Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
by Anna Lembke
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Productivity Game animated book review with actionable tips
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Mar, 2022
Spoiler:
Summarizing the premise and main points of Anna Lembke’s Dopamine Nation, this Productivity Game video focuses on the author’s actionable tips for restoring the brain’s pain/pleasure balance. The tips, which correspond to the letters in “dopamine,” range from “mindfulness” to “next (step),” as in once you break the addiction that is sabotaging your brain, how will you proceed to maintain homeostasis? Lembke, who had to break an addiction to reading romance novels at night, says her action plan can help with anything from addiction to sugary drinks to video games to drugs and alcohol.
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Author speech about brain + slides at Stanford
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Mar, 2023
Spoiler:
Explaining that the brain seeks homeostasis, or a perfect balance between pain and pleasure, the author says that we have too many pleasurable options and that the richest countries in the world are also the ones with the most suicides, anxiety, and physical pain. She says we are “bombarding” our dopamine pathways and making our bodies work too hard to restore homeostasis. This leads to anxiety, insomnia, cravings, and depression. She suggests a “dopamine fast” to reset our behaviors and bodies.
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Author presentation + Q&A in Talks at Google format
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Mar, 2023
Spoiler:
The author explains how to reset our dopamine receptors so we can break addictions and experience true pleasure in other things. She notes that her methods work for any type of addiction, whether it’s alcohol, social media, or workaholism. She suggests a four-week “dopamine fast,” meaning a total break from our addiction, noting that most people start to come out of the initial irritation and insomnia around day 10 to 14 and to feel better. The final result will be the ability to take pleasure in simple things again.
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Publications
The Wall Street Journal: Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine
National Public Radio: In 'Dopamine Nation,' Overabundance Keeps Us Craving More
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