In a world where everything is digitalised and every direction you look offers a tiny hit of dopamine, doing the Dopamine Detox December challenge has been far more difficult than I expected.

Since the beginning of the month, I’ve stopped doing many of the things that used to fill the gaps in my day, including:

• Using social media
• Consuming news
• Watching video-streaming services (YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.)
• Listening to dance or high-energy music

In short, anything that triggers a fake dopamine spike.

The first few days were surprisingly interesting — and honestly, quite difficult. On one of the first days, my wife handed me her phone to show me a photo. After looking at it, I instinctively closed the Photos app and opened Instagram on her phone without even thinking. A few milliseconds later, I realised what I was doing and closed it immediately.
Another time, during a lunch break, I still had 15 minutes left and automatically grabbed the remote to open YouTube. Again, I caught myself and closed it.

Photo by Christopher Ott on Unsplash

These are the habits so many of us have unconsciously developed in recent years. The rise of social media has consumed everyone’s time — but that’s a cliché, so instead let me tell you what actually happened:

I’m only 11 days in at the time of writing, with 20 more days to go. My observations are incomplete, but I’ll likely publish a follow-up post once the challenge is finished.

The First Two Days Were the Hardest

I was behaving like someone addicted to more classical addictions such as alcohol or drugs. I felt unfulfilled, overwhelmed, and constantly bored. It was strange to sit in the living room after dinner and realise I had “nothing to do.” But as Charles Duhigg explains in The Power of Habit, quitting a bad habit requires replacing it with a new one. So I tried replacing YouTube and Instagram with books. I know that might sound boring — but bear with me.

Life Felt Boring at First

My brain was asking for dopamine every other minute. According to Screen Time on my iPhone, I picked up my phone more than 85 times during the first days — only to lock it again because there was nothing left for me to do with it.

I started reading more (I already read before bed, but rarely during the day). However, after 10 minutes, I would feel unusually tired or sleepy. The moment I started reading, every thought in the universe seemed to enter my mind. I pushed myself to keep going, but eventually realised I was simply skimming the text.

By Day Five, I Finally Settled Into Reading

My relationship with books improved dramatically. I was able to read for an hour per day, fully focused. My brain realised there was no more artificial stimulation available and had to find a new source of joy. Fortunately, I was reading a novel — not a technical book — which made it easier to stay engaged and actually enjoy the experience.

I Increased My Running and Walking Sessions

Reading became more satisfying, but I still needed more sources of joy. So I decided to increase my running sessions to boost serotonin, and I also began going for a 30-minute walk right after work to create a clear reset between work and personal life.

I Read Three Books in 10 Days

This was mind-blowing for me. My daily screen time is now less than an hour (down from 3.5 hours). I spend around two hours a day reading. I finished three books and am now reading a non-fiction book that requires much more attention. My brain loves it and wants to keep going.

I also realised something important: I was skimming far less than before. I could actually focus. I still get distracted occasionally, but it happens much later than it used to. When I do get distracted, I simply do five push-ups, take a five-minute break, and return refreshed.

ChatGPT Was Surprisingly Helpful

I always say that if there’s one thing ChatGPT already replaces effectively, it’s consultancy — especially when it comes to life-improvement strategies. Every evening, I shared my progress, and the feedback helped me stay consistent for the last 10 days.

I Still Stayed Aware of Important News — Through My Wife

At the start of the challenge, I asked my wife to tell me if anything important happened (either in Berlin or in the world). Even though I didn’t check any news sources myself, she kept me updated during breakfast whenever something meaningful was happening.

Final words

I’m still early in the journey, but these first 11 days have already shown me how different life feels without constant digital stimulation. Whether the effect lasts or not, this experiment is teaching me a lot about my own habits — and that alone makes it worthwhile.