How to Dopamine Detox

Above sketch by me!

I’ve seen this trend going around for the past year or so, and would like to share some of the techniques I use.

For the purposes of this post, a dopamine detox is when you are relieving your mind of constant stimulation so it has some space to breathe and can use that energy towards things that are more meaningful to you.
Most people use this in reference to social media and web browsing, but it also encourages reducing other stimulants like binge eating (in favor of exercise), gaming, and other stimulants.

With work and personal circumstances you cannot avoid certain things, but you can apply these as much as you can and find them helpful:



Slowly reduce things one by one. You will find even the things that felt important and part of your recreation or personality/ identity may not be that important to you afterwards. (This includes music consumption)

For new activities, any form of exercise is a great one, as is learning a new skill (one that leads you away from screen time). Meditation and prarthane (prayer) are transformative. Things that take you away from your thoughts and screens are best. You can also start taking part in Seva (service) at your local mandir or centre when you have time.

Try 30 min at a time at the outset (this linked video on meditation/prayer mentions that time too). Whatever it takes to get you to start and then work your way up.

Hope these help!