We search for dopamine (aka, the “chemical rush”) to pull us through. We collect moments full of dopamine like crows collect shiny things, like we might be able to sweep our arms across the skies and collect stars like diamonds because it will fill us with even just a momentary glow.

We fixate on one form of dopamine until it taps out and we’re scrambling for the next fix. The modern era is full of constant seeking, showing off, and media bombardment—so we attach ourselves to this idea of needing a constant dopamine rush to keep up. We become addicts who can’t rest or feel productive without the rush.

Dopamine seeking is a surefire way to burn yourself out, and there are some signs to look for when your body or mind is craving a dopamine detox—there are also simple ways to curb the craving for the chemical rush supplied by dopamine hits and help you slow down and appreciate the moments of calm serotonin instead.

Signs You’re Dopamine Seeking
1. Start-to-Finish Cleaning: ignoring dishes for a week then suddenly washing the entire sink full of
dishes, emptying the dishwasher and reloading it, rearranging your pantry and cleaning out your
fridge all at 11 pm because you got a “burst” of motivation
2. The Research Rabbit Hole: Spending 4 hours researching “how to grow tomatoes” and ending up
reading about the history of the Roman Empire at 3:00 AM—all because learning new tidbits
feels like a productive drug
3. The Vocal Stim: Making random clicking noises, repeating a funny word over and over, or singing
a single line of a song for 3 hours because it helps you pass the time and you need something to
fixate on to avoid boredom
4. Temperature/Spice Chasing: Taking scalding hot showers or holding a freezing cold drink, or
eating extremely sour candy just to “shock” your nervous system into feeling focused
5. The Notification Ghost: Checking your phone for a text or other notification you know hasn’t
arrived yet, just hoping the screen lighting up will give you a tiny spark
6. Aggressive Music: Listening to the heaviest, loudest, or fastest music possible to “quiet down”
the noise inside your head
7. Doomscrolling: switching between apps and watching quick videos over and over for hours on
end to keep yourself busy or see what other people are up to—creating a false sense of reality

Signs You Need a Dopamine Detox
1. Everything feels boring and nothing quite satisfies you or holds your attention for very long,
whether it’s a craft, television, work, practicing yoga, or even reading a book feels nearly
impossible.
2. You’re scrolling, switching apps, looking for something and finding nothing—this could be a
version of doomscrolling, window shopping, or even falling down that research rabbit hole
mentioned earlier. You can’t seem to name what it is you’re looking for, but you swear you’ll
know it when you find it.
3. You’re exhausted but can’t wind down. Leisure feels guilty and challenging despite the burnout
ebbing at your nervous system. Your body craves rest but your mind won’t stop reaching for the
next thing, convincing you that relaxation won’t help you achieve progress
4. You feel overstimulated and underwhelmed at the same time. You don’t exactly know what to do
next because of the internal conflict happening.
5. Everything is too much and still yet not enough. No matter what you accomplish, you’re
simultaneously tired and unsatisfied with your levels of productivity.

Simple Dopamine Detox Ideas
● No phone for the first 30 mins of your morning—yes, this means calls and texts too. If your
phone is your alarm clock, treat it solely as your alarm clock in the morning. Don’t make the
screen the first thing you turn to.
● Make your bed before you check anything—whether this is phone, laundry, air conditioning,
plants, pets, or kids. This simple ritual will be a quick show of productivity and neatness to start
your day.
● Sit outside for 10 mins and get fresh air and sun (if possible) before the day starts. Fresh air and
Vitamin D will help naturally wake up and calm your restless senses.
● Leave your phone and music behind when you go for a walk. Listen to and observe the world
around you, say hi to people on trails and walkways, and disconnect as you move your body.
● Eat an entire meal with no screens to focus on your meal. TV dinners with our phones and
laptops in front of us are dangerously distracting, causing us to disconnect from fueling our
systems and our food to need reheating multiple times.
● Call someone instead of texting them, and actually talk and listen to the inflections in their voice.
This is a good way to stay in contact, get information quicker, and connect with others without
the delay of text messages or having the messages become misconstrued.
● Put your phone in another room when sleeping, or across the room when you’re sleeping.
Eliminate the temptation of screens from your bedtime altogether to ensure restful sleep
without the disruption of blue light battling against your sleep cycle.
● Remove your TV from the bedroom. Like phones, falling asleep with the TV on or “bed-rotting”
and staying in your bed for long stretches of time is an unhealthily sedentary habit that has the
ability to disrupt your sleep cycle.
● Write down 3 good things that happened today before bed—this makes your brain search and
analog moments from the day that stand out to you in a positive way. Even if it’s a bad day, find
simple things to deem as “good.” Within time, you’ll notice more good things happening and
mentally catalog them for your nightly list, creating small wins that boost your serotonin and
provide a more normal dopamine rush.