Dopamine is that feel-good brain chemical that makes you say, \u201cWow, that cupcake was worth it\u201d or \u201cJust one more episode of Love Island<\/em>!\u201d It\u2019s a key player in motivation, reward, and pleasure. The theory is that modern life overstimulates our brain\u2019s reward system \u2013 think endless scrolling, snacking, and Netflix marathons \u2013 leaving us less sensitive to everyday joys. Dopamine fasting aims to hit the reset button by cutting out these dopamine-triggering activities so you can enjoy life\u2019s little pleasures again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Cameron Sepah, a clinical psychologist and UCSF professor, brought dopamine fasting into the spotlight. Given the lifestyle of most professionals and the way they deal with broadcast and social media, Sepah explains, \u201cMany of us are highly overstimulated at best and addicted at worst to things that grab at our attention. Even worse, we don\u2019t realise the extent\u2026 It\u2019s unclear what the long-term implications of this overstimulation are on our brains, but in my private practice working with executive clients, I have observed that this interferes with our ability to sustain attention, regulate our emotions in non-avoidant ways, and enjoy simple tasks that seem boring by comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The science behind it<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First off, your brain isn\u2019t a faucet you can turn on and off. Dopamine\u2019s always being produced, and it\u2019s essential for way more than just pleasure \u2013 like moving your muscles and making decisions. However, as Sepah notes, \u201cDopamine is the neurotransmitter in our brains that\u2019s responsible for motivation and reward. To grossly oversimplify, dopaminergic drugs (e.g., stimulants such as Adderall, cocaine, and methamphetamine) act on dopamine receptors like a key opening a lock, and over time, downregulate these receptors, which makes us less sensitive to dopamine.\u201d While behaviours like gaming or gambling aren\u2019t drugs, they can still create problematic cycles of addiction reinforced by dopamine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is some truth to the idea that overstimulation can desensitise the brain\u2019s reward system. Studies in addiction and animal behaviour suggest that taking a step back from constant rewards can help restore balance. But this is more about moderation than hardcore fasting. As Sepah says, \u201cThis is not to demonise dopamine; it\u2019s an important brain chemical. My point is that we may be getting too much of a good thing, especially when dopamine reinforces behaviours that are out of line with our values.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research backs mindfulness and behaviour modification as solid ways to curb impulsivity and improve well-being. Sepah\u2019s structured take on dopamine fasting focuses on intentional breaks rather than extreme deprivation, explaining that \u201cTaking a break from behaviours that trigger strong amounts of dopamine release (especially in a repeated fashion) allows our brain to recover and restore itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting it in practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sepah recommends taking intermittent breaks from behaviours that flood our brains with dopamine. Here are the six behaviours he suggests fasting from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n He even provides a handy fasting schedule:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it just another Silicon Valley fad?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly, it\u2019s a bit of both. At its core, dopamine fasting has roots in solid psychological principles like mindfulness and self-control. But as with most trends, the sensationalised versions can overshadow the original intent. Even Sepah acknowledges, \u201cThe exaggerations of dopamine fasting \u2013 such as avoiding all stimulation \u2013 miss the point entirely. It\u2019s about mindfulness and self-control, not deprivation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of jumping on the extreme fasting bandwagon, why not try these practical tips?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dopamine fasting is one of those buzzwords that\u2019s been making waves in Silicon Valley. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1732,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1729\/revisions\/1732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/evah-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7683431-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n