Wellness trends come and go, but some persist, particularly if they claim to provide happiness - something we are all in the constant pursuit of. The latest hack to happiness is in the form of Dopamine Fasting.?
This technique requires you to deprive or restrict yourself from taking part in any activity that makes you happy. Yes really. While it sounds absolutely absurd, scientists and plenty of young professionals are swearing by it.?
Let's clear the basics first.?
The medical journal, Psychology Today defines dopamine as, 'the feel-good neurotransmitter'. The brain releases dopamine when we eat something we absolutely love when we work out or while we have sex or drink a glass of wine. Basically, anything that gives us pleasure or satisfaction, it's due to dopamine.?This important neurochemical boosts mood,?motivation, and?attention, and helps regulate movement, learning, and emotional responses.??
The basic point is - our brain releases dopamine when something excites us - it could be anything from lying down in bed doing nothing, getting Instagram likes on your photo, going for a concert, drinking a glass of wine, to having a conversation with a friend.?
Dopamine fasting entails that you literally put your entire life on hold for 24 hours. There's no talking, no eating, no drinking, no reading, no walking, and no exercising also. Because you never know what you might hear or see that excites you, leading to the release of dopamine.?
People who swear by dopamine fasting claim that after this fast, your dopamine levels will be rebooted and you will eventually love everyday pleasures of life more than you used to.?
It kind of makes sense. It's like smoking. Maybe when someone first starts smoking, they are lured in by the light-headedness a cigarette promises. But if they smoke often for the pursuit of that light-headedness, the result is that their body gets used to the nicotine. And as every smoker knows, the same light-headedness you experienced with your first cigarette, never comes again.?
"Well, if dopamine fasting is the key for people to love their everyday pleasures even more, then dopamine fasting is a great way. But more research is needed to provide guidelines on how to carry out a dopamine fast. Because it's impossible to lock ourselves up devoid of any stimulation for an extended period of time," Dr. Saniya Panjwani, Psychiatry Consultant, Max Hospital told Indiatimes.
Either way, the concept of dopamine fasting seems to be too oversimplified. As of now the concept gravely ignores those dealing with mental health issues, and for the personal joy and company of others is paramount.??If you value any of these things, then dopamine fasting is probably not for you.??
Image credits: Instagram.?