How to Do a Dopamine Fast
Cutting out distractions to find meaning and happiness in everyday things
I’ve been reading books on productivity and time management. A recurring theme in this literature: Modern life presents us with so many distractions, it’s become harder to stay focused. How do we cut through the noise of everyday life to accomplish things that really matter?
One tool that’s helped me: The dopamine fast.
Dopamine fasting is a lifestyle trend popular in Silicon Valley which involves cutting yourself off from almost all stimulation for 24 hours. You abstain from actions associated with hits of dopamine, aka the feel-good neurotransmitter.
You can’t eat or drink anything apart from water, or use the internet, your phone, your computer or TV (or any other screens or technology) during that time. You also can’t listen to music or radio, or have sex.
Now, I’m not suggesting you give up life’s greatest pleasures. But every once in a while, we have an opportunity to take a break, step back and reassess what’s really important. What gives our lives true meaning vs. what’s ephemeral or fleeting.
The idea is to reset your brain’s dopaminergic pathways so you can find meaning and happiness in ordinary, everyday things. Free from stimulation, you allow yourself to focus on the things that really matter: yourself, your thoughts, and your relationships.
A dopamine fast down-regulates the dopamine receptors in your brain’s pleasure centers so they calm down and crave fewer hits. It’s a way of calming the mind. The practice can be traced back to Vipassana meditation retreats, where people spend 10 or more days in self-imposed reflective silence.
For some, a dopamine fast might be two hours with their phone locked up in a drawer. For others, it could be a whole day where you abstain from everything except for simple foods and water.
No phone. No computer. No music. No television. No junk food. No human interaction.
You can meditate, journal, paint, exercise, connect with nature — that’s it.
How do I start?
Pick one compulsive behavior you want to cut down on. For some it may be looking at your phone. For others, watching cable news.
How long should it go?
Start small. 1–2 hours. See how you feel. Then try longer periods. It gets easier with time.
What should I do?
There are a few good ways to begin a dopamine fast:
Intermittent Fasting: Avoid eating food for 12–16 hours. Intermittent fasting is tied to learning and neuroplasticity. It promotes increased focus, relaxation and clear thinking.
Digital Detox: Put your phone in a drawer for a few hours. Or give it to a friend to hold for you. Take a long walk. Embrace solitude.
Time in Nature: Spend a couple hours in a park. Let your mind wander freely. Don’t put any pressure on yourself. Allow yourself to just be.
The dopamine fast is grounded in psychology and neuroscience.
In the book Dopamine Nation, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke, shares patient stories to illustrate how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check:
“We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.”
Andrew Huberman, a neurobiology professor at Stanford, defines addiction this way: Any behavior can be problematic. The question is whether it keeps the baseline of your life flat, improves your life, or brings it down.
The term “dopamine fast” isn’t meant to be taken literally. Dopamine is one of the body’s neurotransmitters, and is involved in our body’s system for reward, motivation, learning, and pleasure. The dopamine fast isn’t about getting rid of dopamine. Rather, it’s about identifying and managing compulsive behaviors that affect our brain’s dopamine-based reward system and may interfere with our happiness.
I started experimenting with dopamine fasts of varying lengths. First I did it for an afternoon, then a whole day.
At first, it’s really boring. Then the thoughts come. At first they’re simple thoughts: Did you get back to this person. Respond to that email.
Then they get deeper. A compliment you should share with someone in your life. Why are you still friends with this person? Why are you not in touch with this other person? Do you still want to live in the same place?
Over time, you untie the mental knots that keep popping up.
You can start small. Try a one-hour dopamine fast. See how it feels, let your body adjust. Then gradually work your way up to 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours.
You don’t need to meditate during a dopamine fast. Simply engage in activities that reflect your values: Physical health (exercise/cooking). Learning / reading. Creating (writing/art). Cultivating relationships (talking, bonding over activities).
Dopamine fasting is based on an accepted cognitive behavioral therapy technique known as stimulus control. By making an intentional choice not to indulge in compulsive behaviors — checking your phone, stress eating — there’s an opportunity to become more mindful of those compulsory behaviors, and break the cycle of doing something we hate in search of dopamine.
When we’re cooped up inside all day, we tend to go on our phones looking for short term rewards. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, dating apps, news sites: These sources of digital candy give us a short-term dopamine rush but ultimately leave us feeling empty.
When we’re able to control our compulsions, it trains us to focus on what’s really important. Getting lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. Having fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. Staying informed about the news without feeling overwhelmed by it. Being PRESENT.
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of Vitamin Z.
Until next time,
By Daniel Zahler
Hi there and thanks for reading. If you stumble on my newsletter, you will notice that I write about health and wellness, and ways to optimize cognitive, physical and emotional health. I work with the world’s leading healthcare and life sciences companies to develop innovative new solutions to improve health globally. I was trained as a research scientist at Harvard, and I serve as a GLG council member where I advise global business leaders on healthcare innovation.
Enjoyed your reading experience?
Follow me on Twitter.
Hit reply with your feedback and ideas :)
Share this post with others.