Dopamine detox

Sleep problems, difficulty falling asleep, feeling tired just after waking up, irritability, lack of concentration and motivation, frequent irritability - do you know this from your own experience? If you are looking for a way to improve your quality of life in these aspects you are in the right place. The solution to your problems may be a dopamine detox, i.e. a restriction of substances and situations that cause a sudden increase in dopamine concentration in the blood and thus lead to the depletion of its reserves in your body. Among the substances that cause an imbalance of the dopamine system, coffee, sweets and alcohol are the most commonly mentioned. Remember, however, that certain situations can also cause perturbations in this field - this can include addiction to social media likes or pornography.

Since your problems are caused by a lack of dopamine, you may be wondering what you can do to rebuild your dopamine supply. In the first instance, take care of:
 

• diet rich in the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, preferably one with a lot of high-quality protein - mainly animal protein (plant protein will also work, but you need much more of it than animal protein,

• a good night's sleep - it is at night that dopamine is produced in the greatest quantities. Regular times to go to bed and wake up and an adequate length of sleep will certainly help.

• a large amount of low-intensity physical activity, which will significantly help to reduce stress.

Remember that it takes time to rebuild dopamine stores, so don't be discouraged by the initial lack of results.

How do you start a dopamine detox? First of all, think about what factor you have the biggest problem with - you can start by excluding it first. If you don't like half-measures, give up right away all substances and situations that unnecessarily use up your dopamine.

Whether you favor gradual or sudden action, remember that each solution has its advantages and disadvantages.
 

• Sudden withdrawal may cause withdrawal syndrome for a few days, but you will notice the effects sooner.

• Gradual withdrawal from single substances or situations will ensure that you don't experience a sudden deterioration in mood and well-being, but the effects will come much more slowly.

It is also worth noting that the body does not like imbalance. It is therefore good to replace something unhealthy with something healthy. E.g. sweets with nuts, coffee with water and lemon or tea. In this way, the changes you make to your lifestyle will be adopted with greater ease and will stay with you for longer.