How I Finally Got Over my Phone Addiction!
Without Deleting Facebook Or Instagram!
Do you scroll longer on Instagram than working on your dream plan?
If you are afraid of failing in something, your brain will continually try to procrastinate it… and lure you get the feeling of accomplishment through something easier. Like scrolling on social media!
I recently noticed that when I have a lot to finish, my attention is diverted towards the room’s untidiness. My mind persuades me strongly to clean up the mess. Right now! No matter how urgent or important task I have at hand. I spend an hour cleaning, another hour repenting, later hurry up with everything! This happens often while doing complex cognitive tasks. Seldom while swiping right on Tinder or shopping online.
Why and What?
Thankfully, science has decoded this puzzle. Research says apart from natural urges like hunger and thirst, dopamine plays an important role in making us do addictive things. Does it feel good after a run? Dopamine is the feel-good hormone i.e. our brain’s rewarding system. The better you feel the stronger the urge to repeat your actions. Aimlessly scrolling through unknown Facebook profiles? Now you know why. DOPAMINE HIT!
I feel that even a certain person may get you high on your dopamine. This causes you to spend more time with them… Ahem.
Momentary high sells!
Your body does not know whether your addictive behavior is “right” for you or not. Think about racing, adventure sports, drugs… Indulging. Right? Chocolate, social media and online shopping fall in the same category. Just like the difficulty levels in any game, each time you cross a certain level, your brain gets a dopamine hit. The first few levels are easy. After 5 levels you have a new dopamine hit requirement set. After the 10th level, this requirement has spiked up. By now, you are addicted to the game. You can’t stop. Completing level 100 becomes your new goal. Does this add to the value of my daily-life? Does this help me move forward in the direction I want to? NO. But how else you satisfy your dopamine requirements? By doing something constructive? Like learning a new skill or writing a book? Nah….!
This continuous over-stimulation disturbs homeostasis overtime. Homeostasis is any biological system’s mechanism to maintain a well-functioning balance. As you cross a certain level in a game your brain gets a dopamine hit. As the difficulty increases, the dopamine level that your brain considers to be your tolerance limit also increases! Your brain is adapting to your needs; Setting a new balance point with every hit. This adaptation process of setting a new balance is called allostasis.
Complex activities like learning produce less than your set level of dopamine. The reward is far away in the future. Fewer effort activities like gaming, at least gets you chicken dinner when you win a level of the game PUBG.
No adequate dopamine hit = No pleasure = No interest to do it.
How did I save myself?
“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything,” — Warren Buffett
Boredom is creative
Boredom does not mean you sit idle. It just means that the things at your disposal do not appeal to you. That is the time your mind wanders. Apparently, that is when you get creative!
Try this: Eliminate all instant sources of entertainment (read dopamine high) for 1 hour every day. Either early in the morning or late in the night or both! Late-night works for me because there is silence, no unnecessary notifications, calls. I am more awake too.
Plan your day | Reflect your day | Meditate
Write down everything that comes to your mind in your secret diary to conquer the world!
Solitude is Bliss
Go for a walk. Start reflecting on your own self. The solution to your long-unsolved problem might be just a walk away. Give your mind the time to connect the dots. Find new patterns. Use allostasis for growth.
The urge to get your dopamine hit from instant sources will reduce eventually.
Dopamine cleanse
The daily solitude sessions slowly become your new normal. Now try to increase your ‘avoid dopamine high’ activity for one day a week. Will it get boring? Sure. Reserve one day to just complete the tasks needed for your personal growth. I reserve one day a week just for reading, studying and fitness activities. Controlling your own mind is essential before it starts controlling you. If you don’t, then the excuses like ‘…but my heart says I need it’ creep in. Control your mind before its delusional speed racing kills you!
Get your priorities right
Instruct your mind about the activities important to you. Divide your goal into short term milestones. Reward yourself every time you achieve the planned milestone. Start with the difficult tasks first. Plan your day such that you get the work (low dopamine-releasing activity — LDA) done early. Reward yourself with indulging (high dopamine-releasing activity — HDA) tasks for a short time on achieving your target. Rewards (HDA) should be 25% of the time you worked on the LDA. Avoid indulgence in damaging activities like drugs, cigarettes, etc.
“The end is not the reward; the path you take, the emotions that course through you as you grasp life — that is the reward.”
― Jamie Magee, Embody
Medical help is needed for severe psychological and physiological dependency!
IF you feel that you lack the motivation to finish your thesis or move ahead professionally, try analyzing where is your time being spent. What percent of it is actually helping you grow? Once this is done, the above methods will surely help you declutter your mind. Next time you start cleaning your room rather than completing your urgent assignment, you know what to do!
Happy detoxing!
Read about my data science story here.
Priyanka Mane | Learner | Digital Content Creator | Connect here:
Instagram: Wanderess_Priyanka | LinkedIn: Priyanka Mane
