What are common dopamine releasing behaviors we should try to avoid?

Lego_My_Alter_Eggo · 2018-10-24T13:57:32+00:00

Porn. You don't want to end up as that addict who gets fired for looking at porn at work or imprints on some degenerate and/or impractical sex act.

fade2clear · 2018-10-24T14:46:22+00:00

Limit instant gratification and focus on delayed, fulfilling gratification.

Get off the internet firstly.

lifeisweirdasfuck · 2018-10-24T14:38:02+00:00

Ironically, reading too much self-help stuff (such as TRP) without applying it.

look_good · 2018-10-24T12:41:51+00:00

Cocaine

streetlecture · 2018-10-24T14:02:53+00:00

Anything that takes you off your path.

The devil is in the details.

Internet_Curmudgeon · 2018-10-24T14:13:04+00:00

Fingering your own butthole when you sit down to poop

Awayhethrows1961 · 2018-10-24T13:58:21+00:00

Technically anything you enjoy doing will release dopamine. I think it's important to determine where you're getting "cheap hits" from (i.e. porn, caffeine, etc...) and focus more on meaningful, productive tasks and activities.

GayLubeOil · 2018-10-24T13:08:30+00:00

Yelling slurs out of moving vehicles, sugar, nostalgic videos

waynebradysworld · 2018-10-24T17:13:17+00:00

Watching cnn

nathanissleepy · 2018-10-24T15:03:37+00:00

Sugar

circlhat · 2018-10-24T18:44:59+00:00

None, unless you want to be a puritan , in which there is 0 reward, you should structure your life to get what you want, if you want $100,000 a year, you got to cut back on tv and drinking, if your happy with $40k a year, than you can indulge more.

It's important to set a goal, and work towards that goal cutting out bad habits that interfere with it, but looking back some of my happiness times in my life were having out and doing drugs with my friends

cornylamygilbert · 2018-10-24T18:03:30+00:00

Excellent post. I never realized how much I'm tolerating dopamine fixes even tho I've cut out many of the standard sources.

Porn, weed, alcohol, masturbation, video games, sugar/sweets

I recommend replacing porn, weed, masturbation, and alcohol with running and lifting.

Video games should be sparingly, treat like sugar then practically remove real sugar from your life irl.

Lastly, Reddit and comedy series or movies are my final dopamine vices.

I was floored by the realization that porn, fapping and fantasizing were absolutely ruining my game and drive. The less I've engaged in all of these distractions, the more I've actually made changes to my life and actually gotten substantial progress out of all of my goals and past times.

My final demon: sleeping in. I had no idea it was a dopamine fix but it makes so much sense. I'm gonna have to work hard at this one

aiberdeen · 2018-10-24T19:53:36+00:00

Refreshing twitter, facebook, insta and snapchat

Its something im trying to stop as ive found myself litreally all night long just moving from one to another and then repeating

Such a waste of time

yumyumgivemesome · 2018-10-24T15:37:05+00:00

Checking emails. Every time you stop what you are doing to open up your emails, you receive a dopamine hit based purely on "I wonder what I'll find this time!" Same goes for Reddit. You can peruse through the same front pages after spending hours on there already, yet your brain is still thinking "I wonder if there's anything new!"

You don't even have to receive an interesting email or find anything interesting on Reddit. Merely the hope of something interesting gives you the kick. Apportion your email/Reddit to specific times in the day. (I know some jobs don't give you that luxury regarding email, so just do the best you can.)

wawakaka · 2018-10-24T16:15:47+00:00

checking your phone

stress

negative events that lead to ocd or obsessive thoughts.

empatheticapathetic · 2018-10-24T15:04:56+00:00

Smartphone use. Reddit. TRP

Fauxregaurd · 2018-10-24T16:33:52+00:00

torgeirhyl · 2018-10-24T18:59:48+00:00

Not sure if it's really a dopamine releasing behaviour by itself, but it's in the same vein. Reacting destructively to negative experiences like failing or losing makes it more likely that you'll repeat it. Like, if losing at a game has you smashing something, chances are you'll smash more things/harder with time. You have to learn to accept failure/defeat without such reactions, or you'll be in a pattern, and could end up hurting yourself or someone else.

vandaalen · 2018-10-24T12:40:23+00:00

whats your 1rm dl?

jamesbond8181 · 2018-10-24T19:15:17+00:00

Anyone else notice the positive effects of limiting the amount of music you listen to?

OfficerWade · 2018-10-25T00:34:34+00:00

Common dopamine behaviors would be getting a relationship to get some sorta validation.

-Sport fucking. Rarely is your life in a place for this typa of behavior u less you’re married

-Coffee, Soda, caffeine

-Working paycheck to paycheck

-Running around calling yourself a victim while not taking responsibility for the way you might be pushing people away, projecting, shame, blame and poor me. You gotta keep a positive attitude.

druggaddict · 2018-10-25T08:11:47+00:00

Mental masturbation
My hobby is cars. I bought a car I wanted to mod. I spent days reading about what parts are the best, what to start with. Problem is I could use that time to hustle and make some extra money for these parts. It is just going too slow. Reading about mods I had a sense of achievement. I should have saved that for when I actually had the money to do anything. Try to learn about useful things you can apply, if it's useless it's wasted time.
Sleeping in
I fixed it a long time ago, usually wake up between 5-6AM, even on weekends. I noticed when I sleep in one time my whole schedule turns to shit
Drugs
alcohol/weed/pills, anytime I do these (and I do so rarely) I feel like I took a step back to when I was a lazy teenager smoking and drinking every couple of days
internet
it's a tool, use it as such. Don't overdo it, don't use it for entertainment, there are better ways such as socializing, hobby (like building something), learning a new skill, spending time with family or friends etc...
Cheap entertainment
games, tv, porn, frequent habitual social drinking, reading gossip etc
any other way of wasting time
always be productive, wasting time is setting you back and you want to be the best version of yourself. Any time wasted is like kicking future you in the balls. Resting after hard work or when you've earned it is not wasted time. Resting is needed to take a look at the bigger picture and is necessary to improve further.

Sometimes it's good to take a step back and see what's really holding you back. I mean these are okay when used SPARINGLY. Not every other day, not every week/weekend.

drnaline · 2018-10-25T09:49:39+00:00

Weed, porn, video games, nicotine, sugar. Try replacing these with cold showers, music, coffee, socialising, meditating.

jamesbond8181 · 2018-10-24T16:42:14+00:00

Weed

[deleted] · 2018-10-24T20:18:14+00:00

Fast food, porn, even posting on social media if you care about the 'likes' or upvotes.

[deleted] · 2018-10-24T20:26:34+00:00

Masturbation

mental_models · 2018-10-24T21:21:30+00:00

avoid and monitor results-oriented dopamine highs

learn to love to be wildly addicted to the high of the process-oriented dopamine highs

did she/will-she "say yes"???? - this is TRIVIAL. stop enjoying this and stop treating this like an exciting gamble/rush

did you have your shit together and approached a woman during a quality process that will result in long-term benefit?? - This is SIGNIFICANT. do love this

life is like a softball homerun distance-hitting contest and you get relatively unlimited pitches and relatively limited swings, so get a phat pitch down the middle of your circle of competence and gear your visceral drives to LOVE the process of getting a fat pitch, while limiting/monitoring your tendency to gear your drives toward the result of whether or not you occasionally hit a long-ball.

CaptainBW · 2018-10-24T21:44:41+00:00

I don't avoid dopamine releasing behaviors, I avoid them during certain times and tasks. I reward myself after a bout of productive work with marijuana, for instance. It's created a positive loop. Instead of avoiding something you enjoy, treat it as something to be enjoyed once you've satisfied some condition - once you've earned it.

thechaosz · 2018-10-25T02:25:51+00:00

Sleeping in releases dopamine? Color me shocked.

I'm not really into TV so I'm good there

Zanbutsu · 2018-10-25T03:25:17+00:00

Well even though many of these suggestions may facilitate the process, you should delve into said process itself first, in order to have an object to implement the aforementioned suggestions in the first place.

The degree this nonetheless obvious remark is neglected to is such that it may be wise to consider that it is not really that obvious.

Selentest · 2018-12-13T05:32:04+00:00

It's a tie between video games and mindless surfing.

Title	What are common dopamine releasing behaviors we should try to avoid?
Author	CypressSmallz
Upvotes	108
Comments	147
Date	24 October 2018 12:30 PM UTC (2 years ago)
Subreddit	askTRP
Link	https://theredarchive.com/post/135590
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/9qz7ex/what_are_common_dopamine_releasing_behaviors_we/