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digital (dopamine) detoxing
what is dopamine?

Dopamine is hormone which plays a crucial part in self motivation and is encouraged through reinforcement. Any task which give us immediate satisfaction such as posting pictures, listening to music, receiving texts from others etc therefore all stimulate surges of dopamine to be released into the body. As we get the biggest dopamine surges through unexpected/random rewards, the brain then responds to this by wanting more of it. Therefore, being part of the digital world can expose us to developing unnaturally high levels of it, to the point where we may begin to have some form of addiction. 

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Though the body can adapt to imbalances in the body, the brain can actually get so used to the high amounts of dopamine, that it down regulates the dopamine receptors as a result, increasing the dopamine tolerance. This then means that mundane tasks such as reading or revision can feel much more effortful to do. 

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If you find yourself exhibiting some of the follow behaviours, you may benefit from taking a long break from your device(s):​​

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  • Stress induced anxiety when you haven't checked your device for a short period of time

  • Inability to sleep or get on with the day without thinking about your device

  • Procrastination; you may lack focus on more mundane tasks

  • You only engage in tasks that have immediate rewards i.e. playing games, posting pictures (which can guage immediate reactions)

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Do i need a
digital detox?
What can i
do instead?

You could swap these dopamine stimulating activities to slow down for non-screen activities such as :

  • Meditate/mindfulness 

  • Go for a walk in nature 

  • Journal 

  • Yoga

  • Cook a meal

  • Yin yoga 

  • Have a bath

  • Read a book

  • Clean the house

  • Paint 

  • Spend quality time with family and friends

 

Whether these tasks seem boring or effortful, they can actually help us to rebalance the dopamine levels and consequently make us more resillient to conquer tasks that require more motivation. In life, we are not always going to have immediate rewards the way we do when we use our phones and receive random notifications. We have to work hard to sometimes get to where we want and that takes persistance and resillience until that is achieved. If we become reliant and addicted to immediate answers, we may become very fixated on this false reality, causing a lot of anxiety and impatience. 

 

So not only would a digital detox help to manage stress induced anxiety around screen time, but this can also help to improve gut functioning and motivation for everyday tasks.

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