The healthy habit of doing a digital dopamine detox

As I am about to give myself a little treat in forms of a break from social media platforms, apps and smartphone screen time, I thought I'd repost an article I wrote a couple of years ago. I believe it still speaks to many. Enjoy, and have a lovely beginning of Spring! See you soon. With love,

Hanna

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Repost: Digital dopamine detox time!

A couple of times per year, I devote myself to doing 30-ish days of a digital detox a.k.a. a dopamine fast. Like most, I expose myself to a lot of screen time in my work, and then more screen time when connecting with friends and colleagues over social media and keeping up on feeds. And once in a while, I watch a movie or mini-series online: more screen time, more blue light exposure. No real pause or relaxation for my ancestral brain or the often-so-active-in-modern-city-life nervous system, either.

It has its pros and cons to live in digital, modern times. And many of us have a love-and-hate-relationship with our smartphones. They are designed to keep us hooked. It can be difficult and a challenge requiring real discipline these days when it comes to simple choices such as for example NOT opening the phone directly in the morning or NOT SCROLLING or checking notifications for God knows how many times, during the day. And of course, NOT checking the phone the last thing before going to sleep at night.

Whatever feelings or behaviour we have in this regard, we can all benefit from taking small or longer breaks from the screens and their hormone-disrupting digital blue light exposure that tend to throw our circadian rhythms off course. Not to mention the "popcorn-brain"-impact all things digital have on us when we hop from social media to paying bills to purchasing home delivery-grocery bags, shopping technology, shoes, clothes, books or presents, reading news paper articles, doing research, checking in to the gym (which these days often require an app), or booking trains or flights and concert tickets or making dinner reservations... The list goes on, and on. It's no wonder that digital detox retreats where you hand over your phone or tablet before entering, is now a thing increasing in popularity. Or that gaming or gambling is now (finally) confirmed as a 100% real addiction, for which children and adults can seek help, detox and professional rehabilitation.

Also, the reality of Addiction is this: it's one brain condition, with many outlets. So, replacing bad habits with healthy habitual outlets, is key.

For instance, when focus is shifted into positive, healthier outlets such as finding flow and doing creative and joy-inducing, purposeful work, great things happen. And this goes for human connection, building body- and brain-nurturing exercise-habits, and daily doses of nature, too.

Aligning with the rhythms of nature

Our need for spending time in nature is an innate part of us, since the beginning of human time. Whether the outdoor activity is brisk or slow walking, or gazing at the sea, in just sitting in a forest, a jungle, or in your own garden: Simply being in nature and resting your eyes on the green colours of trees, meadows or mountains, hearing the sounds of the wind, the trees, the tides of the water, the birds singing... It will bring restorative and healing impact. It will boost your sleep, decrease anxiety and lift your mood. And it'll do wonders for the nervous system. For example, time in nature (or 'forest bathing') will...

lower stress and cortisol levels
activate the rest-and-digest, feed-and-breed system
bring back balance and improve the overall mental and hormonal health and well-being

We need these things. Because our innate systems are the same as they were about 12 000 years ago, but the modern world is not. Our brains are in more need now than ever of getting recurring nature breaks from the "normal" life of modern, digital exposure. I struggle with it myself, living in Stockholm city. I love my home and my neighbourhood, and it's been a blessing to have grown up and to live here, but I most certainIy crave a lot more nature these days, and a lot less city life.

The tool – a dopamine reset

A solution for me when I feel like I'm not getting enough nature, engaging in a little too much screen time or simply feel like zooming out a bit from the constant information flow of social media, newsfeeds and all other things digital, is to cut myself off from SoMe for a month and do a dopamine reset.

It's become a proactive tradition even, to go offline for 30 days twice per year. And I love it!

It's challenging at first (due to withdrawal and the power of habit habit), but very rewarding.

This time, I will not engage in a full fast meaning I will still be using my laptop (because I have work to do, which I love, too). But I'll log out from the social media-platforms, starting now.

How it works – the brain and dopamine

Our brains work hard every day to strive for balance when it comes to feel good-neurotransmitter dopamine and feeling the opposite, pain. Because they are both processed in the same parts of the brain. And our brains and innate systems will always, day by day, moment by moment, strive towards homeostasis. Optimum balance.

With the overload of dopamine-stimulating events, impressions, notifications that we engage with on a daily basis, the homeostasis in this part of the brain gets thrown off balance. This means that the brain's set point for pleasure changes negatively.

The brain adapts to the behaviour of, for instance, checking your phone or scrolling your newsfeed. It does so by down-regulating the dopamine receptors, in other words stimulating fewer dopamine receptors each time this feel good neurotransmitter is secreted. The brain then tips towards feeling pain, or withdrawal. And the natural tendency is to avoid the uncomfortable pain and go back for more dopamine. Checking your phone, or scrolling your newsfeed.

By repeating the negative behaviour for weeks or months, a pattern is created. This creates a growing non-homeostasis. Imbalance. Your brain will start to crave more dopamine hits, more reward/pleasure-stimulating outlets, otherwise the pain center in the brain gets activated and you feel unease. This is a biochemical state that can make you feel low, tired, restless, sleepless or unfocused, agitated, anxious or even depressed. No wonder why so many kids and grown-ups are hooked on their phones and laptops. We live in cultures where being a dopamine junkie has become the new "normal".

The pain and dopamine withdrawal

When you're experiencing withdrawal, it's tempting to reach for the source of instant dopamine secretion. But if you just stay with the feeling, sit with it and observe it, or choose to actively replace the bad habit with new and better ones like doing breathwork, taking a walk in nature or spending time with a friend or loved one, the withdrawal (the pain) will pass and go away.

Repeating THIS pattern instead of reaching for instant gratification, is the solution and the key. Because it opens the door to creating a fresh new start: it resets your dopamine levels. The balance and relationship between the pain –uncomfortable feelings– and the dopamine

–pleasurable feelings– finds harmony. And when no side of the two is tipping over, your optimum set point is restored.

The indulgence of digital addictions and their instant gratifications are drowning us in dopamine these days. But if we choose a bit of 'sobriety' now and then it can easily help us restore our levels.

All it takes is a bit of devotion and effort, and not caring so much what others may think. The bonus is that it opens up space for more connection. With oneself, with others, with nature too. And with new possibilities that require room to grow. They organically do, when we allow them. Also, who doesn't like a good old long-term-rewarding challenge?

With love / Hanna