The Mel Robbins Podcast - "The Science of Self Control: Find Motivation, Build Willpower, and Increase Your Focus"

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-self-control-find-motivation/id1646101002?i=1000746065146

I’ve recently been fascinated by the study of dopamine and the role it plays in our lives as humans in a world dominated by technology. I listened to the Mel Robbins Podcast titled "The Science of Self Control: Find Motivation, Build Willpower, and Increase Your Focus" where world renowned Dr. Anna Lembke guides us through how to escape the ‘vortex of compulsive overconsumption’ through the foundational understanding of dopamine.

For a general scientific understanding of dopamine, it is a neurotransmitter that acts like a bridge between neurons and is in charge of our pleasure, reward, and motivation. The more dopamine and faster it is released in our bodies, the more likely the substance/behavior is to be reinforced. For example, the TikTok algorithm learns our interests and feeds us short videos of what it thinks we like. Each video is a new mystery that is intentionally being fed to us knowing that our brains are wired to crave uncertainty with just a little bit of control (our ability to scroll and prepare for a video we will enjoy). 

Dr. Lembke uses a great analogy of the pleasure/pain balance as a seesaw where our brains want to remain in homeostasis/leveled. However, continuous exposure to a substance/behavior means that the initial experience over time will gradually lose strength. This is the buildup of tolerance where we have changed the set point of the pleasure pain balance and it is tilted towards one side. This leads to what Dr. Lembke describes a ‘chronic dopamine deficit’ due to the adaptation in gradually increasing the initial dopamine firing. At this point, there is a need to return dopamine to its baseline state because the seesaw is completely off balance. 

So, how do we return to the leveled seesaw? How do we undergo a dopamine reset? It really is a time game that makes it a struggle for most people. 3-4 weeks of committing to abstaining from the addictive behaviors is vital to reduce cravings and return to baseline dopamine. Dr. Lembke encourages us to take on a challenge when resetting our dopamine levels. This could be challenging yourself to not check your phone notifications for the first hour of the day. It could be challenging yourself to not mindlessly check your phone without purpose if you are standing in line or waiting to cross the street. Experiencing discomfort means that you are doing it right. Change rarely happens comfortably. Dopamine fasting is a minimum 4 week time commitment, but doing the hard tasks once means you might not have to do it again. Or, the next time you’ll recognize the pattern and know what to expect when participating in a reset. This is you actively taking control of your habits and physically rewiring your brain. 

An interesting concept that Dr. Lembke mentioned was how you can use exercise to upregulate your levels and naturally feel pleasure when engaging in a dopamine fast. When your body acknowledges that a minor injury is happening (exercise) it will tilt the pain side of the seesaw to speed up the return of homeostasis and move closer to the pleasure side organically. Exercising has several benefits that I could list, but this is by far one of the most interesting ones because you can use it as a tool to bring yourself back to baseline regarding addiction. 

I challenge each of you to create a plan to commit to a 4 week dopamine reset. Make a list of goals/challenges like the ones previously mentioned and stick to them for 4 weeks. You can be as technical as you’d like. You could make a list of reasons why you would pick up your phone instead of mindlessly scrolling through old notifications. You can delete social media and participate in a cleanse for maximum benefit. Your day should start with the night before as you plan out your morning routine and the goals you have set for yourself. I encourage you to write a journal entry the day before you start your dopamine reset and write another on the day after your dopamine reset journey for a moment of reflection. You can journal throughout this period to note the progress in how your habits and mindsets have shifted. Take control of who you are and what you are capable of. 

Good luck, and Voice It Louder!

Written by Aayna Bhatheja