What is dopamine fasting? Potential benefits and how to do it
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Explore what dopamine fasting is, including common misconceptions and potential benefits. Plus, how to mindfully implement dopamine fasting into your life.
If you’ve ever regretted wasting a day scrolling on social media or wish you hadn’t gone on that shopping spree, dopamine fasting might be helpful for you in discovering new ways to find joy and happiness.
Dopamine fasting is about minimizing unhealthy behaviors that give your brain an instant boost of dopamine and replacing them with longer-lasting — and more sustainable — dopamine-boosting activities. (Some people think of it as a method for reducing dopamine levels, but it isn’t.) By stepping back from activities that give you instant boosts, like social media apps, dopamine fasting is believed to help manage impulses, enhance focus, and contribute to your overall mental wellbeing.
What is dopamine fasting?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a key role in how we experience pleasure, motivation, and reward. It’s released during activities we enjoy, creating feelings of happiness and satisfaction. For example, eating delicious food, listening to music, experiencing physical touch, or receiving praise all can potentially trigger a dopamine release. This chemical signal encourages us to repeat these behaviors, reinforcing the activities that make us feel good.
People may choose to dopamine fast in an attempt to reset their brain’s reward system and reduce dependency on the instant gratification vice of their choice. Overexposure to high-stimulation activities like social media, video games, and junk food may possibly desensitize the brain, making everyday pleasures less satisfying. The idea of temporarily abstaining from these activities was introduced by Cameron Sepah, PhD, a psychologist working in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Sepah’s method was designed to reduce overstimulation and manage compulsive behaviors — especially those linked to technology and food.
It’s important to remember that we’re not trying to eliminate joy or rewards from our life. Instead, we’re trying to reset our neurological pathways so we can appreciate and respond to joy in a healthier, more balanced way. This may help us break the cycle of dependency on highly stimulating activities, which may improve psychological resilience and promote more mindful engagement with everyday activities.
Common misconceptions about dopamine fasting
“Dopamine fasting” is a bit of a misnomer, and its catchy title can lead to some common misconceptions.
The myth: Dopamine fasting lowers dopamine production
The truth: Contrary to popular belief, dopamine fasting doesn’t aim to reduce dopamine levels in the brain. In fact, dopamine fasting doesn’t affect the production of dopamine at all. Instead, the idea is to reduce dopamine spikes caused by the kinds of behaviors that can form unwanted habits and potential addictions.
The myth: It requires giving up all pleasurable activities.
The truth: The focus is on avoiding specific high-dopamine-releasing behaviors, not all forms of enjoyment. Dopamine fasting aims to help you manage compulsive behaviors, not to remove pleasure in all activities.
The myth: The science behind dopamine fasting is concrete and universally accepted.
The truth: While it’s grounded in behavioral psychology principles, the claims about altering dopamine receptor sensitivity currently lack robust scientific evidence.
The myth: Dopamine fasting can cure ADHD and mental health disorders like depression.
The truth: While it can support mental wellbeing by promoting healthier habits, dopamine fasting isn’t a standalone treatment for mental health conditions or ADHD. It’s best used as a complementary strategy alongside other therapeutic approaches.
6 potential benefits of dopamine fasting
Dopamine fasting, when understood and practiced correctly, may offer several potential benefits to improve your quality of life.
Improved focus and concentration: By reducing high-stimulation activities, you might experience greater mental clarity. Fewer constant distractions can lead to more productive work and study.
Reduced impulsivity: Minimizing the cycle of instant gratification, often reinforced by technology, can help improve self-control and decision-making.
Better management of tech-related addictions: Taking breaks from electronic devices can help decrease dependency and promote a healthier balance in tech use.
Enhancement of emotional awareness and regulation: Removing excessive dopamine triggers can increase emotional awareness. This can allow better emotional regulation and healthier responses to feelings.
Increased appreciation for simpler pleasures: By resetting the brain’s reward system, the joy we find in simpler activities like reading, chatting, or enjoying nature can boost our overall life satisfaction.
Promotion of healthier lifestyle choices: Dopamine fasting can lead to improved habits in diet, exercise, and sleep. This can contribute to better overall physical and mental health.
How to implement dopamine fasting: 7 tips to find more peace
By following a few straightforward dopamine fasting rules, you can make more considered choices about how you spend your time. Making healthier choices can enhance your overall wellbeing and mental clarity.
1. Identify personal triggers
Recognize the activities that lead to excessive dopamine release. These could include using social media, binging TV shows, shopping online, or eating too many highly processed snacks. It’s important to remember that these activities aren't inherently negative — in fact, they can be sources of information, entertainment, enjoyment, and social connection. The key is finding a balance and considering alternatives that might offer similar benefits without the high dopamine spikes.
💙 Spend time Listening to Your Body to tune into the activities that trigger dopamine spikes.
2. Set clear and achievable goals
Start with small, manageable goals. For example, if your trigger is social media, limit your usage to specific times of the day or week. Gradual changes can be more sustainable and less likely to cause withdrawal or frustration.
💙 Set goals that help you combat the Compulsion to engage in the activities that give you the temporary feelings of joy your brain craves.
3. Establish boundaries for stimulus control
Create physical and mental boundaries around your identified triggers. Remove apps from your phone, keep devices out of the bedroom, or set strict time limits on certain activities. These boundaries can help reinforce your goals and prevent temptation.
💙 Check out this meditation on Boundaries by Tamara Levitt to explore setting boundaries within relationships, which also includes the relationship you have with yourself and your triggers.
4. Engage in alternative activities
Find less stimulating but fulfilling activities to replace those you are avoiding. This might include hobbies like reading, crafting, or outdoor sports. These activities can reduce dopamine spikes while enriching your life with more experiences and skills.
💙 Try moving your body mindfully, like with Mel Mah’s Moving for Fun routine, whenever you’re feeling compelled to indulge in a trigger.
5. Practice mindfulness and self-compassion
Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your impulses and the emotions driving them, which can help you manage your reactions better. Throughout the process, practice self-compassion. Slip-ups may happen, so be nice to yourself.
💙 Shower yourself with love during your experience with dopamine fasting with the 7 Days of Self-Esteem series.
6. Seek social support
Share your goals with friends or family who can offer support and accountability. If possible, find a community or group of people who are also practicing proper dopamine fasting for motivation and encouragement.
7. Evaluate and adjust regularly
Track your progress and take time to reflect on how the changes affect your mood, productivity, and overall wellbeing. Adjust your strategies as you find what works best for you.
💙 Practice keeping a Mindfulness Journal to record your thoughts and feelings as you move through this readjustment period.
The importance of mindfulness for dopamine fasting
Mindfulness can help increase the effectiveness of dopamine fasting as you cultivate a deeper awareness and appreciation for life's simpler pleasures. To bring mindfulness into your dopamine fasting practice, start with simple exercises like mindful breathing or guided meditations. Regular practice, even for a few minutes a day, can help you engage with dopamine fasting effectively, which can help make life more fulfilling.
Enhancing self-awareness: Mindfulness can heighten self-awareness, allowing you to observe your thoughts and behaviors without judgment. This can help you recognize urges for high-dopamine activities and understand the emotions or situations triggering these desires.
Improving impulse control: Regular mindfulness practice can strengthen your ability to regulate emotions and control impulses. By becoming more mindful, you can pause and choose how to respond to urges, rather than acting on them automatically. This can help break the cycle of compulsive behaviors.
Facilitating emotional regulation: Mindfulness can help manage and process emotions more effectively. During dopamine fasting, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like boredom or anxiety, previously masked by high-dopamine activities, so mindfulness allows you to sit with these feelings, understand them, and respond to them in healthier ways.
Promoting gratitude and contentment: Mindfulness can encourage a state of gratitude. This can help shift your perspective from craving external stimulation to appreciating what’s currently present. This change can help rewire the brain to find joy in more fulfilling activities.
Supporting sustainable behavior change: By creating space between stimulus and response, mindfulness can help give you the freedom to choose how you react. This means your choices can become more aligned with your long-term goals, rather than feeding immediate gratification.
Deepening connection with others and the environment: Reducing screen time and other stimulating activities can open opportunities to connect more deeply with others and the environment. Mindfulness can enhance these interactions, making them richer and more satisfying, which can help you build lasting, meaningful relationships.
Dopamine fasting FAQs
What exactly does dopamine fasting involve?
Dopamine fasting involves temporarily reducing exposure to activities thought to cause significant dopamine release, with the aim of resetting the brain's reward system. This doesn’t mean cutting out all sources of pleasure but selectively avoiding behaviors that lead to compulsive engagement and overstimulation.
Common behaviors to avoid include time spent on social media, online shopping sprees, consumption of highly processed foods, and binge-watching television. The idea is to create a healthier balance and greater self-control over these behaviors.
Can dopamine fasting improve mental health?
While dopamine fasting isn’t a cure for mental health conditions, nurturing healthier habits can contribute to better mental health. By managing the overstimulation of dopamine receptors, you may experience improved focus, decreased impulsivity, and enhanced emotional regulation. These can lead to a more balanced mood and overall wellbeing. However, dopamine fasting is best used as a supplement to other mental health treatments, not as a standalone solution.
Is there scientific evidence supporting dopamine fasting?
The scientific basis for dopamine fasting is mixed. The idea of reducing exposure to overstimulating activities is grounded in behavioral psychology principles, but "dopamine fasting" and its claimed effects on dopamine receptor sensitivity aren’t widely supported by robust scientific research — and there are plenty of misconceptions about the theory. However, many experts agree that practices aimed at reducing compulsive behavior patterns and increasing mindfulness can have benefits for mental health and wellbeing.
How often should someone engage in dopamine fasting?
The frequency of dopamine fasting can vary depending on individual needs and lifestyles. Some people might find it beneficial to engage in short periods of fasting regularly, such as dedicating certain hours each day away from digital devices or having specific days of the week where they reduce high-dopamine activities.
Others may choose longer breaks — perhaps a week — from specific behaviors every few months. The key is to tailor the approach to fit your personal goals, ensuring it feels sustainable and beneficial rather than restrictive.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
Images: Getty
