We all watch a motivational video or read a motivational article whenever we have to do something we don’t want to do, but that is not a permanent solution.
In this article, I’m gonna explain how to motivate yourself to do hard things not by giving you some motivational speeches or showing you a motivational video, But by making you understand the science behind motivation.
You need the understand the reason behind why you don’t feel like doing the things which are necessary like exercising, eating clean, studying, working, etc.
Ever wonder, when you have a choice of choosing between scrolling through social media or studying, why your brain is excited about social media and not studying? Or when you’ve to choose between eating vegetables and healthy food or eating fast food, why your brain is excited about fast food and not healthy food?
The answer to these questions lies in a neurotransmitter in your brain called Dopamine.
What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made in the brain. It acts as a messenger between neurons.
Dopamine is released when your brain is expecting a reward. It also excites and motivates you to do a task.
When you come to associate a certain activity with pleasure, mere anticipation may be enough to raise dopamine levels. It could be food, sex, watching porn, alcohol, or anything you enjoy.
Dopamine is also known as the “feel-good” chemical. It gives you pleasure. The higher the dopamine released in your brain while doing an activity, the more pleasurable it feels.
Scrolling through social media releases more dopamine in your brain than studying. That’s why you enjoy it more than studying.
Similarly, chocolate or fast food releases much more dopamine in your brain than healthy food. That’s why you feel joy and excitement on seeing or smelling delicious food, but not on seeing salad or healthy food. That’s why people prefer fast foods over healthy foods.
Different activities release a different amount of dopamine in your brain. The higher the dopamine released by an activity, the more likely you’re to do it and the more pleasure you feel while doing it.
As you can see in the chart above that food, video game, and sex release 150%,175%, and 200% more dopamine than the baseline/normal level(Keeping baseline at 100%).
Whenever you are about to eat delicious food, play a video game or have sex, you are excited and happy because the thoughts of doing those activities release a huge amount of dopamine in your brain. That’s why you are motivated to do those things.
Food, video game, sex, and cocaine are rewards and your brain knows that those things feel good. That’s why to motivate you to do those things it releases more amount of dopamine than it releases at the thought of studying or working because your brain also knows that those are not so pleasurable activities.
The more enjoyable an activity is to you, the more dopamine your brain releases at the thought of doing it and the more motivated you are for doing it.
Desensitisation of Dopamine Receptors
Every time your brain releases dopamine, your dopamine receptors get a little desensitized and will now need more amount of dopamine to give you the same pleasure as before.
That’s why the last bite of ice cream or your favorite food doesn’t feel as good as the first bite because your dopamine receptors became desensitize to dopamine released by the first bite and will now need more amount of dopamine to give you the same pleasure as the first bite. You’ll now need to eat tastier food to give you the same level of pleasure as the first bite of ice cream.
Also, that’s the reason while watching porn, people keep searching for more extreme and hardcore porn to keep feeling pleasure. After watching porn of one category, it no longer excites them because their dopamine receptors have become desensitized to the dopamine released by it. Now, they’ll need to watch relatively extreme and hardcore porn in order to get more dopamine and keep feeling pleasure as before.
To know more about the harmful side-effects of porn, CLICK HERE.
That high level of dopamine becomes the new normal and you’ll need even more amount of dopamine to feel pleasure.
Activities like studying, working, cleaning, building a side business don’t provide you with the same level of dopamine as scrolling through social media, watching porn, masturbating, or eating junk food. That’s why you don’t feel like doing them.
What’s the Answer?
The answer lies in making your dopamine receptors sensitive again by doing a Dopamine detox.
As the name suggests, you’re gonna have to give up everything and every activity that releases dopamine so your dopamine receptors can become sensitive again.
Dont’s
- Internet
- Mobile
- Computer
- Music
- Social Media
- Fast food
- Porn
- Masturbation
- Sex
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Cigarette
- Sugar
- Sweetened beverages
- Shopping
- Going to the theatre
Do’s
- Going for a walk
- Meditating
- Exercising
- Writing in a journal
- Eating healthy food
- Studying/Working
By depriving yourself of all the high dopamine releasing activities, your dopamine receptors will become sensitive and you’ll start enjoying low dopamine-releasing activities.
For How Long You Should Do it?
If you’ve never done a dopamine detox before, start with doing it for 1 day. Notice the results and if you find good results, then do it for 2 days and then for a week.
If you’re highly addicted to mobile, social media, porn, masturbation, fast food, I’d suggest doing it for a week.
Also, don’t just do it once. We are surrounded by high dopamine-releasing things and activities. So, make a habit of doing it for 1 day every week.
Benefits of Dopamine Detox
You’ll feel the following benefits after doing a dopamine detox/fasting.
- More motivation level
- More willing to do hard things
- Better focus/concentration
- Better Self-control
- Enjoying little things
- Finding pleasure in small things
- No urges to check social media notification while studying/working
- Enjoying low dopamine activities like studying, working etc
Conclusion
Instead of watching motivational videos or listening to motivational speeches, try doing a dopamine detox. It’s a more permanent and effective way to motivate yourself to do the hard things which are necessary.
In short, the goal with dopamine fasting/detox is to become so bored that boring activities become interesting.
