I recently started a 30-day dopamine fast.

But calling it a “fast” is a bit of a misnomer. The body is always producing dopamine; you can’t (nor do you want to) get rid of it entirely.

Instead, the point is to limit access to easy, repeatable ways to raise your dopamine levels — so-called dopamine traps — that interfere with your body’s normal dopamine production.

So, to understand dopamine fasts, we first need to understand dopamine traps.

What’s a dopamine trap?

I characterize a dopamine trap as something that fulfills three criteria:

  1. Easy (low-effort).
  2. Repeatable.
  3. Raises dopamine levels.

The body naturally attempts to balance your levels of dopamine. When an activity raises dopamine levels, the body balances the scales by temporarily lowering dopamine levels below baseline once the activity is complete.

A chart illustrating a dopamine dip (not real data)

This isn’t a problem in-and-of itself.

But if the activity is also easy and repeatable, you can avoid the dip by simply doing the activity (or some other easy, repeatable dopamine hit) again. Eat one more chip, watch one more show, whatever. This way, you maintain a sustained high level of dopamine in the body.

However, remember that dopamine production must be balanced. After enough sustained high dopamine levels, in order to keep the balance, the body will reduce the baseline level of dopamine a corresponding amount.

A chart illustrating how an extended dopamine spike results in the body adapting to a new dopamine baseline (not real data)

So as soon as you stop the high-dopamine activities, not only do you have a temporary dip, but your normal level of dopamine is also lower than usual. This new baseline persists for quite some time (an average of 30 days, supposedly).

Low dopamine feels bad, so this low baseline means that you feel bad unless you’re engaging in a high-dopamine activity. This encourages you to go back to the dopamine trap again, resulting in addictive behavior.

It’s this adaptive, self-adjusting nature of dopamine production that makes these activities a “trap”. Once you start doing them, it’s hard to stop.

Why dopamine fast?

After the explanation of dopamine traps, hopefully the main benefit of a dopamine fast is somewhat obvious:

  • It resets your baseline dopamine levels. Sustained engagement with dopamine traps causes your baseline dopamine levels to lower, which creates a vicious cycle that can lead to addictive behavior. Dopamine fasts break the cycle and allow your dopamine levels to self-regulate to a healthier baseline.

But there are other benefits as well:

  • It promotes mindfulness. Once you deliberately stop seeking easy dopamine hits, your mind is naturally brought into the present moment.
  • Anecdotally, it benefits sleep and positively impacts heart rate variability (HRV).

How do I do a dopamine fast?

Planning a dopamine fast is personal, because it depends on your particular goals and addictions. After all, you can’t just cut out all dopamine-producing activities; dopamine is an essential part of life. (This is in deep contrast with a traditional fast, where you can, in fact, cut out all food.)

But if you pay attention to how you feel, you can identify your dopamine traps and cut them out. Remember that thoughts (e.g. looking forward to dessert) can be dopamine traps just as much as activities!

Here are some rules of thumb for doing a dopamine fast of your own:

  • Don’t: do things that give an easy and repeatable dopamine hit (e.g. social media, watching videos, reading that page-turning fiction series you love).
  • Do: do things that require effort or discomfort to get a dopamine hit (e.g. creative work, conversation, reading that difficult nonfiction book you’ve been putting off).

For example, snacking on junk food is easy (the food’s available) and repeatable (you can always have one more chip). Eating a home-cooked meal is not.

  • Don’t: seek constant stimulation.
  • Do: allow yourself to be bored.

Do you take out your phone in the bathroom, while waiting for the bus, etc.? Yeah, stop doing that.

  • Don’t: do multiple things at once.
  • Do: appreciate each moment without distractions.

Don’t watch TV while eating, listen to music while walking, or use your phone while talking to someone. This type of distraction injects dopamine into activities that don’t need it. Let your mind focus on your primary activity.

  • Don’t: always try to plan “the next thing” or worry about wasting time.
  • Do: let your mind go silent.

Thoughts themselves, especially “anticipatory” thoughts, can be dopamine traps! If you find yourself always thinking about what you’ll be doing next, be aware those thoughts can be addicting in their own way.

How long should I fast for?

From what I’ve heard on a Huberman podcast, it takes an average of 30 days for baseline dopamine levels to return to normal after addictive dopamine trap behavior is eliminated. I imagine it varies quite a bit depending on the person and the level of addiction, but a 30d fast seems like a reasonable starting point.

My hope for myself is that once the fast is over, I won’t just return to my old habits, but continue to avoid dopamine traps moving forward. In that sense, the 30d goal is just a commitment to get over the hump of low dopamine levels, not an indication that I’ll stop fasting after 30d.