The Dopamine Detox Challenge *(Science Based)*

Day 2:

0. PMO/P-Subs/edging. (Nome)
1. Movies/ T.V. series.( None)
2. YouTube.( Only watch videos related to my courses) I also listen to podcasts on my phone
3. All social media. (already delete that )
4. Carby/ sugary foods. ( None)
5. Video games.( None)
6. Music. ( None)
7. Disturbing news media. (None)
8. sex chat with your gf. (Abstaining from sex altogether )

 

Checking in!

Doing great so far. Avoiding all the dopamine. Adjusting my sleep routine. Studying. Everything going great.

The effect of the dopamine fasting is getting to me so am feeling a bit uncomfortable but that is okay bcz I know this temporary pain now will give me permanent happiness later. And that time is not too far I believe.

Need to be vigilant though, and keep doing all the steps I promised to myself.

Day 3

 

I wanna rejoin this challenge. This time I want to focus on eating healthy. Reducing sugar, white bread and coffee and abstain from alcohol and fast-food. (The former are the harder challenge for me the latter already applied, most pf the time).
I won’t count days, I’m not expecting me to be perfect rather I want accountability, consistency and improvement over time.

Starting now!

 

I will start it again from tomorrow
back to day 0

 

Day 4
Going strong

 

Well, I ate only the rest of the cookies I had left.
But I drank alcohol. It was a group thing. Well actually I was with one other guy.
Note to myself: just say what you really want and what you DON‘T wanna do. Identify with your choices and be HONEST about them. Say „I don’t drink alcohol“ or however you want to phrase it in that moment.

Ok, we are here to learn. Tomorrow hopefully you can only eat and drink what’s good for you.

 

Day 5 going strong

 

Still messing around…

 

Still going strong. Developed my study and sleep routine the way I wanted it. Now the challenge is to maintain it till it becomes a habit. Will have to be really vigilant in this coming week so that the routine becomes firmly rooted in my daily life. Really going good with the things I wanted to avoid.

 

Today wasn't a very good day. Did not fall into the things I decided to avoid but wasn't able to study well. It isn't a reset according to my plan but tomorrow will try to get back on track and study hard and sleep less.

Day 9

 

Not having applied to my rules I have eaten quite well recently nonetheless. Only coffee is way too much and too regular.

So I resolve to eat and drink only healthy from now on but I allow to break this rule when eating with others.
Also I should use my mobile phone less …
Let’s see

 

"Tomorrow I'll start" and "This is the last time" are among the worst of all statements you hear from people and from yourself

 

So I have to reset now after a 12 day streak.

The reasons for my downfall were:
1. Anger ( not having good anger management strategies)
2. Not studying well enough.
3. Not sticking to the rules I set for myself (for coping with no.8)
4. Not being conscious enough.
5. Not having a foolproof plan

However, what I do know from my last journey with beating PMO is, that resets are a part of the process and that my progress has not been erased. It is only an opportunity to reflect on my triggers and mistakes and devise a better plan this time. While beating PMO addiction, I had to reset 3 times in the span of 4 months until I finally beat it forever. I am hopeful that with this, it will be the same and that this reset will help me beat this and that it will be my last reset.

 

So now, my new plan.

It will be basically the same thing but with only a few additions and a bit more detailed rather than a general sketch. Also, it will contain some coping strategies for anger, and some urge management strategies for those times when I fall short of fulfilling my reset ritual goals because when that happens , I found myself awfully unprepared this previous time.

The plan is:

Avoid 0,3,5,6,7,8.

For 8, same steps, sleeping on time, talking while sitting(always), being more conscious about how much she loves me and how happy she is talking to me so I shouldn't let her down.

When the urges come either from her side, or from my inside, will nip the evil in the bud. At the very beginning of the urges, will cope with them by focusing on my breathing, and bringing to mind that the last timeI did it , it wasn't pleasurable enough, and that it left me feeeling sad and depressed and unsatisfied afterwards.

For my healthy activities, the same but more detailed :
Study min 7 hours
Sleep max 7 hours
Going out of the house
Interacting with friends and family

What will be a reset:
Going to any of the things I wanted to avoid will be a reset plus failing to record my progress here will be a reset. Study and sleep wont be a reset but will have to record it here.

Some new additions to the plan are:
1. Will have a nofap hour at 10 o clock where I will write in detail my progress for that day and will read again this commitment I have made and will also bring my focus again to the reason why I am doing all this. Will also read more about dopamine and prn addiction basics in detail.
2. Will keep doing this nofap hour everyday for the whole month and may be even after that because as soon as I lose sight of my goals I seem to fall back but what bad is in having nofap as a permanent part of my life?
3. Anger: Short term will focus on my breathing and other steps to avoid it. If I fail to cope with it and have an outburst, will still not think it the end of the world and will long term bring back my thoughts to my studies and distract myself from it so I can let go of it. If I am unable to let go after 25 min of study , will go do something fun but not the dopamine activities I wanted to avoid becasue they are not a solution, just an escape.

So this is the new plan, will add to it if anything else comes to mind.

Day 1

 

Day 2

Daily Progress Report:
Today couldn't achieve my goal for study and for sleep. A lot of brain fog. Also had some urges but fought them well enough. Tomorrow, will do better with study and sleep so that I am more focused and try to clear my brain of all this fog. Took some new decisions which will make avoiding 8 easier. Have to stick to these decisions forever now. I know that in order to make my current state better, I need to study well , so tomorrow I will try to do that and be really focused on my study, really tire my brain.

Remember, I either change teh status quo by studying well, or I keep living with alot of tensions and worries.

 

I want to start, I want to start, I want to start. But still I'm delaying it.
From tomorrow on:

• No coffee
• No sugary sweets

That's already enough. No more changes needed for the next x weeks! Just do your thing, but quit coffee and sugar. Honey is allowed by the way. When exercising I can also drink juices.

Then -

• make plans and review (write down!) what you did
• you need a diary for that!
  
• exercise
  
• meditate
• be magical and gtd !
  
• sacrifice, let go and ardently focus on work
• tidy, clean
• relax, take a time out and just do nothing instead of running around agitated

 

Just do it man! I'm rooting for you!

 

Day 4

Daily Progress Report:
Could not post my progress yesterday but won't really stress about that too much because I was good at completing my tasks.
Today was good in terms of study and sleep. Completed both those goals. Also did not fall into the things I wanted to avoid, however I couldn't avoid it completely.
Tomorrow I need to increase my study hours even more and hold on to my sleep routine because it wasn't hard today. It wasn't painful; I only imposed those thoughts on myself.
As for social media, will try better tomorrow. Tomorrow , I won't use it for even a minute. and will post my progress here and try to continue that in the coming whole week.
As for no.8 , that is my MAIN AIM. Did good today , will be vigilant tomorrow as well. I need to say goodbye to it forever, once and for all. Will fight the urges as soon as they come by focusing on my breath.

For long term happiness, I will tolerate a little pain tomorrow!

 

Thanks @theforgotten1423

Today:

Sugar 0
Coffee 0
Alcohol 1
Distracting on phone 0
Distracting on computer 0
Distracting with books 0
Distracting with meaningless activities 0


"0" means that I didn't fast from the activity. "1" means successful detox

 

I am having to reset today on day 17.

It's because I spent too much time on social media. However, I do have the progress from these 17 days so I am not going to waste all that progress by repeating this mistake tomorrow as well. The good thing is that my main aim , which was no.8 , I have been good at that and this reset is only because of not fulfilling my secondary aim.

Will try to have discipline from now onward in terms of study and sleep. I am doing good with 8 so won't be thinking too much about ti but will still keep in mind how it affects me negatively and will focus on my breath as soon as the urges come. Will try my best with the other goals as well.

I am resetting but with a lot of progress. When I compare my life now with one month ago, there is a lot of change so I am happy that I am improving everyday.

Will stick to my old plan about posting etc.

Day 1 again.