“Dopamine Detox” or “Dopamine Fasting” is a bandwagon and is being used by a considerable number of people nowadays. There are many people who might have a clue of the same whilst, some among you came across this term for the first time. Let’s discuss and dive into the exhaustive information pertaining to this.
For those who are on the lookout for it, should kick off with knowing what Dopamine is and what are its functions. Ergo, Dopamine is an organic chemical of the hormone families which are responsible for stimulants of the central nervous system and neurotransmitters, Dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain.
Putting it simply, it plays a vital role in reward and movement regulation in the brain.
It’s produced in the body and is used by the nervous system to send messages to the nerves. Hence, this is the rationale for why it is also alluded to as “Chemical Messenger”. It is released during pleasurable situations and stimulates one to seek out the pleasurable activity or occupation. Since it manages neurological and physiological functioning, it is usually known as “Feel Good Hormone”.
Dopamine governs how we feel pleasure, strive, focus, motor functioning, mood, and find things interesting. It's essential for thinking and planning. Too much or too little of it can lead to numerous health issues. Some are serious, like Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. May also cause mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue if it gets worse.
Also, the disbalance of the hormone can lead to many other diseases like:
difficulty eating and swallowing
weight loss or weight gain
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), constipation
trouble sleeping or disturbed sleep
low energy, fatigue, inability to focus
moving or speaking more slowly than usual
feeling demotivated, anxious, mood swings and feeling inexplicably sad or tearful
feeling hopeless, guilt-ridden, low self-esteemed, suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm
lack of insight or self-awareness
binge-eating, addiction, and gambling
Dopamine drives a person to look for more and more of anything and consequently causes him to want, desire, seek out, and search. It increases the general level of arousal and goal-directed behavior. It also induces curiosity and fuels you searching for information.
If you are looking out for ways to increase the levels of Dopamine in your body then, here are few tips to shoot it up naturally:
Eat foods rich in tyrosine and magnesium including cheese, meats, fish, dairy, soy, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, among others.
Avoid processed foods, high-fats, sugar, caffeine.
Proper sleep to increase dopamine production.
Exercise daily, meditate and do a breathing exercise to reduce stress level
Apple and blackberry were vital when they were just fruits. Pun Intended!
Nevermind,
In this digital world, everyone is so addicted and tempted to technology. One can’t miss a phone ring or a notification. But the habit sometimes becomes so bad that one can’t avoid even a single notification and reply to it instantly even if the person is sleeping, sick, or into something urgent. There are people who are gaming putz, who spend hours in front of a gaming screen. To keep the Dopamine level balanced one can adopt the technique of Dopamine Fasting. The goal is to include breaks in our routine that will reboot and rebalance the enunciated hormone. There are few ways to include the practice in one’s routine as per their feasibility and suitability:
Find one to four hours at the end of the day to do dopamine fast or,
Can pick one weekend day and spend it outside the digital sphere,
One weekend per quarter or one week per year.
Vacation and traveling also boosts one’s Dopamine level.
Stop push notification on regular intervals
Try to go without a phone to nearby places (if not going for urgent work)
Gym and go on a walk without mobile phones
Keep the phone away from yourself if you are into something urgent.
Avoid wake-up with your phone in the morning
Did you surmise why this concept started?
California Psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah, explains the purpose of this technique is not to avoid dopamine but rather to reduce impulsive behaviors that are rewarded by dopamine. The practice of dopamine fasting is not clearly defined in what it entails, on what technologies, with what frequency it should be done, or how it is supposed to work.
Proponents argue that it is a way to exert greater self-control and self-discipline over one's life, and New York Times technology journalist Nellie Bowles finds that dopamine fasting makes everyday life "more exciting and fun".
The sum and substance is that, we should not do anything extreme that we lose its value, importance, and interest in it. A pace should be maintained and that the control and discipline is ensured.
Take a stab at the technique and contemplate if it's laudable.
