The Dopamine Addiction

We live in a world of excessive indulgence.

We’re addicted to dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates pleasure and pain. So there’s immense pleasure in the next cup of coffee, the Twitter notification, or the next email.

What felt pleasurable begins to hurt. The pleasure turns into pain.

Dopamine addiction creates a vicious cycle of pleasure to pain.

The Dopamine Addict

You can become addicted to anything that releases dopamine.

But it’s not dopamine alone that’s the problem. It’s the constant chase of checking your phone, scrolling social media, insatiable amounts of caffeine, another nicotine hit, and more alcohol.

We’re overexposed to dopamine. We crave it. We want more.

Our brains have lost control of what we need versus what we want.

The Dopamine Detox

You can’t fast from dopamine.

But you can fast from all the unnatural things that trigger dopamine. “Better thinking takes strength. You have to be able to tune out the noise and walk away from the quick dopamine hits,” according to Rosie on Farnam Street.

Here are several ways to limit your dopamine cravings:

• Check your emails and messages once or twice per day.
• Schedule a 30-minute social media time block once per day.
• Delete all social media apps from your phone.
• Focus on one priority at a time.
• Limit all internet distractions.
• Disconnect in the evening.
• Limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day.
• Stop all nicotine use.
• Stop consuming alcohol.

Andrew Huberman has a great strategy he’s used for over 27 years. He takes “one full day every week of zero email, phone, social media, or hard mental or physical work of any kind.”

I understand it’s easier said than done. I struggle with it. Focus on detoxing from one thing at a time, and over a few weeks, you’ll feel incredible.

When you detox from excessive dopamine, you’ll learn to live in the present moment, which is the only moment that matters.

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