Dopamine Detox: Does It Really Work?
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Dopamine detox is trending. Open any social media or wellness magazines and for sure you’ll encounter it as the next big thing to gain back focus, productivity and happiness.
But does it really work?
In today’s article, I want to dive deeper on what dopamine detox really is, the science (or lack thereof) behind it, a better explanation, a six step “dopamine fasting” process that really works, and a summary of the pros and cons. Spoiler: less digital tech, more nature is a great start. Let’s get started.
What Is Dopamine Detox?
Let’s first clarify what’s dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is a fancy word for a chemical messenger that works in the brain. It sends chemical signals between cells. Dopamine is naturally occurring and our brain constantly produces it.
Dopamine acts on areas of the brain to trigger feelings like pleasure, satisfaction or motivation. Dopamine also influences mood, sleep, learning, or concentration. It’s very normal that we go through periods of too high or too low levels of dopamine. Too low levels may result in lack of motivation, tiredness, sadness, low libido, or muscle cramps. Too high levels may be recognised as impulsiveness, excessive energy, anxiety, insomnia, or aggression. The problem arises when these periods of too high or too low levels persist for too long.
Short dopamine fluctuations are normal. Our brain is pretty good at figuring out how to get a quick “dopamine fix.” For example, when you feel great because you just achieved something then that’s because of an increase of dopamine in your brain chemistry.
This is also where the problem lies: This feel-good reward may make us want more. The good feeling is created by dopamine due to pleasant experiences, including eating nice food, having sex, winning a bet, the feeling from alcohol or drugs or instant gratification that we feel when someone “likes” a social media post.
All of these increase dopamine -- and the feeling that comes with it -- and consequently the desire for more. This can lead to addiction, which is obviously a problem. A common symptom is spending way too much time with digital devices like laptops and mobile phones, aimlessly scrolling through social media content. Other examples include excessive video gaming, watching TV, consuming porn, or eating junk food.
In order to break out of that cycle, the concept of “dopamine detox” was invented. It is the practice of intentionally avoiding activities that trigger high levels of dopamine production (like tech detox or digital detox). The idea is that by cutting out stimulating behaviors for a period, you can "reset" your brain's reward system, become less dependent on instant gratification, and restore focus and mental clarity.
Let’s see what science says about this.
The Science Behind Dopamine Detox
First, we need to clear up a critical misconception: We cannot “detox” dopamine.
Chemically that is impossible. So the term “dopamine detox” is misleading. While there is a wealth of research about the chemical functions of dopamine, there is no scientific evidence that we can significantly alter dopamine production in our brain. Because this is simply a response to a stimulus and technically how our body should work, we cannot truly “reset” this chemical process through fasting. Avoiding certain activities won't cause the brain to stop producing dopamine.
But what we can do is to control over-stimulation and instant gratification, which is a behavioral strategy, i.e. a psychological approach.
There is, however, limited scientific evidence that taking breaks from constant stimulation can be helpful for mental clarity and focus. But we are not changing brain function, we are changing our behavior and habits, which is an important distinction.
How can we practically fast from our instantly gratifying, dopamine triggering activities?
How Dopamine Detox Is Practiced
Dopamine detox methods are practiced by intentionally abstaining or reducing activities that provide quick and frequent rewards to the brain. The idea is to break the cycle of over-stimulation and regain control over impulsive behaviors.
Below I describe the involved steps.
Step 1: Identify Stimulating Activities
There are many activities that can lead to increased dopamine production. Can be anything that provides an instant, short-term enjoyable feedback or gratification. These can include technology use (eg, social media scrolling, video games, binge-watching TV shows), food like consuming sugary snacks, fast food, soft drinks or alcohol, or unproductively overconsuming media (eg, constant listening to music, podcasts, or watching pimple popping videos on Youtube). Other forms include engaging in constant messaging or superficial conversations for quick validation, shopping online, gambling, or porn consumption.
Everyone has their own vice. In this first step, we want to identify which is the one that holds me back the most and that I want to work on.
Step 2: Decide Detox Duration and Frequency
Duration and frequency can vary a lot and usually depends on the type of activity, and how seriously it impacts you and your desire for change. Detox can be short term like just a couple of hours or a day to regain focus.
Another approach is to commit to regular breaks. This can be a certain hour of the day (eg, no smartphone consumption one hour before going to sleep), or a weekday like “tech-free Sundays,” where people avoid stimulating technology and replace it with other more mindful activities.
Sometimes people engage in long-term fasts and stay for a week or more entirely without that stimulating activity. This can be as extreme as spending that time in a remote, enclosed location.
I am not a big fan of the latter because it may often lead to the yoyo effect as we know from food diets and extreme fasting. People may comply during the fast period and see results but as soon as the diet is over, they fall back into previous patterns and regain or even exceed their previous weight. The better approach is to work on and achieve a long-lasting habit change, which I will discuss in a later step.
Step 3: Execute Techniques to Limit Activities
This step is essential and the actual execution of the detox to reduce or remove the stimulating activities. It is very easy to describe and understand but very hard to do. There are several techniques that can help.
- Set yourself limits: For example, if you want to reduce smartphone screen time, give yourself a daily allowance of hours.
- Use tools: You can use a simple regular alarm that reminds you of whatever you want to do or stop doing. App blockers can force you to reduce usage of certain apps. Or you can simply use airplane mode to reduce mobile phone disruptions.
- Use apps: There are specific apps available that help you guide through the whole process based on a structured program.
- Get an accountability buddy: External accountability is a very effective technique. Ask a friend to “control” you or to make you report to them. Amazing how much more disciplined we are when we are about to lose face.
- Move more: Among the huge list of benefits of exercise and movement is also the reduction of dopamine. Exercise does the opposite: it is delayed gratification. You train but you’ll see results later. Having a strong goal like competing in a race will skyrocket your motivation.
- Be more mindful of mindfulness: Practice mindfulness or meditation to become more aware of your thoughts, habits, and behaviors. This can help reduce the impulse to seek constant stimulation.
- Connect with nature and spend time outside: This is magic and actually what we are built for -- and not sitting for eight hours at a desk staring into a computer. Spending time in nature, away from digital devices, can help clear the mind, reduce over-stimulation and contributes to improving overall wellbeing.
- Build discipline: Sometimes we may suffer because we lack the necessary discipline. Discipline can be built.
- Read and/or journal more: Both are low-stimulating activities, hence the opposite. Because they are slower and reflective, they help shift focus from high-stimulation tasks to more mindful, calming pursuits
- Improve quality of social interactions: Instead of superficial, digital messaging, make an effort and meet a friend in person for a couple of hours to have a deeper, higher quality interaction.
- Track your progress: You can only manage what you measure. Tracking your progress shows you the data about how much you comply and the progress towards your goal. Positive results have a positive and encouraging effect.
As with all pursuits that should lead to change, having a goal and consistency are key. Understand what you want to change, pick corresponding techniques that help you achieve that change and then execute. Take your time and don’t be discouraged by setbacks or slow progress. They are part of the process.
You may want to consider participating in a competition as a great goal. Check out my Spartan Race Preparation Program as a well-regarded dopamine distraction mechanism.
Step 4: Focus on Low-Stimulation Activities
In the process of dopamine detox, the goal is to better balance the short-term pleasure activities in favor of more high-quality activities where gratification may be delayed (like reading a book or going for a walk). This may be hard but it will reduce the drawbacks of too much dopamine production in our brain. We will get our focus back, we will be able to form better relationships, we will produce better results and we will create a better well-being for ourselves. It is the sustainable and fulfilling form of happiness.
Step 5: Reintroduce Activities Mindfully (Optional)
I find this one a bit tricky because ideally we want to get rid of the high-stimulation activities to change our behavior. But I do understand that in some cases the detox may be extreme and cannot be sustained. In that sense, some activities may be reintroduced. But it is important to have a much better awareness of their effect and one’s limits. Reintroduction can only be done with more mindfulness and moderation.
Step 6: Form Habits Post-Detox
The final and crucial step for a lasting “cure” is to not just stop and switch back to the previous behavior but to form habits. This means work but good habits can definitely be formed over time. When we try to improve your nutrition, simple food swaps are a very effective technique. The same is advisable for improving dopamine “addiction.” Start with simple behavior swaps. Instead of spending one hour liking and commenting on social media posts, meet your Mom and have a coffee with her. Or instead of running on a treadmill in the gym watching news on TV, go for a run in the forest, on the best or around a lake.
Let’s look at some of the dopamine fasting pros and cons and regulating dopamine production in your brain.
Pros and Cons of Dopamine Detox
Some of the reported benefits of dopamine detox include increased focus and better mood regulation. If you go through a structured process like the one I outlined above, you will feel more balanced and less triggered by tempting activities. Some people may also generally start to think more clearly and positively. Improved dopamine regulation may also help to reduce stress and negative feelings because the body is not craving unhealthy rewards. Other positive consequences may include weight loss, more mental toughness and better goal achievement rates (eg, fitness goals).
However, as with any detox, it may not be a solution for everyone. Some may experience withdrawal symptoms as their dopamine levels return to normal. The brain and/or the body may begin craving the rewards that are not being given during the detox, which can lead to side effect like anxiety, lack of motivation, or even depression.
Some of the criticism around dopamine detox is the lack of scientific evidence, and the often over-simplification of brain chemistry. The latter is something that is often exploited in more or less clever marketing to sell corresponding online programs or apps.
In Conclusion: Does Dopamine Detox Really Work?
In this article, I reviewed the question if dopamine detox really works. Unfortunately, the hype around this “detox” is based on a misconception. I clarified that we cannot detox dopamine. It is simply a chemical process in our brain that is necessary and we cannot change that.
However, the idea of trying to reduce the engagement in too many activities that provide quick and frequent rewards to the brain is powerful and effective. The six steps that I outlined will help to break the cycle of over-stimulation and regain control over impulsive behaviors. I know this all sounds like a lot of work -- and it is. But your future, more productive and happier self will thank you for it. The benefits include increased focus and better mood regulation and a resulting higher degree of goal achievement.
As I described in the “Techniques to Limit Activities” (step 3 above) one of the most effective ways of detox fasting is to connect with nature and spend time outside.
Why not visit Barcelona and travel in a camper van through the beautiful mountains, forests, and beaches around that area?
Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I summarize a couple of the most important and frequently asked questions about dopamine detox.
What is dopamine detox good for?
Dopamine detox is a misleading term because it is a necessary chemical in our brain which we cannot detox. But the main conceptual idea is valid. It aims to help individuals break free from addictive or overstimulating behaviors, allowing them to regain focus, improve self-discipline, and reduce reliance on short-term gratification.
Why do people do dopamine detox? What’s the benefit?
Some of the reported benefits of dopamine detox include increased focus and better mood regulation. If you go through a structured process like the one I outlined above, you will feel more balanced and less triggered by tempting activities.
Can dopamine detox cure addiction?
While dopamine detox may help reduce compulsive behaviors, it's not a scientifically recognized cure for addiction. It can, however, provide a temporary break from addictive activities and encourage mindfulness. A more long-term “cure” can be achieved if we manage to form sustainable habits.
How long should a dopamine detox last?
The length of a dopamine detox varies depending on personal goals. It can last for a few hours, a day, or even several days. Some people practice short detoxes regularly (like a tech-free day once a week), while others do more extended detoxes.
Does it really work? Is dopamine detox scientifically proven?
There is limited scientific evidence specifically supporting the conceptual idea behind dopamine detox. While reducing overstimulation can help with focus and mental clarity, the idea of "resetting" dopamine levels seems to be impossible and is not backed by neuroscience. But behavioral changes do lead to positive effects.
What activities should I do during a dopamine detox?
Some of the top recommended activities during a dopamine detox include: setting clear limits, using tools or apps, exercising and moving more, connecting with nature and spending time outside, building discipline, reading and/or journaling, and tracking progress.
What activities should I avoid during a dopamine detox?
All activities that provide instant gratification are typically avoided, including social media, video games, TV, junk food, porn, betting, online shopping, and even some forms of social interaction.
Can I do a dopamine detox without avoiding technology completely?
It all depends on what aspect you want to focus on and improve. But yes, many people customize their detox by focusing on specific behaviors, such as limiting social media use or avoiding video games, rather than eliminating all forms of technology.
What are the long-term benefits of dopamine detox?
Practicing dopamine detox can help improve self-control, reduce dependence on instant gratification, increase focus, and encourage more mindful, intentional behavior. But the whole thing only works if you manage to change your habits sustainably.
Is dopamine detox the same as digital detox?
A digital detox focuses specifically on reducing or eliminating technology use, whereas dopamine detox targets any behavior that provides immediate gratification, which may include non-digital activities like junk food or excessive socializing.
Who should I try a dopamine detox?
A dopamine detox might benefit people who feel overwhelmed by technology, distractions, or compulsive behaviors. However, it’s not suitable for everyone, especially those with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, where professional treatment is necessary.
What’s the difference between dopamine detox and mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves being present and aware of your thoughts and actions, while dopamine detox is a strategy to temporarily cut off overstimulating activities. However, mindfulness practices can complement a dopamine detox by helping individuals become more aware of their habits.