Dopamine Fasting

Today I’ve embarked on a new journey: Dopamine Fasting. I’m currently reading “Dopamine Nation” by Anna Lembke, MD where she expands on the idea of fasting your drug of choice for one whole month to reset your pleasure-pain balance. Recently, I realized that my days are governed by compulsive behaviors rather than intended actions and that I’m not enjoying things anymore the way I used to. So I thought, I should give it a try.

Here’s the plan:

Until December 15, 2022, I will abstain from the following:

• Reading/watching the news
• Social Media (this includes LinkedIn and dating apps)
• Porn
• Watching TV/YouTube – I will make exceptions for social TV watching with friends
• Listening to Spotify – music and podcasts
• Checking the performance of my stocks

It’s just one month. How hard can it be? Let’s see!

One idea that fascinated me in the book is that there’s a huge advantage in being able to delay rewards in life. It’s literally the opposite of giving in to compulsive triggers. To steer your life, one needs to be able to do something even if the reward is not immediately visible. The best things in life take time. Waiting will be rewarded greatly.

This is especially true for stocks. I’ve been checking their performance way too much, constantly adjusting my strategy out of fear of losing money and out of a desire to learn how to invest better. Little did I know that stock trading has quite some ways to activate the reward pathway, releasing dopamine galore. Due to its unpredictability, it’s like gambling. Though, the best thing to do with stocks is to leave them alone. Let them compound. The main activity of a successful investor is to sit there and do nothing.

Ok, I will keep you posted about everything. Cheers!