If you've been looking to clear your mind and improve productivity, you might've come across something called "dopamine fasting".
Interesting.
But there’s more hype than substance to this fad. So let’s dig beneath the catchphrase and see how it really works.
The concept behind “dopamine fasting” is to avoid anything that may cause your brain to release dopamine—the neurotransmitter released when you expect to experience a reward.
But here’s the thing.
You can’t really “fast” from a naturally occurring brain chemical.
Extreme practitioners of the trendy “dopamine fast” also encourage you to avoid any stimulation as part of the “fast,” including making eye contact with people.
This sounds like a recipe for failure.
But dopamine fasting (the real one, not the one trending on the Internet) didn’t start as another movement in the wellness space.
When dopamine fasting was introduced by California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah, its roots were in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The main objective was to free you from the unhealthy tech-heavy stimuli that set off a short-lived reaction in your brain. You know, the ever-present beeps and dings alerting you to texts, notifications, emails—all the incoming stuff that pulls your attention in a different direction.
The hope after each fast is that you walk away with a better handle on compulsive behaviors like automatically checking your phone. And start running your life instead of letting interruptions distract your ability to get “work” done. (Sounds pretty valuable, right?)
The concepts behind Sepah’s dopamine fasting aren’t entirely new, either. Religious fasts have encouraged similar ideas to help devoted followers disconnect from external distractions and reconnect with what’s important. Sepah's studies are just more science-based.
And chances are you’ll probably read about similar ideas in the future under a different name. But before you jump on the next productivity fad (or the next and the next), take a good look and review:
1. The research and science behind it
2. If it makes sense for you
More importantly, don’t be distracted by “new ideas” packaged as guru wellness techniques.
Instead, take in what’s valuable to your time and disregard the rest.
So focus on what you want to accomplish and find the best way to get there!
And no, sitting alone in a room for a week and avoiding eye contact with people is not the key.
To Your Success, Paul Hanson | 
