How To Dopamine Detox - 05

 Trick your brain before dopamine stimulants do

You procrastinate not because you are not disciplined enough, not capable, or not deserving of your dreams. You procrastinate because you are overstimulated. How often do you feel calm and focused?

Think about this: You wake up in the morning, check your phone, scroll through social media, make breakfast, and decide to watch a video while you’re eating. You chat with someone, drink another coffee, reply on Instagram, and scroll through stories for 40 minutes. Back to TikTok, send a random email, and do your laundry. You are on a hamster wheel of small tasks that give you a quick dopamine fix. Your essential duties seem uninteresting and dull compared to these tasks. Boom! Welcome to procrastination! You may say that it’s not precisely your pattern of morning procrastination, so think about what your distraction loop looks like.

Action: Learn to find joy in simple and non-stimulating activities.

Here are the top four lies your mind will tell you to trick you into overstimulation:

1. You can return to work anytime. What difference will 10 minutes make? Wait, is that you laughing I hear? The truth is, if you are not in control of your actions, there is a high chance you will lose hours.

2. You can postpone the task for later. But wait, how many goals have you failed to achieve because of delays? There is a risk it will become a habit.

3. Do something else because it’s fun and exciting. Exciting doesn’t mean fulfilling. Both feelings are important but separate concepts; a comfortable balance should exist between them.

4. You will miss opportunities if you don’t check your social media and emails. But possibilities are everywhere; there will always be plenty of new things.

Rate these lies on a scale from 1 to 10 to reflect what keeps you feeling overstimulated.

Productivity consists of three main components: consistency, impact, and focus. Consistency means developing a routine; the impact is choosing what’s most important for you. To be more focused, follow these points:

• Eliminate distractions.

• Practice being at the same place at the same time for work.

• Inspiration and concentration also come from doing, so simply starting the task can help.

• Work without interruptions for a while; you can do 45-minute cycles of work and a 10-15-minute break.