Published 09:47 IST, December 20th 2019
Dopamine Fasting: What is this new viral trend from Silicon Valley?
Dopamine Fasting is also known as the digital detox, is trending in the Silicon Valley and is going viral on social media. Continue reading to know more.
Dopamine fasting is currently the latest trend that has emerged from Silicon Valley. The fast is also known as the full mind-body reset. The dopamine fasting involves abstaining from addictive things like technology, coffee, romantic relationship for a week or even months. The main motive of this fasting is to reset the minds, recharge the bodies and also reclaim their lives.
What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a pleasure chemical that is released by the brain and it plays a major role in motivation and reward. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that deals with how we feel pleasure, motivation, and is an important factor in our brain's reward system. Dopamine hit involves smallest things like from seeing a cute dog on the street or even getting an Instagram like from a crush or even having an amazing filling meal.
Dopamine fasts you have to refrain from any of these things for an entire day. During this fast, there is no eating, no talking, no exercising, no making eye contact, no playing with animals. It is claimed that if this practice is continued after the fast your dopamine tolerance level will be lowered and your brain shall be rebooted and you will be able to appreciate everyday pleasures more than you usually would have before.
Peter Sterling, a professor of neuroscience at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, told a news daily that any sort of intense stimulation to any part of the body and brain, cause the sensors of that stimulation to 'turn down. He also added that This is basic biology. So when we live by getting great surges of dopamine from rich foods, alcohol, nicotine and the rest, our dopamine receptor desensitises and then we need more. He mentioned that this fasting can restore sensitivity to life's small daily pleasures, and it won't harm your mental or physical health.
Updated 12:24 IST, December 20th 2019