After coming across a video on TikTok about the low dopamine morning routine, I decided to look more into it.
…But not before deleting the app itself.
The low dopamine morning routine is where you spend the first hour awake, not looking at your phone. Some people use that time to do a task that is more mundane, such as reading a book or doing exercise, but for those of us that struggle with motivation, starting as small as waking up and getting into the shower might be best.
By using the first hour of your day doing something like reading a book instead of scrolling through social media, it’s said that your brain will be less inclined to seek out ways it can get faster dopamine hits, thus delaying the dopamine that you will receive from it.
I noticed a difference between how I feel when I don’t use social media immediately when I wake up, than when I do. Improved concentration, as I’m not constantly picking up my phone and scrolling through social media.
I have also found that frequently deleting apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter – uh, sorry – X, has helped me with my screen time. I have tried the trick where you remove the app from your homepage, however I found that my brain just got used to “I have to search for TikTok on my phone to use it” which didn’t really help.
Deleting social media apps on my phone completely has significantly reduced the amount of time I spend scrolling on social media, because of the amount of steps required to access the app again. Do I really want to go to the app-store, download the app, enter my phone number, wait to receive a code that I should enter and then click through all of the app’s pop-ups just to watch a 1 minute video, or read a funny tweet?
However, I have not stopped consuming content entirely. I have to fill my free-time with something, right?
Introducing: Long-form videos!
What are long-form videos, you ask? Long-form videos, particularly YouTube videos, are longer videos (25+ minutes) that can be in the form of podcasts or video essays. I find them very interesting and informative, as they often cover engaging topics or pop culture. For me, I enjoy having videos like these in the background while I work on something else, like household chores or a knitting project I am working on.
