Being human is a strange, unpredictable, quirky journey. The older I get, the more it seems I need to change or do more to compete with society. Take that course, read this book, listen to that podcast, yada yada yada. An influencer says this is the best makeup to buy, or a recent college graduate suddenly knows all the ins and outs of the job market.
I was flooded with opinions of the world around me that started to drown out my own.
I realized I had enough.
I noticed life around me with the noise of TikTok reels, YouTube shorts, Facebook posts, Instagram stories and endless message pings were making me feel dull. I was so overstimulated and caught up in the next hit of reels that I started to view life around me as dull. I was moving too fast, unable to sit with myself and enjoy the moment. I was burnt out.
Tuning into my body, I began my own journey with a dopamine detox to try and regain control of what I had lost, the spark for life.
I had to start somewhere... what did I do to combat such an addictive chemical fueling most of my day? Slowly and gracefully I weened myself off with the below actions.
1. Deleted all access to short form video content.
2. Silent walks without music
3. Tried not to skip songs in the car
4. Read more
5. Played games that challenged my thinking
6. Cooked real meals that made me slow down instead of popping something in the microwave
7. Watched movies without picking up my phone
8. Switched to a real alarm clock so I could turn off my phone at night
9. Impulse buying online and in store
After I incorporated the above, I felt a difference. I felt like I had more space in my brain to think, to make room for real emotions, and connect to the world around me.
It is hard to describe and truly understand the feeling until you push yourself to try. I still have urges to seek out dopamine of course, but I have gotten a lot better because I know the price I pay if I open that door. My mental health has improved significantly and I feel alive again. I get excited by the little things and am curious. Maybe it is a new hobby or maybe it is having the capacity to feel more regulated and joyful throughout the day.
Once I felt cleansed of the addiction, opening back up a video short felt strange. It was loud, with quick bursts of noise and a whole lot of opinions that did suddenly did not matter to me like they seemed to before. I guess in all that time when people were telling me what and what not to do, I forget to listen to what I needed. Once it disappeared, my own thoughts were left and something magical happened.
I trusted myself again to know what was best, not someone else.
Now that I am not constantly stimulated by dopamine, the world is brighter. A new dress I get to buy, a fresh homemade meal, or a nostalgic funny movie makes me feel much more present and joyful.
