What is dopamine?
We all know a little bit about dopamine.
Dopamine (modified molecule to be 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a hormone and Catecholamine and phenethalamine are neurotransmitters in the family that affect the human brain and body.
Dopamine plays a number of important roles. It is produced naturally in the human body.Dopamine makes our brain feel better. Our mood, movement all are dependent on this dopamine.
For example,
Suppose you like to play games very much.That means,when you sit in front of a computer and play video games, your brain releases a large amount of dopamine.
That's why you feel so much fun while playing video games.
Again
We are all terribly attached to the Internet.Each and every moment of the day,
When a notification comes to our mobile, we most often immediately check the notification.This is because dopamine is released from our brain as soon as we get that notification.
Usually,
Our good or bad feelings for something depends on dopamine.The effects of dopamine varies from man to man.That's why drug addicts can't give up drugs. Because when a person takes drug for the first time and if he likes it, his dopamine is released.From then on, he wants to go back to that feeling again and again.He wants his dopamine to be released again and again.
All because of this dopamine secretion our Facebook,YouTube browsing goes on for hours and hours.
Dopamine tolerance?
The word tolerance means endurance. Now what is dopamine tolerance?
Suppose, ten years back from today, I used 'Nokia x2-02'model mobile to surf on the internet.By that time I used to buy 10 MB internet data from 10 taka/rupee.Some how I managed to pass a whole day with that 10 MB data. But now,while surfing on the internet I barely even think of data.
I used to have a 'Nokia x2-02' mobile but now I can't even be satisfied with such an expensive mobile like Iphone.
In class five, I had an aspiration for computer.But,today desktop, laptop is so much available that I don't have the aspiration like before.
This is called Tolerance.
I used to be happy with that Nokia mobile, but now I can't even be happy with that anymore.Because my happiness tolerance has now increased to another level,in the future it will go to another level.This is because my tolerance level of dopamine has increased.
Let me give you another example.
Suppose those who drink regular (drink alcohol).
If you sit down with them (I have never drink till now) to drink, you will see that you are done having one peg but they will be going to swallow peg after peg.
Because your tolerance level is very low at drinking and their level is high.
What is the problem if the tolerance level is high?
If you can't control your tolerance level, you will face many problems. For example, let's overview the time during the lock-down.I am used to hanging out. I had spent most of the day outside doing various things.This has increased the tolerance level of my dopamine.
Now many people find it very difficult to stay at home. Hoping to go out soon.
Or you are normally used to with browsing Facebook and YouTube all day long.
Such a situation of yours is actually ruining your studies due to the increasing of this tolerance level.
So what is the remedy? How to bring dopamine under control?
The answer is Dopamine detox
Dopamine detox is a way to reduce dopamine secretion in any of your activities.
Normally, if you don't like to be quarantined at home now (As your habit is staying outside), if you lose reading habits due to excessive use of social media or drug addiction of any of your acquaintances will be cured from dopamine detox.For this you need to reduce dopamine secretion at that particular job.
How do you reduce it now?
Suppose you always use unlimited Wi-Fi at home.And you bought 100 MB internet on your cellular phone when you were out.
Now when you come back to home, will you run your 100 MB internet on cellular or will you connect to Unlimited Wi-Fi?
Of course you will use Wi-Fi. Because you can watch as many videos as you want on Unlimited internet.You do not have to think about data expenditure or limits.
Here your dopamine secretion is more to use Wi-Fi.
Suppose for some reason the broadband line is down in your home for 2 days.
What do you do then? Do you refrain from using internet for two days?
As time goes on you become desperate to check Facebook once. Then if you are given 100 MB you will be very happy to accept it.Because then you will be satisfied with it.
So what is the way to solve these problems in our daily life?
Here are some solutions. You can solve the rest by yourself.
If you get tired of using social media regularly from home and it doesn't feel good anymore.That means, you have exceeded your tolerance limit. You need to lower your dopamine tolerance limit.
For this you can give yourself a task. You can take the challenge.You will have to refrain yourself from using any electronic device for 10 hours from now.
(Mobile, computer, TV everything and all).At this time you can not even touch anything.
You can spend this time reading books, you can write anything.
But not in the notepad of your mobile, with the pen in your notebook.
You can meditate, you can think about yourself, you can think about the future.
But you can't use any electric device (you can't watch TV).
You will feel a different kind of happiness when you use the devices after 10 hours.
If you do this for 4/5 days, you will see that your dopamine tolerance level has decreased.
Reward yourself.
If you could stay away from an electronic device for 5 hours from now,
After 5 hours, you will reward yourself to do the work thats dopamine secretion is more.
Suppose you have no job now except running mobile. You can challenge it yourself.
Motivate yourself like this,"If I can stop for 5 hours then I will do it after 5 hours.
I have given myself a task.I will study for one hour from now on. At this time I will stay away from all kinds of disturbances.Then after 1 hour I will watch ‘peaky blinders’ for 1 hour.''
But at starting,the challenges must be small. When we take a challenge, we take a big one. That's why we can't fulfill it anymore.
But if we took the challenge,we will read books for half an hour.
At that time we will stay away from all social media. Just to read books. Then we can reward our self according to our choice.
Then our half hour will be very effective.
By the method of taking short goals and fulfilling them will motivate you. And gradually you will be able to take more and more challenges
to decrease your dopamine tolerance.
In this way you can use your brain for specific tasks by reducing dopamine secretion by keeping your brain away from irrational work.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, RUET