Goal Met: Dopamine Detox

So.. I listen to a lot of podcasts and something that kept popping up across some of them was this idea of a dopamine detox. A dopamine detox is basically hitting the reset button on your brain’s reward system. Think of dopamine as your brain’s “feel good” chemical – it spikes when you do anything pleasurable, from scrolling social media to eating junk food. The problem is, we’re constantly bombarding ourselves with these quick dopamine hits in our modern world, which can make normal activities feel boring and unsatisfying.

During a dopamine detox, you temporarily cut out highly stimulating activities – things like social media, video games, excessive Netflix, or processed foods. It’s like turning down the volume on life’s constant excitement to help your brain recalibrate. When you’re constantly chasing these high-dopamine activities, it’s similar to turning up the volume on your headphones – eventually, you need it louder and louder to feel the same effect.

The benefits kick in when your brain adjusts to lower stimulation levels. After a detox (usually lasting anywhere from 24 hours to a week), people often report better focus, more enjoyment from simple activities, improved mood, and better impulse control. It’s not about permanently giving up enjoyable things – it’s more like pressing pause to help your brain remember how to find pleasure in everyday experiences. Just imagine how much sweeter that first bite of chocolate tastes after not having any for a week.

So I looked at all the things in my life that fall under the dopamine bucket and I just cut them out for 7 days. No social media, no movies/shows or video games, turning off all notifications on my phone, no reddit, no YouTube, no sweets, fast food, or processed junk food. Living a spartan lifestyle as off the grid as possible (with the exception of screens for work – but work emails don’t hit those dopamine receptors like personal stuff)

It was.. actually pretty difficult. My brain actively fought me on this trying to sabotage me by overriding my conscious thought and steering me towards something sweet, or social media. Knowing this is how it sometimes happens I took steps by blocking all the sites on my router for my devices and removing any tempting foods from easy access (hard to do with kids, but I managed)

Once I made it to 7 days I did start to notice some differences in my mood – I was more even keeled and when I did partake of something that creates a dopamine hit it had a bigger reaction for me.

I’m not much for such a Spartan lifestyle so after 7 days I reintroduce some things back into my life but the one I didn’t was reddit. I realized that I doom scrolled reddit in an echo chamber of just depressing stories and angry people. I feel so much more optimistic now about things and don’t miss Reddit at all – and I genuinely believe my mental health is better now that I’m not constantly bombarded with negativity.