The Protocol That Changed My Life (Dopamine Detox)

Summary

In this video, the speaker recounts how a breakup and the global lockdown in April 2020 led to an unexpected period of 'dopamine detox' that saved their life. With no alcohol, socialization, or distractions, they discovered true happiness and peace by focusing on self-reflection and meditation. The speaker advocates for a seven-day dopamine detox involving limited screen time, no YouTube, abstaining from adult content, and daily meditation to reset focus and find joy in life's simple pleasures, suggesting it as a powerful tool for personal growth and fulfillment.

Takeaways

• 💔 The speaker experienced a breakup in April 2020, coinciding with the start of global lockdowns.
• 🌍 They were in Cape Town, South Africa, with a friend, unable to leave the house or engage in usual activities.
• 🚫 During this time, alcohol was banned, and socialization was limited, forcing the speaker into a dopamine detox.
• 😊 Despite the restrictions, the speaker found this period to be some of the happiest months of their life.
• 🧘 Dopamine detox helped the speaker find peace and happiness again, and it's a method to reset focus and attention levels.
• 💰 The speaker was already successful, making millions at the age of 20, but found that money didn't bring happiness beyond a certain point.
• 🔄 The speaker felt jaded and accomplished everything they wanted at a young age, leading to a desire for a reset.
• 🏠 Being stuck in a foreign country during lockdowns led to a three-month dopamine detox, which had a profound impact.
• 📵 The detox involved no alcohol, no socializing, and minimal phone usage, leading to a deeper appreciation for life's simple pleasures.
• 🧘‍♂️ Meditation played a significant role in the detox process, helping the speaker to feel grounded and centered.
• 🔄 The speaker recommends a seven-day dopamine detox with specific pillars: limited phone use, no YouTube, no adult films, and daily meditation.

Q & A

What significant event in the narrator's life occurred in April 2020?

The narrator was one month into a breakup and experienced a global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a period of dopamine detox.

Why was the narrator unable to engage in certain activities during the lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa?

The lockdown restrictions were strict, prohibiting activities such as going for a run, and there were no flights in or out of South Africa, leaving the narrator stranded.

How did the narrator describe their state of happiness during the lockdown?

Despite the challenging circumstances, the narrator described those months as some of the happiest of their life due to the forced dopamine detox.

What is dopamine detox and how did it benefit the narrator?

Dopamine detox is a process of abstaining from activities that provide instant gratification and can lead to a high level of focus and performance. For the narrator, it helped them find peace and happiness again.

At what age did the narrator start their business and achieve significant financial success?

The narrator started their business at the age of 16 and achieved significant financial success by the time they were 20 years old.

What realization did the narrator come to after achieving financial success?

The narrator realized that making more money did not increase their happiness and they felt a lack of dopamine from the things people typically aspire to.

What was the narrator's state of mind after achieving all they wanted at a young age?

The narrator felt jaded and questioned what to do next after achieving everything they wanted, indicating a need for a reset.

How did the lockdown and dopamine detox impact the narrator's daily life and habits?

The lockdown and dopamine detox led to a significant reduction in phone usage, no alcohol consumption, celibacy, and an increase in meditation, which contributed to a deeper appreciation for life's simple pleasures.

What are the four pillars of a dopamine detox as recommended by the narrator?

The four pillars are limiting phone screen time to one hour a day, no YouTube, abstaining from adult films, and practicing 10 minutes of meditation daily.

What is the 'monk mode' protocol mentioned by the narrator, and how does it relate to dopamine detox?

Monk mode is a protocol formulated by the narrator to sustainably integrate habits post-dopamine detox. It is a continuation of the practices initiated during the detox to maintain focus and a high level of performance.

How does the narrator suggest using dopamine detox as a tool for personal growth?

The narrator suggests using dopamine detox as a tool to reset focus levels, improve motivation for health and fitness goals, and as a means to appreciate the little things in life, ultimately leading to personal growth.

Outlines

00:00

💔 Breakup and Pandemic Lead to Dopamine Detox

The speaker shares a personal story of how a breakup and the global lockdown in April 2020 led to an unexpected period of dopamine detoxification. Stuck in Cape Town, South Africa, with no alcohol, socialization, or travel, the speaker found happiness and peace during this time. The experience is described as a way to reclaim life and perform at a high level, with the speaker emphasizing the benefits of dopamine detox for resetting focus and attention. The story provides context about the speaker's background, including achieving financial success at a young age, and the subsequent realization that more money did not equate to more happiness. The speaker also mentions creating content about the best business models for online income, which was well-received by the audience.

05:01

🧘 Implementing a Dopamine Detox for Personal Growth

The speaker provides a brief overview of how to implement a dopamine detox, a process they describe as a 'hard reset' rather than a long-term lifestyle. The detox involves limiting phone screen time to one hour per day, abstaining from YouTube for seven days to avoid non-educational content, refraining from watching adult films to conserve energy and motivation, and meditating for at least 10 minutes daily. After the initial seven-day detox, the speaker suggests integrating sustainable habits through a protocol called 'monk mode,' which they have detailed in other videos. The speaker highlights the benefits of a dopamine detox for various goals, such as building an online business, improving physical fitness, or simply appreciating life's simple pleasures.

Keywords

💡Breakup

A breakup refers to the end of a romantic relationship. In the video's context, the speaker was going through a breakup in April 2020, which coincided with the beginning of the global lockdown. This period of personal change and isolation is a significant backdrop for the speaker's journey towards self-improvement and dopamine detox.

💡Dopamine detox

Dopamine detox is a process of abstaining from activities that trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, to reset one's focus and attention levels. The speaker credits this practice with helping them find peace and happiness during a challenging time, as it allowed them to appreciate the simple joys of life without external stimulation.

💡Lockdown

A lockdown is a restriction on movement or activity, typically implemented by authorities in response to a crisis. The script mentions the lockdown in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the speaker to stay at home and inadvertently led to a period of dopamine detox.

💡Cape Town

Cape Town is a city in South Africa where the speaker was located during the lockdown. The mention of Cape Town provides a geographical context for the speaker's experience and the restrictions they faced, contributing to the circumstances that led to the dopamine detox.

💡Alcohol ban

An alcohol ban refers to a prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, often implemented for public health or safety reasons. In the script, the speaker mentions the alcohol ban during the lockdown as one of the factors that contributed to their unintentional dopamine detox.

💡Focus levels

Focus levels refer to the degree of concentration or attention one can maintain on a task or activity. The video suggests that dopamine detox can help reset and improve focus levels, allowing individuals to perform better and achieve their goals more effectively.

💡Monk mode

Monk mode is a protocol or lifestyle that the speaker has formulated, which seems to involve practices similar to a dopamine detox but in a more sustainable manner. The term is used to describe a way of life that promotes simplicity, discipline, and mindfulness, which the speaker believes can lead to profound personal changes.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. In the video, the speaker recommends 10 minutes of daily meditation as part of the dopamine detox process, emphasizing its grounding effects and its role in helping them reconnect with life's simple pleasures.

💡YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform often used for entertainment, education, or self-improvement content. The speaker advises against using YouTube during the initial seven-day period of a dopamine detox, suggesting that much of the content, even if seemingly educational, can be more distracting than beneficial.

💡Adult films

Adult films refer to sexually explicit videos, which the speaker includes as one of the activities to abstain from during a dopamine detox. The rationale is that such content can drain energy and motivation, and the speaker believes it's important to avoid these during the detox period to reset one's dopamine levels.

💡Online business

An online business refers to a commercial enterprise conducted over the internet. The speaker mentions building an online business as one of the goals that can benefit from improved focus levels post-dopamine detox, suggesting that the discipline and clarity gained can be instrumental in achieving financial success.

Highlights

A breakup and the COVID-19 lockdown led to an unexpected period of dopamine detox that saved the speaker's life.

The speaker was in Cape Town, South Africa, during the lockdown with a friend, unable to leave the house for anything but essential trips.

Despite the restrictions, the lockdown period was one of the happiest times of the speaker's life due to the dopamine detox.

Dopamine detox is a method to reset focus and attention levels, leading to high-level performance.

The speaker was 20 years old, making millions of dollars a year, and had been doing so since starting a business at 16.

Earning more than $10,000 a month did not add extra enjoyment to the speaker's life.

The speaker felt jaded and uninterested in material possessions, despite being able to afford anything.

The lockdown provided a forced dopamine detox, leading to a rediscovery of peace and happiness.

The speaker experienced profound changes in health, relationships, and business after the detox.

Dopamine detox allowed the speaker to appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like watching sunsets.

A dopamine detox involves a hard reset for seven days, with specific pillars to follow.

Limiting phone screen time to one hour per day is the first pillar of the dopamine detox.

Avoiding YouTube for seven days is the second pillar, as it is often a source of entertainment rather than education.

The third pillar is abstaining from adult films, which can drain energy and motivation.

Meditation for 10 minutes a day is the fourth pillar, helping to ground and balance the individual.

After the detox, integrating sustainable habits is key, which can be achieved through a protocol called 'Monk Mode'.

The speaker encourages viewers to try a dopamine detox as a powerful tool for personal growth and resetting one's life.

Transcripts

let me tell you about how a breakup and

the craziest world event to happen in

the last seven years led to dopamine

detox saving my life

and i get the feeling that if you stick

around for the rest of this video it

could save your life too so to tell the

story we need to take it back to april

of 2020. i was one month into a breakup

and the entire world was locking down

stay at home i was in cape town south

africa with one of my best friends stuck

in the house i mean we weren't even

allowed to leave to go for a run it was

insane and even worse there was no

flights in or out of south africa so i

was literally just stuck and yet it was

in this period where i couldn't drink

you know because it was a ban on buying

alcohol i couldn't drink i couldn't

socialize i literally couldn't do

anything except for be at home and work

and just be with myself and with all of

that being said

those were some of the happiest months

of my entire life you see dopamine detox

is an incredible way to reclaim your

life and really start performing at a

high level in fact i made a video all

about it

now for 99 of people the real use case

for a dopamine detox is that is resets

your focus levels and your attention

levels so that way you can go ahead and

crush your goals but for me personally

being forced into a dopamine detox while

the entire world was shut down what it

really did was help me find peace and

happiness again now just for a little

bit of context for anyone new to the

channel back in april of 2020 when you

know i was basically forced into

dopamine detox i was 20 years old and i

was making millions of dollars a year

and i had been for a few years ever

since i started my business back when i

was 16. i spent years climbing to the

top of the hill and achieving everything

that i wanted to achieve while i was

still in my teens in fact i even

documented the entire process on my

youtube ever since the age of 15. and

honestly anything above making 10 000 a

month added very little extra enjoyment

to my life but getting to ten thousand

dollars a month should be one of your

number one priorities especially

considering just how many vehicles and

opportunities there are in order to

accomplish that in fact if you want to

learn how i spent three to four days

locked myself into this room and assess

the best six to eight business models

out there to truly give you the answer

as to what is the best way to make a

hundred thousand dollars a year online

in 2022 that was probably one of my most

well received videos in the last year so

people absolutely loved it found tons of

value so i'll go ahead and leave that as

the first link in the description it'll

just take you to another youtube video

no website or landing page or anything

like that anyways for me once i got past

that 10 let's say even 20 or 30 000 a

month level i started to face a new

challenge no extra amount of money made

me any happier in fact i got to a point

where i have received no dopamine from

all the things that people aspire to in

life you know i got to a point where i

was 20 years old and quite frankly you

know over the space the last two two and

a half years it's got even even worse as

i've grown my businesses and my

investments but i got to a point where i

would walk into a store and there was

just literally nothing i couldn't buy

like you know i could buy any supercar i

wanted realistically i could buy any

watch i wanted realistically i could buy

i don't know i just didn't need to look

at the price like the bill would come

and you know it's like folded over in a

little deck i just i wouldn't even

bother to look at the bill why would i i

know some of you guys are going cool cry

me a river but really it gets to a point

where you almost feel a little jaded and

you're like wow i accomplished all of

this at such a young age and i got

everything that everyone ever wanted so

what now i need a reset i needed to wipe

the slate clean and when the entire

world shut down and i was stuck in a

house well you know i can't complain it

was a really nice five six bedroom villa

but still nonetheless you know i was

stuck inside i couldn't leave the house

i couldn't socialize i couldn't see my

friends from london i couldn't

travel i couldn't do anything i mean i

was literally stuck in a foreign country

i was forced into dopamine detox for

three months i didn't have a sip of

alcohol for three months i went fully

celibate i mean i said i was stuck in a

foreign country and you could only leave

to go to supermarkets so for three

months i mean literally the only female

i even spoke to was uh you know some of

the staff working at the supermarkets

for three months while a lot of people

actually ramped up their phone usage

during you know the lockdowns and stuff

like that i actually had some of the

lowest phone usage i'd ever had and that

probably parlayed into the next reason

which is for three months i had some of

the best absolutely best meditations

i've ever had a dopamine detox allowed

me to truly enjoy the little things in

life again to the point where at the end

of the day i would watch the sunset with

my friend while we were having a you

know a cup of tea so what dopamine detox

does is it brings you closer to who you

truly are when you remove all of these

external influences and all of this

input coming your way then as i said

really what's left is the true you and

when you do this this is where you have

the profound changes where you know you

level up with your health with your

relationships with your business

whatever it may be or for me personally

it was an experience where like i was

like wow i love life again like as weird

as that sounds like it was an experience

where i was like wow there's true you

know there's truly beauty in the little

things and and that was something that

was really powerful for me but anyways i

know a lot of you guys might be

wondering okay this is super cool man

but like how do i actually implement a

dopamine detox well i recorded a full

video on it on my channel probably like

two months ago or something but i'll

give you just quick cliff notes right

now now the protocol that i use and i

recommend is that a dopamine detox is

really just a hard reset okay so that

shouldn't be something that you're doing

for you know months and months and

months it's like it's a shock to the

system but it's for a short period of

time okay so for me a dopamine detox is

a hard reset for seven days and it

comprises of a few pillars now my

pillars are slightly different to you

know what i recommend for other people

for people who want to try dopamine

detox these are the four pillars you

should implement the first pillar is

limiting your phone screen time to just

an hour a day the second pillar is no

youtube i know that a lot of you guys

you know if you're watching this right

now and this is education to you and

that's totally fine you know youtube you

can really find some gems but let's be

honest 95 of youtube even like the

productivity stuff

you're not really learning anything

right you're just like

it's just entertainment really more than

anything so that's number two you can

reintegrate youtube after seven days but

for the seven days no youtube

number three no

adult films we'll say this is something

that drains men specifically of so much

energy um and just

just so much motivation right um when

you do the deed you're basically

biologically signaling to your body like

hey we've accomplished something when

you've quite literally accomplished

nothing so that's number three no adult

you know adult films and the fourth

pillar is 10 minutes a day of meditation

even just 10 minutes a day for seven

days you will feel so much more grounded

trust me you know there have even been

periods of my life in the past where i'm

like i kind of feel like off center off

balance and i'm like well yeah i haven't

meditated for like three weeks so like

dummy like what do you expect now after

seven days you need to integrate some of

these habits more sustainably and that's

actually where i formulated a protocol

called monk mode and i've shot quite a

few videos on that you can look through

my channel and you know you'll find

actually how to implement that now

whether you're doing a dopamine detox in

order to reset your focus level so that

way you know you can really you know put

your head down and build up to ten

thousand dollars a month with your

personal income by building an online

business so whether you're trying to do

that or you're trying to get you know

jacked and you know or lose weight and

you need the motivation for that or for

example for me dopamine detox is a great

thing to do when i'm just feeling a

little like i'm just feeling a little

jaded right and i'm just like feeling

like

you know i'm not appreciating the little

things in life so whatever you use it

for it is a very powerful tool and a

tool you should continue to use in your

arsenal so try it out i guarantee it'll

be a game changer and let me know in the

comments your experience with it if

you've tried in the past