Dopamine Detox : A Short Guide to Remove Distractions and Train Your Brain to Do Hard Things (Productivity Series Book 1)

by Thibaut Meurisse

Instead of working on your goal first thing in the morning, you end up checking your emails, looking at your stock portfolio, or scrolling your Facebook newsfeed instead.

dopamine is not a pleasure chemical.

as soon as you obtain the expected reward, you’ll often feel empty and unfulfilled.

the more our environment or actions trigger the release of dopamine, the more we’ll want our next “shot” of dopamine. In fact, this self-reinforcing mechanism is also how many addictions work.

as we reduce our exposure to stimulating activities, we will naturally increase our focus and boost our productivity levels.

one of the best predictors of success is the ability to think long term.

“ability to think several years into the future while making decisions in the present.”

we must rewire our brain to focus on the long term, which starts by removing social media apps from our phones. In his words, such apps, “wire your brain for super-fast feedback.”

in this frenetic race, we forget one of the most important values of all: patience.

you must regain control of your attention and rewire your brain to focus on the long term.

long-term thinking is the “secret” to achieving your goals.

Overstimulated, you find yourself unable to do the difficult things that would have the greatest positive impact on your life and on the lives of people around you.

let’s go over four tricks your mind plays on you to keep you overstimulated.

Awareness will help as you start to work on lowering your level of stimulation and becoming more focused on your goals.

Trick #1—My mind convinces me going back to work is easy. Trick #2—My mind tells me I can do it later. Trick #3—My mind makes me believe that excitement is similar to fulfillment. Trick #4—My mind tells me opportunities are limited.

when you’re overstimulated, you simply need more external stimuli for the same amount of dopamine to be released.

remove the following things from your life for 48 hours: Drug/alcohol consumption, Exercising, Internet, Movies, Music (except perhaps for relaxation music), Phone, Social media, Sugar/processed foods, and Video games.

Going for a contemplative walk, Journaling, Meditating/relaxing, Practicing awareness exercises, Reading (except stimulating read perhaps), and Stretching exercises.

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.

start your day with a low level of stimulation.

If you have any problems or worries, write them down alongside potential solutions. Just putting your thoughts on paper can help you declutter your mind and gain clarity. This is because it’s difficult to address thoughts that stay in your mind. You tend to ruminate on them.

Being busy enables us to avoid having to face unpleasant feelings and scary truths about ourselves. Thus, if you notice certain disempowering thoughts or underlying fears, write them down too.

identify your key task and tackle it first thing in the morning—and do this consistently.

The key to productivity can be summarized in three words: Focus, Consistency, and Impact.

Try to select a trigger that will help calm your mind. When you are relaxed, you’ll find it easier to begin work.

Once you finally close Facebook, you might find yourself so stimulated, you’ll struggle to begin work.

Remember, what you do first thing in the morning matters far more than you think.

To prevent overstimulation, cultivate the “here-and-now” neurotransmitters, which include endorphin, oxytocin, or serotonin. These neurotransmitters are the opposite of dopamine neurotransmitters in that they make you feel calmer and more present.

Practicing doing nothing is a good way to lower your level of stimulation.