HOUSTON — Ironically, you may have heard about this on your feed.
People are taking a break from activities that give them a quick boost, like checking social media, gaming, or streaming a favorite show. Those things often give you a little hit of something called dopamine. The goal of a dopamine detox is to take a break from getting those dopamine hits to recalibrate your brain's reward pathway.
So does it work?
According to Medical News Today, not in the way people think. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter naturally produced by the body that acts as a chemical messenger.
There is no way we can stop dopamine production by just altering our behavior. Brain chemistry is a lot more complicated than that and dopamine is just one neurochemical associated with happiness.
That doesn't mean a dopamine detox can't have a positive impact. While you are not actually rewiring your brain, you can use a detox to take a closer look at your behavior.
If you cut out social media for a short period of time and start feeling anxious, then it might be time to reevaluate how you are using it. Experts suggest slowing down, taking a walk or cooking a meal to reset your behavior instead of trying to rewire your brain.