Dopamine Detox

Studies have shown that one of the best predictors of success is the abilityto think long term. People who repeatedly focus on where they want to bein the future, make better decisions in the present. They tend to eat healthier food, be more productive at work and save and invest more money than others.

Step #1. Identify your biggest distractions

The first step to implementing an effective dopamine detox is to identify your biggest temptations and distractions. To do so, take a pen and a sheet of paper (or use your action guide), and create two columns, “Cans” and “Can’ts”.In the first column write down all the activities you will allow yourself to engage in. For instance, it might be going for a walk, journaling, working on a project, or reading books.

In the second column, write down all the things you must avoid doing during your dopamine detox. For instance, it might be watching YouTube, checking your emails, or using social media.

To help you do this, ask yourself the following questions: If I stopped doing only one thing, which one would increase my focus and boost my productivity the most dramatically?

What other activity do I need to avoid in order to help me increase my focus most significantly?

Generally speaking, the harder something is to access, the less likely you are to do it and vice-versa. This is why you must redesign your environment to make undesirable behaviors more difficult to engage in while making more desirable behaviors easier to conduct.

Look at the habits or activities you want to eliminate and ask yourself how you could add friction—the more friction, the better. 

If your phone is your biggest distraction, remove all notifications or put it on airplane mode. Or, even better, switch it off and put it in a separate room.

If Facebook is your biggest distraction, remove as many notifications as you can and/or use applications such as Newsfeed Eradicator (a Google Chrome extension). If you spend hours watching YouTube videos, install DF Tube on your Google Chrome navigator, or find a similar app for your internet browser. This will remove all the suggestions and notifications. Then, only watch videos that serve a specificpurpose.

Adding friction might sound overly simple, but it works. This is because, as humans, we’re fundamentally lazy. We hate wasting energy unless we are forced to. If you need to go to another room to grab your phone (friction #1) and also need to turn it on (friction #2), you are less likely to do it for a while.

The third and final step is simply to get started. I recommend you start first thing in the morning before becoming overly stimulated. I’ve noticed that if I check my phone or access the internet upon waking up, I will probably become distracted.

I also recommend you create a morning routine to help you start your day on a positive note and with a strong focus. Over the long term, a simple morning routine can make a massive difference in your life.

What about you? What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?!

Does this help you remain calm and focused, or does it lead you to feel overstimulated and result in procrastination?

To establish your morning routine, write down two or three simple things you could do each morning. You’ll use these activities to kickstart your dopamine detox and, hopefully, you will stick to the routine over the long term. Remember that the routine should deepen your focus rather than stimulate you. For instance, you could:

Meditate

Listen to some relaxation music,

Write down your goals for the day,

Write down three things you’re grateful for

Repeat positive affirmations.

You can choose to control your focus, or you can let someone else take it away from you. When you learn to avoid highly stimulating activities that destroy your ability to remain calm and focused, you’ll find yourself capable of tackling your major tasks with more ease than ever before. Going through a dopamine detox will help you lower your level of stimulation and ensure you work on your major tasks.

Remember that excitement and fulfillment aren’t the same things. As you learn to eliminate external stimulations and immerse yourself in your work, hobbies, or relationships.

You will also end up becoming far more productive and accomplishing many of your goals and dreams.

So, stop letting your environment hijack your brain and regain control of it instead. This is the key to a healthy and productive life.