Dopamine Fast Diary – Part 2
Reflection & Re-entry after a 48 hour fast...
After reading Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, I went on a 48 hours dopamine fast. You can see my Day 1 thoughts here.
Day 2 – Reflection and Re-entry
After a full day of my dopamine fast, I identified some feelings that triggered this dopamine-chasing tendency. For me, it is a mixed feeling of anxiety and restlessness. And these feelings are often related to my concerns for my aging parents. I noticed that whenever I started thinking of my parents, I find myself reaching for my phone... to distract myself from the onset of negative feelings.
I also became aware of other ways I have been "dopamine chasing." There are many things we do that we derive pleasure and meaning... and these all give us that satisfaction. But it's perhaps in the degree in which we indulge?
For example, it is fine to enjoy a fine meal or ice cream, but when we rage-eat, or cope through eating, that normal function becomes a problem. Since I was "dopamine fasting," I was more sensitive about my motives. It was quite sobering to see how my "habits" were actually related to a deeper sense of anxiety. And that's also why I often forget how much time has passed when I'm just scrolling through videos.
This made me think differently about how I set my boundaries. It's not so much about stopping a specific activity. Rather, it's to be more observant about my motives and triggers. Also, this helps me understand when I just need to push that "pause" button.
And it became very obvious the root cause of my compulsive behavior was about how I dealt with the feeling of anxiety and fears. I used to regularly meditate and pray to manage these negative feelings, but I've been out of practice in the last few months. This also explained why I've been so irritable, and easily angered recently. It's probably time to get back to doing some of these practices. It'll make life easier for me and everyone around me.
After finishing my 48 hours of dopamine fast, I slowly eased into my old routine with some new insights. Looking back, it really wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. Ironically, I felt much more at ease and less irritable after this exercise. Just like a physical fast often flushed out toxins in the body, dopamine fast flushed out much of my emotional toxins too. The process was much easier than I expected, and I regained emotional balance and spiritual clarity. It was definitely worth it. If you’re also looking for a spiritual or emotional “reset,” I highly recommend reading “Dopamine Nation,” and trying a dopamine fast for yourself.
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