Key Takeaways
- A dopamine detox isn’t about deprivation – it’s about recalibrating your reward system and reconnecting with what truly feels good.
- Dopamine isn’t the enemy. It’s a vital neurotransmitter that supports motivation, focus, and satisfaction – when used in balance.
- Modern life overstimulates our nervous system, leading to restlessness, poor focus, shallow breathing, and burnout masked as productivity.
- Body-based, intentional movement is one of the most effective ways to restore balance, regulate dopamine naturally, and ground the mind.
- Lasting change comes from choosing deeper rewards – ones that nourish rather than numb. Think presence over pressure, clarity over chaos.
We’re all chasing clarity, motivation, and calm – but in a world wired for instant gratification, it’s easy to end up burnt out and distracted. That’s where the dopamine detox comes in… or so the internet says.
It’s splashed across social media, recommended by productivity coaches, wellness influencers, and even psychologists. The idea is simple: take a break from the things that overstimulate your brain so you can reset your focus, improve your habits, and feel more in control.
But behind the trend lies something deeper – a real need to step back from the constant pull of instant gratification and reconnect with a sense of calm, presence, and satisfaction that actually lasts.
So, what exactly is a dopamine detox? Do you really need one? And if so, how can you do it in a way that actually works – without cutting out every joy in your life?
Let’s start there.
The Internet’s Take on Dopamine Detox
First coined by psychologist Dr Cameron Sepah in 2019, the term dopamine detox refers to temporarily abstaining from addictive or compulsive behaviours that provide quick, artificial spikes of dopamine – like scrolling, binge-watching, or impulsive snacking.
The aim? To reset your brain’s reward system and help you feel less dependent on constant stimulation to feel good. But over time, the concept has been twisted into extremes – cutting out everything remotely enjoyable in a kind of ‘modern-day digital fast’.
But what Is a Dopamine Detox (Really)?
While mainstream versions of a dopamine detox often centre on elimination, at Native State we see it differently. This isn’t about going without; it’s about rebuilding balance. Not to lessen dopamine, but to build a healthier relationship with it.
It’s about understanding why we keep chasing the quick fix, and then finding better ways to meet those needs. Not by cutting out everything enjoyable, but by replacing short-term spikes with long-term satisfaction. Something grounded. Something that lasts.
Dopamine: A Chemical of Motivation – Not the Enemy
Let’s get one thing clear: dopamine isn’t bad. In fact, it’s absolutely necessary. It helps regulate movement, motivation, learning, memory, and focus. It’s released when you achieve something, when you engage socially, when you exercise – and yes, when you scroll through Instagram or crush a chocolate bar.
The problem isn’t dopamine itself, but how our lifestyle hijacks its natural rhythms. The modern world delivers constant, artificial spikes – notifications, headlines, likes, ads, entertainment, food – without requiring any real effort or satisfaction in return.
From a holistic lens, the answer isn’t to avoid dopamine but to control how we experience it. That means building a life where dopamine is released through things that are nourishing, embodied, and sustainable – not shallow substitutes for presence.
The New Approach to Dopamine Detox (That Actually Feels Good)
Step 1: Understand Why We Keep Chasing Quick Hits
Before you can reset your habits, it helps to understand what’s driving them, and why quick hits feel so irresistible.
It’s easy to assume that people chase instant gratification because they lack discipline. But more often, they’re simply exhausted – mentally, physically, emotionally. They’re running on low capacity, using stimulation to prop themselves up through long workdays, disrupted sleep, and mounting pressure.
We reach for quick hits of dopamine when we’re:
- Using little rewards to get through the day – just one scroll, one snack, one episode
- Running on autopilot, too tired to do anything else
- Avoiding quiet moments, because being alone with our thoughts feels uncomfortable
- Feeling flat or under-appreciated and craving a pick-me-up
- So used to fast feedback (scrolling, streaming, swiping) that slower satisfaction feels unfamiliar or unsatisfying
These patterns aren’t signs of failure – they’re coping mechanisms.
Whether we’re run off our feet from work, kids, social expectations, or simply feeling the weight of something we can’t quite name – the chase for quick hits is often a sign that we’re stretched too thin. That our system is looking for relief.
A dopamine detox – done properly – helps interrupt that cycle. It creates just enough space for you to pause, reset, and rebuild habits that feel good long after the hit wears off.
Pause and Reflect:
When do you notice yourself reaching for quick pick me ups? Is it the end of a long workday? After a tough conversation? When you’re alone with your thoughts?
These aren’t just habits – they’re signals. Patterns that point to what your body and mind might be missing.
Noticing them is the first step toward choosing something different.
Step 2: Recognise What Overstimulation Looks Like in the Body
Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the pattern is. You know something feels off – you’re wired, flat, restless – but you can’t quite explain why.
That’s because overstimulation doesn’t just affect the mind. It shows up in the body first.
With our clients, we often see it surface in subtle but familiar ways. You might recognise some of these:
- A tightness in your chest or shortness of breath, especially when trying to slow down
- Constant tension in your shoulders, jaw, or hips that never quite lets up
- Feeling unable to sit still, relax, or switch off – even when you’re exhausted
- Lying in bed at night unable to sleep, or waking up just as tired
- Zoning out or getting distracted during slower, more intentional movement
You might not realise how overstimulated you’ve become until you experience contrast – a moment of calm, a clear breath, a session that leaves you grounded instead of edgy.
That’s the power of recalibration. It doesn’t just reset your mind – it resets your body, too.
Pause and Reflect:
Where do you feel stress or stimulation show up in your body? Do certain environments, habits, or routines seem to dial it up?
Noticing the physical cues gives you something solid to work with – and something real to shift.
Step 3: Unlocking the Secret: You Don’t Need Less Joy – You Need Better Reward
Once you’ve identified the triggers and feelings that send you reaching for a dopamine hit, you can begin to shift how you respond. This is where real change happens – not by cutting joy, but by choosing it more intentionally.
One of the biggest misconceptions around dopamine detoxing is the belief that you have to strip away everything enjoyable in order to reset. But pleasure isn’t the problem – it’s the type, the timing, and the why behind it.
From a holistic perspective, we want to keep the pleasure – but change its source. We want to move from reactive to intentional. From external stimulation to internal reward.
That might look like:
- Swapping a dopamine scroll for a walk outside, without your phone
- Checking in with your body and mind: “Do I need something slow and grounding, or do I need to get my blood pumping?” Then choosing accordingly – perhaps a breath-led movement class over high-intensity, or vice versa
- Cooking a real meal instead of eating whatever’s closest on autopilot
- Listening to music while stretching instead of binge-watching to tune out
These things still feel good. But they offer a different kind of high – one that lingers, steadies, and genuinely restores.
Pause and Reflect:
What’s one habit you turn to for a quick dopamine hit?
What could you swap it with – something slower, more grounding, but still satisfying?
This isn’t about taking away what you love. It’s about reclaiming it – in a way that feeds you, not depletes you.
Our Top Tip? Use Movement to Regulate Dopamine (and Reconnect with Yourself)
One of the most powerful tools for natural dopamine regulation is moving your body. Not as a punishment. Not to “burn it off.” But to bring the nervous system back into rhythm.
When you move with intention – focusing on breath, posture, rhythm, and control – dopamine is released gradually, not in spikes. You feel grounded, not frantic. Motivated, not manic. Present, not distracted.
In our overstimulated world, this kind of movement helps you reset. It reconnects you with your body’s natural pace. You breathe more deeply. You notice what’s happening in your body. You feel anchored.
Whether it’s a walk outside, mobility work, strength training, or breathwork, the goal isn’t to push harder – it’s to re-establish a baseline where your body feels steady and capable again.
This isn’t a replacement for joy – it’s a return to something more grounded. A kind of pleasure that’s earned, integrated, and felt deeply in the body.
A true dopamine detox isn’t about denying stimulation. It’s about choosing the kind that gives something back.
Why Sustainable Dopamine Is the Way Forward
You can leave the TikTok trends that suggest total deprivation, disappearing for 48 hours, or cutting out everything you enjoy behind. A real, lasting dopamine detox doesn’t look like that.
Instead, it looks like subtle but powerful shifts. Moments of clarity that build over time. Less chaos, more calm. With a sustainable approach, you start to feel:
- A quiet sense of focus – without forcing it
- Satisfaction from small things, like finishing a meal or taking a walk
- Less urgency to check your phone, scroll, or fill the space
- More measured responses instead of knee-jerk reactions
- Your body relaxing into the moment – not always on edge or overstimulated
Conclusion: It’s Not About Less – It’s About Depth
A dopamine detox doesn’t need to be dramatic. You don’t have to disappear from the world or cut out everything that feels good.
You just have to pause long enough to ask: Is this really making me feel better – or just briefly distracted?
And from there, start to rebuild a rhythm that works with your body, not against it. Because the real goal isn’t to reset your brain. It’s to reconnect with yourself – and stay there. All with sustainable habits.
Ready to Start Your Sustainable Dopamine Detox?
Curiosity is only the beginning. Craving something quieter, more grounded, more you – that’s the real work.
Our Studio Classes are designed with that in mind. They offer a space to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with your body – not through restriction or high intensity for its own sake, but through rhythm, presence, and consistency.
Because when movement becomes a tool for recalibration, not just exertion, everything starts to shift.
If you’re ready to replace overstimulation with clarity, and trade quick hits for lasting satisfaction, we’d love to see you in class. Your nervous system will thank you.
We offer over 30 studio classes each week, from breathwork to strength to posture, all designed to help you overcome those micro-moments of disconnection and replace them with sustainable, embodied reward.
Over 30 opportunities to move with precision and purpose – including form-focused, high intensity classes that energise without burnout. Explore the full class offering or book your spot.
