Dopamine Detox: A Short Guide to Remove Distractions and Get Your Brain To Do Hard Things By THIBAUT MEURISSE

Excerpts from the book

 

Dopamine gives us the desire to take action to earn the exciting reward that's waiting for us. It is the force that makes us act.

Contrary to what many people believe,  dopamine is not a pleasure chemical Simply because an event triggers the release of dopamine doesn't mean it is something we like or get pleasure from. In fact, when you pay close attention, you'll notice that as soon as you obtain the expected reward, you'll often feel empty and unfulfilled.

Under such a state of stimulation, any task that requires concentration becomes much harder to perform. As a result, you will procrastinate. You delay writing that book you've always planned. You put off starting that new venture, or you will postpone that key project you're in charge of.

By continuously triggering the release of dopamine through different means – such as drug or alcohol consumption – addicts actually strengthen their tolerance to such stimulation. As a result, they need stronger and stronger stimulus to experience the same sensation of pleasure.

In truth, many activities can become somewhat addictive:

1. Gambling
2. Sex
3. Shopping
4. Thoughts/rumination
5. Video games
6. Exercise (to extreme)
7. Work

Your dopamine neurotransmitters are being hijacked:

Whenever you check your email,

Whenever you check stats,

Whenever you visit YouTube,

Whenever you visit social media sites,

Dopamine and constant stimulation can impair your ability to think long term.

Studies have shown that one of the best predictors of success is the ability to think long term. People who repeatedly focus on where they want to be in the future, make better decisions in the present. They tend to eat healthier food, be more productive at work and save and invest more money than others.

Long-time perspective, “was the most important determinant of financial and personal success in life.” He defined “long-time” as the “ability to think several years into the future while making decisions in the present.”

By receiving constant feedback, whether through likes, comments, or immediate replies to our messages, we condition ourselves to expect fast results with everything we do.

In this frenetic race, we forget one of the most important values of all: patience.

Watching motivational videos all day long won’t help you reach your goals. But, performing daily consistent actions, sustained over a long period of time will. Staying calm and focusing on the one task in front of you every day will.

The point is, to achieve long-term goals in your personal or professional life, you must regain control of your attention and rewire your brain to focus on the long term. To do so, you should start by staying away from highly stimulating activities.

Build the foundations for success one brick at a time. Build them strong so that they won’t collapse at the first obstacle or setback.

Remember, long-term thinking is the “secret” to achieving your goals.

Remember, excitement isn’t fulfillment. Excitement can be fun, but make sure you work on developing an inner sense of peace and a heightened state of focus.

Awareness will help as you start to work on lowering your level of stimulation and becoming more focused on your goals.

What is dopamine detox? – The reduction of stimulation to prevent overstimulation and put you in the proper state of mind to tackle major tasks.

A dopamine detox helps reduce stimulation, thereby allowing you to revert to a more natural state. When you need less stimulation, seemingly challenging, boring or tedious tasks will become more appealing—and easier to tackle.

I will introduce you to three distinct types as below:

1. The 48-hour complete dopamine detox.
2. The 24-hour dopamine detox.
3. The partial dopamine detox.

One of my friends, Nils, attended a Vipassana retreat, which is a 10-day meditation retreat.

A Three-Step Method for a Successful Detox

Step #1. Identify your biggest distractions

Step #2. Add friction

Step #3. Start first thing in the morning

Remember that the routine should deepen your focus rather than stimulate you.

What you want to accomplish, you limit the risk of distraction. Consequently, the more intentional you are, the better.

Key to productivity can be summarized in three words:

1. Focus
2. Consistency  and
3. Impact

Develop laser-sharp focus:

1. Be at the same place, at the same time every day – A simple daily routine will help you condition your mind, help you feel more in control, and lower your stimulation.
2. Choose a trigger
3. Get started
4. Eliminate distractions
5. Work without interruptions

Remember, what you do first thing in the morning matters far more than you think. Just one tiny decision can have a dramatic effect on your day’s productivity.

Avoiding “Dopamine Relapse”:

1. Be aware when you start relapsing
2. Understand the battle between you and your mind
3. Understand that the world is against you
4. Prepare a contingency plan
5. Put a sustainable system in place
6. Cultivate the here-and-now neurotransmitters

Remember that excitement and fulfillment aren’t the same things. As you learn to eliminate external stimulations and immerse yourself in your work, hobbies, or relationships, you’ll experience a deeper sense of fulfillment and will feel much better. You will also end up becoming far more productive and accomplishing many of your goals and dreams.