Finding the Balance of Dopamine in the Modern World

“Just one more video then I will go to sleep.” “five more minutes of Youtube and then I will get back to work.” “I should stop drinking caffeine…tomorrow.” If you are like me, you might have told yourself a variation of one of these phrases throughout the years. Or all of them. Developed nations that have simple and easy access to addictive products ie… the world wide web, caffeine, sugar, nicotine, etc. Tend to have an issue with finding a balance. I mean if I were to tell you that if you press this bright red button on the wall of your bedroom, you would instantly become 10 times happier for 5 minutes, you and I would be spamming it together. But what if the repercussions of spamming this magical button were only seen in the long term, or maybe misdiagnosed altogether? I’m sure most other things in your life would become dull over time. Even the good stuff like “bedroom time” wouldn’t feel the same. Depending on the frequency (are you pressing it every 10 minutes or waiting when you need it after a few days) you will find the adverse effects far outweigh the 10 minutes of joy.

Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash

Currently, most modern countries live in a world where there are giant red buttons all around us, some, like our phones, are even closer than the magical one on the wall of our room. Some are harder to find, and others consume our lives, sometimes without us even realizing it. I mean, when was the last time you went somewhere without your phone? What about a day? Or a week? Believe it or not, there was a time when they did not exist. It’s a total luxury, but one that few are willing to sacrifice. Let’s face it, we are in love with our phones more than ever, and even if you could toss them away for a week, who would want to? Our lives would feel weird, empty, and change without it. What is this “addiction” doing to us?

Despite how much I might want to be one on certain days. I am no doctor. No scientist or anything close. But I am an observer of not only the issues of the world but my own as well. What I am getting at is this article isn’t designed to go into how social media has influenced the average attention span of humans over the last decade, or how I think we should solve the worldwide opioid epidemic. I am here to tell you what I like to do to bring my dopamine levels back to normal, Keep my mind “on its toes.” And learn to find…