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• By Daniel Robledo
😄 How to Rediscover Joy in Life
read time: 04 minutes
Welcome back to The Checkpoint, where every Monday, we pause, reflect, and level up our lives.
☑️ Today's Summary:
How I used a dopamine detox to rekindle my joy in video games—and in life.
The three phases of the dopamine detox and the truths they revealed.
How you can try this experiment for yourself—without sacrificing your productivity or social life.
🎲 Why I Tried a Dopamine Detox
Let’s be real: working in game development is intense. It’s a dream job, sure—but sometimes we can enter into a loophole of making-playing-making-playing games... which sucks, to be honest.
That was me. Video games, once my go-to for fun and relaxation, felt empty. Music, shows, even books—nothing sparked joy. Worse yet, I couldn’t truly rest. You know that feeling when you’re trying to relax but guilt just won’t let you? Yeah, that was me.
Here’s the twist: It wasn’t just burnout. It was dopamine overload.
I stumbled upon a video by Koi where he detailed his dopamine detox protocol which I found very insightful. Maybe the issue wasn’t the activities themselves but how my brain had been conditioned to seek constant high levels of stimulation. It was time to hit reset.
1. The Rapid Thought Stage The first few days were brutal. My mind was a chaotic mess. Racing thoughts, constant noise. It was like my brain was doing anything it could to avoid the silence.
I had to write down every thought to keep my mind from overflowing. But honestly? 90% were useless. They were just distractions in disguise.
2. The Boredom Stage Then came the boredom—crushing, relentless boredom. I'm not a person who struggles too much with boredom; I like being alone with my thoughts. But you know, there's a difference between spending a couple of minutes and a couple of HOURS doing nothing in your day.
But here’s the thing: boredom is crucial. It clears out the mental clutter. Once I embraced it, I started hearing a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time—my inner voice.
3. The Inner Voice Stage This is where the magic happened. With all the noise and boredom out of the way, my inner voice finally spoke up. I found clarity in unexpected places:
I wanted more purpose in my life, leading me to switch careers to teaching and start volunteering.
I also rediscovered the joy in simpler things. I no longer needed intense dopamine hits to enjoy life. Video games were fun again, but so were sculpting, playing the guitar, or singing—hobbies I hadn't gotten myself to try until now.
My very first clay sculpture 😁
🎮 Why This Worked (And How You Can Try It)
Here’s the science: Dr La Rosa tells us that high-dopamine activities—like video games, social media, and even music—condition your brain to expect high levels of stimulation.
According to a study from Stanford University, prolonged exposure to high-dopamine stimuli reduces your brain’s sensitivity to pleasure, making everyday activities feel dull in comparison.
Harvard Medical School research shows that periodic dopamine “fasts” can restore neural sensitivity, helping you find joy in simpler things again.
It’s like needing 100 units of dopamine to feel joy because you’ve been consistently overdosing on it. When you reset, suddenly, smaller things—30 units of dopamine—are enough to make you smile again.
I now plan to do a one-week dopamine detox every quarter—just to keep things balanced.
💡How to apply this concept TODAY:
Want to try this for yourself? Here’s a simplified version of the protocol I followed:
1. Set Clear Rules
No high-dopamine activities for 7 days
2. Track Your Thoughts
Journal daily. Write down every thought, especially in the first phase.
3. Expect and Embrace Boredom
Push through the boredom and resist the temptation to break the rules.
4. Rediscover Joy
After 7 days, gradually reintroduce activities, but do them intentionally.
I’d love to hear your experiences! Reply to this email and let me know how it goes—what worked, what didn’t, and how you felt.
✍️ Week's Quote
“
The moment I’m in right now... I want to keep it forever.
— Hinata Shoyo
❤️ Favorites Of The Week
🕹️Videogame
Everhood
I know I told you not to play video games this week, but you can always add more titles to your backlog for when you come back... And yeah, if you haven't played Everhood, go play it, it's good shit.
If you're trying the dopamine detox for yourself and you want something to get your hands on with this new free time, I think this book is an excellent beginner-friendly introduction to reading philosophy.
I'm so happy that Charlie from "Charisma On Command" is back. He's always been one of my favorite creators because he seems so friendly and real. And having Steven Barlett interview him is just the cherry on top of this comeback of his.
👀 Making Games and Living a Live is Still Possible
If you have known me for a long time, you know I'm a time-management freak... But I believe that time is our most precious resource, and I think learning to manage it well, its truly a no-brainer.