[Text] If you struggle with focus and often procrastinate, read this.

[u/scaramouche123]

Chasing cheap dopamine is the worst addiction to mankind.

Dopamine makes you crave the feeling you get from;

• Sex
• Porn
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Fast food
• Social media
• Watch movies
• Video games

Here's how you put end to this...

1. Do dopamine detox

Take some time off from triggers and do this:

• Go on a walk
• Listen to music
• Do fun activities like dancing, painting, and ping-pong.
• Hang out with friends

Do activities that will have your mind and body engaged.

1. Get enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation makes you lose;

• Motivation
• Focus
• Energy

This makes you hunt what brings you back to life.

To break this cycle, get 7 hours of sleep every day.

1. Prioritize workout

Workout is a therapy to your mind and body.

If you work out, you

• Ease stress
• Fight depression
• Alleviate anxiety
• Boost your mood
• Improve mental strength

This'll help you balance your dopamine levels.

1. Eat clean

Balance your diet, but make your meal 70% protein

Take in lot of;

• Eggs
• Veges
• Fruits
• Lean meat

This'll help you minimize food cravings.

If you can't regulate, then cut out;

• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Too much caffeine

1. Get enough sunlight.

Expose yourself to sunlight to trigger the release of serotonin

It's a hormone that makes you feel;

• Relaxed
• Focus better
• Boost your mood

Spend 15 minutes from your schedule and sun bask.

Anything you would add?

[u/thepixelbuster]

Everything on this list is fantastic advice, and I can personally attest to most of it myself.

But listen, if you're always struggling with a lot of these things, you also might want to get assessed by a psychiatrist to see if you have ADHD.

I spent 20+ years suffering, trying every motivational strategy and life hack and whatever else while my whole life was shaped by the effects ADHD, and the entire time I was shamed and berated by others and by myself

...And then I went to a psychiatrist who (after a series of less effective meds) gave me just 5mg of Adderall and my entire fucking life flipped right side up.

Some of you may just need to cut caffeine or limit your phone time, and some of you might have a debilitating disorder due to the way your brain developed and it'll look almost exactly the same to people from the outside. ADHD can look exactly like what this post is describing, it's not just that little boy who can't sit still.

Don't listen to the people who muddy the water by trying to shame you for wanting help. People do not experience life the same way and assume their life is the standard, objective truth. It's not.

If you're really suffering, please look into it. It's crazy how fast you can turn into the person you're always failing to be when you stop assuming it's entirely your choice.

[u/ChiiquitaBanana → u/thepixelbuster]

Exactly. Posts like this are great for neurotypical people because it can genuinely work, but if you have ADHD these things will not solve your issues. In fact it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to even commit to any of these things over a long period of time because of your adhd. If you are conscious of the fact you want to try these simple things but you find yourself unable to do so and you feel guilty about it, definitely investigate adhd or talk with a therapist.

[u/authenticgarbagecan → u/ChiiquitaBanana]

Thank you, I was just beginning to wonder as I read, because I've done everything "right" but I still can't get my shit together

[u/notthatkindofdoctorb → u/thepixelbuster]

I was finally formally diagnosed with ADD at 49. I had suspected it for awhile but was worried people would think I was making excuses or jumping on a TikTok trend. But suddenly it made sense to me that so many of my problems in school were due to forgetting assignments and making “careless” errors. I still managed to do well in school but when I developed anxiety in my 40s, it became overwhelming to keep up on things. The meds made a huge difference. These habit changing suggestions are still helpful but thank you for pointing out that it’s not so straightforward for everyone and making it seem so can add to the shame we already feel at not being organized and “productive.”

ETA: the change for me wasn’t a stimulant effect from the meds. One reason I had avoided them was because I have sleep issues. It does not feel like a stimulant at all in terms of energy or alertness (I wouldn’t mind if it did though). It was more like the quieting of the constant background noise in my brain.

[u/Guilty-Company-9755 → u/thepixelbuster]

Thank you for saying this

[u/Acinixys → u/thepixelbuster]

I should 100% be on meds for my ADHD/ADD , but I'm 1. High functioning and 2. Don't care enough to go see a doc about it and 3. Hate taking meds

So fuck me I guess

[u/KindEquipment7796 → u/Acinixys]

I had the same thing happen to me. I bashed my way through a PhD at an Ivy. When I finally got diagnosed, the psych said that I had been "high functioning" by working like a maniac and exhausting myself. I take meds though I don't like to, and the difference is worth it.

[u/RockstarAgent → u/thepixelbuster]

Is the psychiatrist the first step? I need help for sure. Just don't want to do apps - but not sure where to start and to find something reasonably priced since I have no insurance.

[u/thepixelbuster → u/RockstarAgent]

A psychiatrist is the direct answer because they specialize in medicine and treatment for disorders like ADHD.

In some cases, general practitioners can help as well, but at least in the US, the laws around stimulant meds are so strict that many of them won't take ADHD patients.

One of the things you may deal with when you have ADHD is executive dysfunction. Its one of the things that makes it so debilitating in the first place. If you have historically had trouble with similar issues, I'd strongly recommend asking for help. It took me like 4 years to finally get on insurance, and yet within a few months of living with my now wife she had me in front of a doctor getting diagnosed.

[u/CovinaCryptid → u/thepixelbuster]

I have had the hardest time getting meds. I was on them for years but recently it's been impossible

[u/jjpearson → u/CovinaCryptid]

That’s me as well. It’s so cruel the hoops you have to jump through.

In my case I had to set an appointment every month (could only get 30 day scripts) and could only fill them in a set 3 day window (not too early, not too late).

Then the stock issues happened. I literally had a list of the nearest 100 pharmacies with the phone tree shortcuts on my desk at work.

I would sometimes have to call over a dozen places to find one that had it in stock. One time I had to drive over 90 minutes to get it filled.

Needless to say I’m not on it anymore.

[u/BockClocked1 → u/thepixelbuster]

The wait list for adult adhd testing in the UK is roughly 5 years. NHS on its knees.

[u/justjessg → u/thepixelbuster]

If you are conscious of the fact you want to try these simple things but you find yourself unable to do so and you feel guilty about it, definitely investigate adhd or talk with a therapist.

This is exactly how I feel!

But my problem is this: I'm afraid to bring up any of this to my psychiatrist (I already see one because I have panic disorder that I take an SSRI for; and, in addition, I think I may have been misdiagnosed with depressive disorder - that I believe ADHD is a much more accurate diagnosis of) for fear that they may just see me bringing it up as drug-seeking-behavior or something. In other words, I really do believe a medication like Adderall could vastly improve my life, but I'm worried that by me being the one to bring it up to my doctor, they may believe I'm just trying to find a way to get drugs to get high or something.

Truth be told, I have tried a friend's Rx of Adderall before, and not only was I finally able to find the motivation to do things (just basic things like laundry, going through the mail, and personal grooming-type stuff), I actually showed up to work ON TIME (something I had been SERIOUSLY struggling with for a LONG time). I had finally found what I believe I had been searching for all along: through all of the antidepressants my psychiatrist had me on, none of which seeming to quite fix the problem.

TL;DR: After trying Adderall, I finally, after so many years of psychiatric meditation trial and error, at long last felt healthy and "normal"; but I'm afraid telling my psychiatrist this may be preceived as me just trying to find a way to get drugs to get high (instead of my true motivation to improve my quality of life).

Edit: spelling & grammatical errors

[u/goldplatedboobs → u/thepixelbuster]

Can you explain how the Adderall affects you?

[u/thepixelbuster → u/goldplatedboobs]

It has a calming effect and regulates my sleep cycle. I should mention that I have not been able to regulate my sleep since I was about 13 until last year, now in my 30s. That was probably the single most punishing factor in my life and it shaped my career, relationships etc. Then 1-2 weeks on adderall and I've been on a normal sleep cycle for a full year now. I still worry its going to crash, but it hasn't yet.

Other effects: I have impulses but I don't act on them, and my desire for quick dopamine hits like video games and fast food or junk food plummets so I've reclaimed massive amounts of time and a lot of factors in my personal health. I can hold conversations while looking people in the eyes and I don't finish their sentences out of impatience.

I shared this recently elsewhere, but my wife cried the first time I took it because she said it was the first time since she met me that she felt like I was fully present in the room with her. You can imagine what it must feel like to have someone you love "wake up" for the first time and look you in the eyes.

It's been life changing and I don't feel like I'm exaggerating in the least.

[u/goldplatedboobs → u/thepixelbuster]

Can you explain how your sleep cycles are fucked without it?

Very much appreciate your answer as I am strongly suspicious of having it.

[u/thepixelbuster → u/goldplatedboobs]

I used to joke that I was on "Mars Time."

A normal day for most people is something like 16 awake 8 asleep. For me It was more like 20-6, then 18-10, then 14-3-4-7. And I don't mean over time like years, I mean in a week or month.

And being physically tired had nothing to do with it (as most people think when I talk about this). I used to work 12 hour shifts at a factory. I would be falling asleep on the drive there, through out parts of the day, and on the drive home, but as soon as I was near things I'm like to do, I could not force myself to sleep within the next 8 or so hours. Isolation from technology didn't help either as I'm the inattentive type of ADHD so I'd just have really vivid daydreams for hours until I finally passed out hours before my shift.

That sort of struggle went on for years while I tried everything short medical intervention (I live in the US so inconsistent or self-employment does not help you get medical coverage). When my wife first started staying with me, I would slowly cycle through my sleep hours until for a week or two we were awake at the same time for most of the day, then I'd cycle away like the phases of the moon.

[u/Darkwind28]

I'd add that this isn't so much about a dopamine detox (a bit of a buzzword recently) as much as regulating where your dopamine releases come from, and the quality of those activities.

Listening to music and exercise both release dopamine, much like eating junk food or smoking. But the former are just much better for you in other ways, plus the dopamine release actually requires some attention and work from you, preventing the creation of quick, strong, negative habits. You steer away from the easy dopamine fixes and towards ones that have a chance to improve your wellbeing in some way (also acting on serotonin release).

Oh and definitely cut social media of any kind - doom scrolling is the definition of cognitive fast food

[u/jonmgon → u/Darkwind28]

“Cognitive fast food”. I like that. Cheers

[u/CAPTIVE_AMIGA]

• Away from mass media (Generalistic TV in general, News)

• Away from toxic relations (friends, family members)

[u/duffeldorf]

Yeah I'll read through this in a bit

[u/Lurker-O-Reddit → u/duffeldorf]

Beat me to the joke. Upvote.

[u/BigBunion]

Dopamine Detox = Practice Self Discipline.

Whatever you want to call it, it's critical for a happy life.

[u/shuahaha_12]

For all these self discipline is the key. You need discipline more than motivation

[u/jeepers101]

70% protein? You’re making this shit up my dude.

[u/saka-rauka1 → u/jeepers101]

Not even pro bodybuilders like Cbum eat that much protein lmao.

[u/Direct_Bus3341]

This is a good generalist approach to good habits and most of these will work for most people. Why nitpick about whether is a dopamine detox or pathway reconstruction? And 7 hours of sleep is a guideline. Some need nine some need six. It’s sort of assumed that the reader will adjust for their preferences of diet, exercise, and so on. If you’re a quadriplegic vegan on hypnotics then obviously you’re an outlier and should adjust for yourself.

Anyway, a meditation app is some of the best wellness money I ever spent. If money is tight, look into some free podcasts or YouTube videos.

[u/PotheadProphet → u/Direct_Bus3341]

Got a rec on a good app to start out?

[u/Direct_Bus3341 → u/PotheadProphet]

Headspace is what I use. The free version is quite good too. Off the top of my head, Tara Brach, Ten Percent Happier, and Nothing Much Happens are my favourite podcasts.

[u/Fit-Refrigerator4107]

I stopped reading at your dopamine detox BS. You'll get dopamine from dancing and exercise and other "fun" activities.

[u/Smartnership → u/Fit-Refrigerator4107]

You get calories from salad or Twinkies.

[u/Szriko → u/Fit-Refrigerator4107]

But don't you get it? dopamine BAD because BAD things cause it. That's why you should never have that evil MSG, but it's cool to eat tomatos and cheese and meat.

[u/The_Lantean]

Sorry to say, but this reads like AI-generated garbage. It's awfully generic advice that most people here have read a thousand times - it honestly brings nothing new.

[u/WTSGirlFat → u/The_Lantean]

It's also formatted like ChatGPT just spit it out for them. It's the same life advice AI gives me when I want a computer to tell me how to be a better human.

[u/TheRealTengri → u/WTSGirlFat]

And also look at the numbering. They all start with 1.

[u/The_Lantean → u/WTSGirlFat]

Hahah, precisely! :)

[u/faster_grenth → u/The_Lantean]

to each their own, but it's one of only a few reddit posts I have ever saved

it's okay that none of it is new - the basics are really important and worth repeating

side note - my experience has been that wanting to believe my life will improve due to some new life hack or new concept for motivation and self-improvement is just another way that I seek a cheap dopamine hit. I read it and think about how happy I'm going to be with this new approach and then everything goes back the way it was.

[u/Frozenlime → u/The_Lantean]

It's excellent advice. Your response to it is garbage. Unearned pleasure reduces people's ability to experience joy from everyday activities.

[u/The_Lantean → u/Frozenlime]

I understand my reply may be considered harsh, but the goal of my reply isn’t to inform, just to express my opinion. In that sense, I wouldn’t call it garbage, but that can definitely can be your opinion.

If you want a deeper insight into that opinion, it isn’t that the ultimate advice isn’t good - it’s that it’s generic and unoriginal. It’s a list of bullet points (which are interestingly all numbered « 1 ») of advice that you could give anyone in any situation, even though it claims to be the key to an unproven process (« dopamine detox ») that would somehow help you fix procrastination. It doesn’t even try to make sense of why the pursuit of these dopaminergic activities would indeed lead to procrastination. It just dishes out this advice it does not contextualise. It also completely disregards the fact that procrastination can be a symptom of deeper and challenging problems like depression that can be independent of addictive, dopaminergic activities, or which won’t go away just because you avoid those activities/habits.

But all in all, sure, at the very least it aligns with a healthy lifestyle and it’s not harmful.

[u/s7mbre → u/The_Lantean]

Weird that people disagree with what you said, if you check the account you can see that all it does is post these long texts posts just to advertise the exact same website under every post. It's just a funnel to their website

[u/Szriko → u/Frozenlime]

The advice is terrible, what are you talking about? "Eat so you're not hungry, sleep so you're not tired, and get physical exercise."

What next? People die when they are killed?

[u/Frozenlime → u/Szriko]

That's not the full advice given.

[u/Philton1337]

Meditation: helps you clear your mind and release serotonin which makes you less stressed.

[u/KDX-125]

Also a reminder that perfection is the enemy of progress. Give yourself grace to pursue new habits while not being 100% compliant. You got this.

[u/CliffMcFitzsimmons]

Wait, all I have to do to cure myself if ADHD is eat well, exercise, and go outside? Amazing!

[u/Swankytiger86]

When I was a kid, I have limited TV screen time(<1hr per day), no social media and have zero interest in news. It was SO great! I can engross in reading novel for 3-5 hours straight without stopping. Now I can’t even focus on watching a video clip for longer than 5 mins.

[u/fenexj]

don't doom scroll last thing at night or first thing in the morning

[u/parliskim]

I am 58 f and think I have adhd. I mentioned it to my doctor and they blew me off. Do you think it’s worth it for me to push to get tested?

[u/jimmycollinsjr]

and the cheapest dopamine of all? vaping. can really fuck your dopamine baselines and wipe out all motivation. but im seeing a lot of people fall into it.

[u/Nice-Confidence-9873]

Nah, I’m gonna raw dog and stare at the wall for 8 hours

[u/yourself88xbl]

Some dopamine responses are variable based on the person's relationship with the activity like reading and working out so you will actually get more substantial responses out of them as you rely on them more and the quick fixes less.

[u/Mortimer1000]

im in this picture and i dont like it

[u/MasterAce16]

I too am an Andrew Huberman fan.

[u/MaxMasterfoot]

To the last point I would add that it's important to expose yourself to nature. Forest bathing is a thing for a reason.

[u/Smartnership → u/[deleted]]

bad dopamine

Probably when the source is used to avoid or procrastinate positive progress tasks.

Things that are categorized as “bad dopamine” would be analogous to getting calories from snack foods that substitute for balanced, planned, healthy meals.

[u/insaiyan17]

This isnt universal or a one size fits all. Optimal diet, sleep etc varies a lot individually

Also think if you procrastinate a lot its important to mention incrementally changing habits, not suddenly doing everything right lol

[u/Moayed_the_moha]

Everything is great but 7 hours of sleep is not enough i think 8-9 is better ✅

[u/TonyVstar]

I'll be telling myself to do these things and it's like I'm just watching my body load up my bong and take a rip

Solid advice though! I'm making progress day by day

[u/DTO69]

The hell are you talking about, exercise releases dopamine as well. You sound like a cheap add, only thing missing is eat more veggies and think happy thoughts ♥️

[u/jjamesyo]

Why is every point 1. ?

[u/Bike-1]

Maybe later

[u/Emergency-Apricot700]

It’s all well and good but if you suffer from anxiety and depression all this things are virtually impossible to do

[u/idobutidontno]

Nah ill read it later.

[u/Shades228]

RemindMe! 1 year

[u/andrewg702]

TLDR

[u/KeepingItSFW]

meh. I’ll read it later

[u/JoeyJoJo_the_first]

No joke, I saw the title and thought "I should check this out. I'll do it later".

[u/bj2183]

There's nothing wrong with fatty meat

[u/KindCommunication445]

This really helps, I've been in the dopamine detox period for over a week now. I've seen tremendous changes. I would recommend everyone of you to do this once in a while.

[u/sweet-girl-rose]

dopamine detox has been the most impactful thing for me

[u/CharacterThen5915]

I read Dr Anna dopamine nation and i made video about it, watch https://youtu.be/MRU0YjUhwS4?si=OrxHZmKiTZdRN1J1

[u/Ruby_Cutie_Xo]

This is the best thing I have read on this page in a LONG time! Seriously incredible advice!

Thank You!

[u/Litness_Horneymaker]

7 hours sleep?
More like 8h minimum.

[u/Wiserommer → u/Litness_Horneymaker]

I find this utterly pointless; People have different sleep patterns that work for them. I sleep about 6 hours myself and feel good.

[u/scaramouche123]

Taken from here: https://attentionmaster.beehiiv.com/

[u/Suntzu6656]

Some good advice

[u/YourSuperiorAngel]

I started learning a new language and its been so good for my mental health! Its feels like I'm discovering a new world and just being infatuated with the things around me as I try translate them!!