the brain prefers it to anything else. Dopamine will not heal itself during recovery. Dopamine levels can be steadily raised by incorporating a variety of positive daily habits.

Dopamine deficiency can be treated with a variety of nutrients and drugs. When a mental illness like depression or schizophrenia results in low levels of dopamine in the brain, medication may be prescribed to help restore those levels.

However, there are other natural ways to raise your dopamine levels.

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep

We can’t function properly if we don’t get enough sleep each night. An average of 7 or more hours of sleep a night is recommended by the Center for Disease and Prevention.

The dopamine receptors in the body can be harmed if you don’t get enough shut-eye. Sleep deprivation has been linked to a decrease in the number of dopamine receptors in the body.

Listen to some tunes or music

Play some of your favorite tracks when you’re feeling drowsy, unmotivated, or any other sign of low dopamine levels.

According to a study conducted in 2011, listening to music that you enjoy increases the amount of dopamine your brain releases.

A healthy diet is essential

Raising your dopamine levels is one of the many advantages of a well-balanced diet for the body and mind. Tyrosine-rich foods, such as almonds, eggs, salmon, and chicken, have been shown to increase dopamine levels in the brain.

Tyrosine is a naturally occurring amino acid in the body. This amino acid, present in diets high in protein, is used to make dopamine. Yogurt and kefir, both of which contain natural probiotics, may help enhance the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Increase your activity levels.

Regular physical activity has been shown to be extremely beneficial to the health of your brain. Dopamine levels can also be boosted by taking this supplement. Dopamine is released into the body when you work out.

Meditate

Many mental health issues can be alleviated by meditation. Meditation has also been shown to raise your levels of dopamine.

Reduce your sugar consumption

Consuming refined carbohydrates such as candy and soda can artificially raise your levels of dopamine, but this effect is short-lived. Sugar, like recreational drugs and alcohol, can offer you short-term dopamine spikes while disrupting your body’s natural production of the neurotransmitter.

Remove the things in your life that cause you stress.

A lack of dopamine can lead to a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. You can’t control everything that causes stress in your life, but you can control what you can control.

FAQs

More Articles about Detox

Zeolite DetoxLiver Detox FoodsHow To Detox Your BrainHow To Know If Detox Is WorkingBest Detox CleanseHow To Detox Your BodyDetox Retreats Uk