Recently smart phone addiction has been a theme in my house with my kids home for summer AND with my clients

Not surprisingly, I am well aware how smart phone (and even social media apps) addiction are the gateway “drug” of choice that leads to other addictions.  (keep reading down below for a great article from doctors on this subject)

Back in 2014 is when I started hitting alcohol pretty heavily to “escape” or numb out by the end of my work day

When I realized or became conscious enough to see my binge drinking “habit” was no longer serving me….it was 6 years later amidst a pandemic in 2020 that slowed me down enough (thankfully, otherwise, I might not be alive today or my liver wouldn’t be)

I had to unpack this deeply because it was such an unconscious habit (the drinking)

As I started to unpack it, studying a life coaching program called “Take a Break from Drinking” with Rachel Hart (who I later had on my podcast), I was blown away by the reminders she taught me about dopamine and the brain

That I already knew about as a health and fitness professional but had repressed….

Alcohol plays a role in releasing dopamine

Much like a smart phone or social media notification releases dopamine

What is the role of dopamine?

Dopamine acts on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Dopamine also has a role to play in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement and other body functions.

It can be released naturally thru exercise, sex, taking a bubble bath, eating yummy food and many other healthy habits and when used in a healthy way, gives you enjoyment in life

But it can also be released by non healthy things too and cause constant cravings…..that can be hard to say no too because it just “feels so good”

As humans, our brains are hard-wired to seek out behaviors that release dopamine in our reward system. When you’re doing something pleasurable, your brain releases a large amount of dopamine. You feel good and you seek more of that feeling. This is why junk food and sugar are so addictive.

And if sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine (alcohol converts to sugar)

What about social media apps and smart phones?

When I went back to the source of my “need” for alcohol dopamine (aka sugar) at the end of my tireless back to back work day (which yes involved a LOT of smart phone use and social media), I realized that alcohol was not my first problem or addictive behavior

It was a symptom of something MUCH deeper and something that is easily consumed 24/7

It all started when I got my first iPhone back in 2011

What else happened in 2011?

I started working with social media DAILY – often first thing in the morning and last thing at night and the apps started coming out like candy at a parade – so many to choose from, so little time

I had to get that “hit” – that “quick fix” of instant gratification (aka dopamine) to feel good.

3 years later, in 2014, I started a binge drinking habit at night AND started to increase my morning coffee intake to calm the near 24/7 dopamine hits I was getting from my smart phone (and I thought everyone “needed” to see my posts, my texts, my messenger messages).

Coincidence?

I think not

They were ALL connected – every last addictive behavior was in sync with the other and my body/mind could NOT keep up

I started gaining weight, stopped working out regularly, having a marriage fall apart and abandoned my kids all for good old smart phone and social media use

Many parents I work with and are parents of my kids’ friends (my kids are 11 and 15) are talking about this “addiction” to phones, screen time and even computers.

Since we home school, we thought nothing of it at first, because they had to use their computers for school work….

But then it got worse….3 years after the pandemic, now we are talking to our kids intently about apps on their phone being a dopamine hit gone bad

Coincidence?

I think not

The compound effect of social media, smart phone use, texting and heavy use of phone apps is something I witness in my clients.  Pretty much almost everyone that comes to me struggles with it in some way, shape or form.

Too many dopamine hits leads to a lot of pain and suffering

With too much dopamine (and yes, too much of a good thing is NOT good), I’ve seen my clients lose focus, they feel depressed, they repeat themselves over and over and start to lag on their healthy habits because they simply don’t have enough energy

They used to say sitting is the new “smoking” and actually started calling sitting at your desk from 9-5,  “sitting disease” – which can lead to cancer and pretty much obesity and any/all health issues.

Now, I call Smart phone overuse, “Smart phone disease” – it is only a matter of time where it may lead to another addiction, like it did me!

Or these “addictions” can lead to simply just not having the energy and shutting down their heart brain and gut brain – which causes emotional roller coasters, gut health issues, sleep issues….the list goes on and on how disconnected we become from our body and start to feel like we are losing our minds

It becomes a vicious cycle

CLICK HERE to read an amazing article talking about smart phone use leading to opioid addiction
Dr. Ann Lembke, a world-leading expert on addiction talks about this at length in that article
Her new book, Dopamine Nation, emphasises that we are now all addicts to a degree. She calls the smartphone the “modern-day hypodermic needle”: we turn to it for quick hits, seeking attention, validation and distraction with each swipe, like and tweet. Since the turn of the millennium, behavioural (as opposed to substance) addictions have soared. Every spare second is an opportunity to be stimulated, whether by entering the TikTok vortex, scrolling Instagram, swiping through Tinder or bingeing on porn, online gambling and e-shopping.

“We’re seeing a huge explosion in the numbers of people struggling with minor addictions,” says Lembke.

Your smart phone, while seemingly “harmless” may just be killing you and you don’t even know it

Can you live without your phone and apps for 24 hours?

If not, then you may have created an unhealthy relationship with your phone that could lead to other challenges in life that cause disconnect, pain and suffering, as well as other addictions that can be much harder to let go of (and trust me, you don’t want that!)

What can you do if this is YOU?

Here are some quick tips of what I did to start breaking the dopamine hit abuse cycle with my smart phone and social media.   These are just a few – I have many more where this came from

1. Take a 24 hour FAST from your smart phone
2. Have set hours/boundaries when you check the phone and only check it 2-3 hours a day unless you have an urgent need
3.  Communicate with clients/friends/family that you are doing this – some of them may be addicted to you being available and that can cause some conflicts
4.  Shut your phone down 2-3 hours before bed
5.  Remove all social media apps or apps that are addictive from your phone for a week – even remove email….that is what your computer for, isn’t it?
6.  Start and/or end your day with meditation instead of your phone
7.  Do an actual cleanse or detox with food/nutrition to help heal the gut and rebalance the happy hormones
8.  Take time out in nature instead of the phone use time for 20-30 min a day
9.  Take a bubble bath to destress instead of scrolling
10.  Take up a breathwork practice or do some yoga to help you move/stretch/breathe more
11.  Consider talking to a therapist or a coach like myself who works with this addiction regularly with clients and can help provide you with a plan with healthy boundaries and possibly getting to the root cause for the “need” for dopamine

You can also consider microdosing with psilocybin or ayhuasca if you have a hard time “shutting down” the brain and want to go inward

I have a great 30 day microdosing jumpstart that is affordable and can help you take a break from smart phone addiction

We can work on setting healthy boundaries with you and your phone

We can get your body mind connection BACK and help prevent future addictions from even starting (or help curb the addictions you already have started)

Let’s get you back to “good” and centered in who you truly are!   A human BEING versus human DOING

I am happy to hop on a free, no strings attached consultation to help guide you thru this

Society has led us to believe that social media and smart phone use is “necessary” and socially acceptable…..but I believe it is the number one killer in America (if not the whole planet)

Life was meant to be LIVED and enjoyed – go outside, play, meet up with friends in person, find the healthy relationships at a gym or community to get those dopamine hits that aren’t synthetic and made out of instant gratification.

You’ve got this!

Let me know how I can help

Email me at support@microdosingforhealth.com if you wanna book that call

It just might save your life or give you your life back

Be encouraged

Magdalena