Why is it so much easier to watch Netflix than it is to exercise?
To eat ice cream over broccoli…
To scroll through social media instead of reading…
For the most part, we know which decisions are good for us and which one’s are not. Of course it’s healthier to read than it is to scroll through Instagram, but let’s be honest… how many times did you check IG today?
It’s not that we don’t want to be healthy or productive, it’s just that the things that are good for us are usually quite boring. Think of cardio, vegetables, meditation, or stable relationships.
We crave volatility; even the lows – they give us a rush of dopamine that masks our dull and mundane realities.
Every time we post on social media, our problems dissolve. Every time we eat half a dozen cookies, we fill the void that yearns them.
We exercise unhealthy choices because they guarantee we will feel better, even if only for a moment.
But what if there was a way you could eliminate these urges altogether? What if… the only urges you had were for productive, healthy lifestyle choices?
Imagine this:
- Books became movies
- Exercise felt like sex
- You had no cravings for junk food or sugar
- You became naturally motivated to work or study
- You felt “high” on life
I’m going to show you how to flip the switch in your brain that will 5X your productivity and 10X your health – all in less than 24 hours.
It’s called a dopamine detox. By redirecting your dopamine triggers, you can recreate your habits, diet, relationships, and lifestyle to your ideal standards.
But first, lets examine dopamine’s effects on the brain.
Dopamine Experiment on Rats
In 1954, a group of researchers wanted to test the role that dopamine had on wellbeing. They implanted electrodes in the brains of rats that induced a pleasurable sensation every time they pulled a lever (1).
Almost immediately, the rats became addicted to this lever. They developed a craving so strong that they would pull it up to 2000 times every hour.
They were able to go for days without food or sleep, simply pulling the lever until exhaustion.
Then the researchers reversed the experiment: they blocked the dopamine receptors of the electrodes. This made the levers obsolete, and the rats could no longer receive their regular hits of pleasure.
Of course, the rats went into severe withdrawal. They became so lethargic that they lost all interest in eating, drinking, sleeping, and mating.
You could say they lost all interest in life.
Motivation in Today’s Society
Think of the dopamine levers in your life. What do you do when you’re bored? You might check your phone, have a snack, play video games, or watch mindless videos on YouTube.
But just like the rats, the reason why it’s so hard to get rid of your vices is because you will go into withdrawal without them. Those hits of Facebook and sugar fuel a large chunk of your energy – and sanity – for the day.
We see this very clearly in drug addiction. A drug addict can binge for days on end without the desire for any food or sleep. But as soon as supply ends, that’s when all hell breaks loose.
That’s because the brain is conditioned to seek homeostasis. It expects emotional and physiological balance at all times. So every time we experience something pleasurable, we raise our new standard of pleasure.
Problems occur when we cannot maintain this standard of pleasure. If your brain expects to be playing video games for four hours a day, and you are only feeding it one hour… You’re in a dopamine withdrawal, and instinctively you will feel lazy and unmotivated.
The same goes for break-ups. If you have become accustomed to receiving endless supplies of love and affection, and one day it suddenly halts, you are literally experiencing a chemical imbalance similar to that of a Heroin withdrawal.
Dopamine does not discriminate.
The Quick Fix: Dopamine Detox
99% of the time, you should never look for a ‘quick fix’. But when you are really desperate to get your life in order, you’re willing to try anything.
The dopamine detox is simple: you will reserve one full day out of your week where you have absolutely no priorities. A full 24 hours where you will not be distracted by work, friends, family, or the external environment.
Yes, this is going to be excruciatingly boring. But if you want to make a massive change in your life, you need to be able to take massive action.
I recommend you spend this day creating an entirely new lifestyle for yourself. What is your optimal standard of living? Here are some things to consider:
- What time will you wake up and go to sleep at?
- What will you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
- How often are you going to exercise?
- How many hours will you work?
- What’s you social life like?
- How often do you entertain your vices?
- What habits do you wish to completely eradicate from your lifestyle?
The dopamine detox gives your brain a rare opportunity to completely reset. You’re given a clean slate where you can pick and choose your dopamine triggers, so you might as well set new habits that will help you grow into your best version.
At the same time, it’s important to be realistic. You probably won’t go to the gym 7 days a week, and you will eventually crave Netflix now and again. Allocate some room for your vices so you can channel them accordingly.
But whatever you do, do not revert back into your old habits. Limit your vices for as long as possible.
The idea is to lower your standard of pleasure so much that your dopamine triggers recalibrate to boring activities, like reading, working, exercising, eating vegetables, etc.
The Benefits of A Dopamine Detox
Ultimately, the goal of the dopamine detox is to reset your dopamine levels to zero. You want to become so uncomfortable that anything you do the next day will be enjoyable. This is where you can recreate yourself through new habits and lifestyle choices.
During the detox, you will be pushed to the brinks of insanity. Over the course of your life, you have become so accustomed to masking your anxiety with mindless distractions that you will begin to experience withdrawal.
You no longer have those trips to the bathroom to scroll through social media. No more phone messages to check. No YouTube to laugh. No Netflix to binge.
You are now forced to confront your inner demons – those thoughts and insecurities that have been buried deep inside of you since childhood.
For the first time in years, you are completely alone and disconnected from the world. You will feel those deep, raw, and repressed layers of insecurity shed out in front of you. It will be an emotionally draining experience, and a much needed cleanse.
Other benefits include:
- Improved willpower
- Diminished anxiety
- Finding comfort in pain
- Increased confidence
- More energy/motivation
- Increased self-awareness
- Encourages lasting change
- Increased serotonin (happiness)
Conclusion
We don’t act out our vices because they are “fun.” We do them because they help us escape the mundane bores of reality.
That’s the effect repressed emotions play on our wellbeing. We use our vices as masks to cover up the dark truths beneath the surface.
Performing a 24-hour dopamine detox helps lift the veil of our emotions that have been buried deep inside of us for so long. Distraction is merely the symptom; insecurity is the root.
If you are struggling with motivation, mental health, or finding your path in life, consider trying a dopamine detox. Give yourself a chance to feel your raw emotions for what they are – you deserve to reach your potential.