How To Dopamine Detox - 03

Your life is what you focus on

There are dopamine traps you can fall into by seeking constant stimulation. The more you encourage the release of dopamine, the more you crave it again, which can become an addiction. You can get in a loop of constant shopping, Netflix, sex, work, or alcohol, leading to lost focus, low productivity, and no fulfillment. There are many ways to seek short-term rewards or gratification; it’s no surprise they may trick your brain.

Your focus is so valuable that major corporations want it. Amazon, Facebook, and YouTube strive to steal your attention with sophisticated algorithms. You watch one video, and the app recommends another, trying to keep you there as long as possible. But these algorithms don’t have your best interests in mind; they aim to show you advertisements and make you buy things. Tons of notifications scream at you to stop whatever you are doing and give your time to them. That’s how the dopamine neurotransmitters in your brain are hijacked and manipulated.

Adjusting your focus to concentrate on the right things isn’t easy. Yet, when you act on the knowledge you’ll discover in this summary, you’ll be more powerful than those billion-dollar companies.

Whenever a notification pops up, you expect a like or a message from a friend. You check your emails or YouTube, hoping to find something exciting or fun. And then comes overstimulation and loss of focus.

Action: Limit notifications to minimize constant digital interruptions.

Overstimulation happens when you excessively engage in activities that create bursts of pleasure, anticipation, and reward. The feelings you get from it are incredibly fleeting and short-term, and pursuing goals that give you long-term fulfillment doesn’t feel like fun. Why would you strain yourself for a real reward when the world offers you a bonus at this exact second? The problem with short-term rewards is that they leave you as quickly as sand through your fingers. And then you feel empty. Instead, you can dedicate time and energy to building a sandcastle you value so much that you want to nourish it over the long term.