A Digital Detox on the W Trek: Rediscovering Purpose Beyond Dopamine

Pratyusha Chintalapudi

While hiking the W Trek, I had a rude awakening. On the first day of the hike, I broke my phone. At first, I was frustrated, but this forced disconnection made me realize just how addicted I was to my phone. I kept reaching for it, hoping to take pictures and videos. I was desperate to capture every moment, but I couldn't. And that's when it hit me: What would my mind do if I let it wander?

In the absence of my phone, I was forced to be present. At first, I felt a little bummed out that I couldn't capture the moments. But as the days went on, I reflected on things I hadn't considered. Without the constant distraction, my mind was free to think deeply. I began to recall childhood passions, painting, cooking, and playing tennis, all of which made me feel alive. I thought about how I used to watch Ciao Italia and then Bob Ross right after. I thought about my love for YouTube and how I used to watch makeup tutorials and fitness content. I thought about this for hours. It's fascinating how when we are stripped of the instant rewards that the phone gives us, the mind naturally starts to wander, sparking creativity and deep reflection on our passions and purpose.

As a child, I remember telling everyone I wanted to be a chef because I loved cooking and baking so much. I also wanted to be a YouTuber because I saw my favorite creators living this beautiful life, and they so inspired me. I lost touch with these passions. Instead, I became fixated on "doing it right." I convinced myself I needed to pick and stick to one thing. That pursuing multiple interests would mean I wasn't taking things seriously enough. I started questioning why I wasn't allowing myself to be a more creative, playful, and me. Then, I started thinking about my relationship with my phone. Was I creating content for myself or others? Was I chasing validation instead of true expression? The more I reflected, the more I realized that my social media presence had become an attempt to fit into a box that didn't feel like mine anymore. I realized I want to explore my interests more, my love for cooking, health, fitness, and YouTube, and see what happens! It's fascinating how when we are stripped of the instant rewards that the phone gives us, the mind naturally starts to wander, sparking creativity and deep reflection on our passions and purpose.

After the trek, the reality of not having a phone set in. There were moments when I felt incredibly bored, especially at night. I'm guilty of doom-scrolling at night, and being unable to do that made me realize how reliant I had become on my phone. I missed the dopamine hits, the text messages, and the notifications. I wanted to share my experiences with others, post pictures, and create videos, but I couldn't. I wasn't getting the instant feedback or validation I used to. I had to face the uncomfortable thought of whether I was creating content, coaching, or helping others for the dopamine hits and validation.

 At its core, dopamine is about motivation, reward, and reinforcement. It's the chemical that drives us to seek things we believe will benefit us: food, social connection, and achievement. In The Guardian, it says, "We've forgotten how to be alone with our thoughts. As Lembke puts it, we're forever 'interrupting ourselves for a quick digital hit, meaning we rarely concentrate on taxing tasks for long or get into a creative flow." I realized that I had fallen into this trap; I was constantly interrupting myself and distracted by my phone. Source: The Guardian."

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that without the dopamine from my phone, I was forced to think about what truly made me happy and what mattered to me. Without constant distractions, my creativity flowed. I thought about my health journey, my time as a vegan in high school, what food meant to me, and how I could integrate my culture into my health coaching practice. The Guardian also states, "As the brain's major reward and pleasure neurotransmitter, dopamine drives us to seek pizza when we're hungry and sex when we're aroused. Scientists use dopamine to measure 'the addictive potential of any experience.' The higher the dopamine is released, the more addictive the thing." I could see this clearly in my behavior. The phone wasn't just a tool but a source of constant dopamine hits that fed me validation and feedback. But with no phone, I felt something deeper, something more decadent. Source: The Guardian."

The trek was a reminder that I have passions, passions that are not tied to my phone or social media. I realized I needed to make my life more fun and interesting instead of endlessly scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. I've always wanted to start a podcast and YouTube channel, and the more I reflected, the more I understood why. I've always had a voice inside me, and I had been ignoring it because I was addicted to digital distractions.

The Guardian explains, "Our obsession with instant gratification means we're constantly living in our limbic brain, which processes emotions, rather than in our prefrontal cortex, which deals with future planning and problem-solving." This resonated with me. The constant need for instant gratification was keeping me stuck, and I was avoiding the more profound work that required more focus and planning. Source: The Guardian.

Without the dopamine hits from my phone, I was forced to sit with myself, my thoughts, and even my discomfort. And instead of chasing the next quick fix, I discovered a sense of presence, resilience, and clarity.

I also began to reflect on the addictive nature of social media. Social media uses strategies like variable rewards (likes, comments, notifications), social validation, infinite scroll, and FOMO to keep us hooked. It's all designed to trigger our dopamine system and keep us engaged. The longer I'm on it, the worse I feel afterward. According to Scope, "Our brains aren't equipped to process the millions of comparisons the virtual world demands. We can become overwhelmed by our inability to measure up to these 'perfect' people who exist only in The Matrix. We give up trying and sink into depression, or what neuroscientists call 'learned helplessness. Upon signing off, the brain is plunged into a dopamine-deficit state as it attempts to adapt to the unnaturally high levels of dopamine social media just released. This is why social media often feels good while engaging with it but horrible as soon as we stop. Source: Scope Blog." What happens when we focus on what truly brings us joy rather than seeking validation from others?

This trip reminded me that I don't need constant external validation to feel fulfilled. I was able to enjoy my experiences without comparing them to others. I wasn't looking to post pictures to get likes or comments. I was living in the moment, doing things that made me happy, and that's when I realized the dopamine detox didn't make me feel deprived. It made me feel more alive.

Stepping away from the constant buzz of my phone gave me the courage to explore the ideas I had always had. It gave me clarity and reignited my passion for creating content, not for validation but because it truly fulfills me. I love documenting my life and creating content that will help people. I realized from being away from my phone that I wanted to create content my younger self wanted to develop but was too scared to post.

In the end, it's all about finding balance. As a creator, social media is a tool, but I do think it's important to ask, why am I posting this? Am I sharing my message because I believe it will help others, or am I simply chasing the dopamine hits? The insights I gained during the W Trek have given me the courage to continue exploring my passions and creativity but with a deeper understanding of why I'm doing it.food meant to me, and how I could integrate my culture into my health coaching practice. The Guardian also states, “As the brain’s major reward and pleasure neurotransmitter, dopamine drives us to seek pizza when we’re hungry and sex when we’re aroused. Scientists use dopamine to measure ‘the addictive potential of any experience.’ The higher the dopamine release, the more addictive the thing.” I could see this clearly in my behavior. The phone wasn’t just a tool, it was a source of constant dopamine hits, feeding me validation and feedback. But with no phone, I felt something deeper, something richer. Source: The Guardian."

The trek was a reminder that I have passions, passions that are not tied to my phone or social media. I realized that I needed to make my life more fun and interesting instead of endlessly scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. I’ve always wanted to start a podcast and YouTube channel, and the more I reflected, the more I understood why. I’ve always had a voice inside me, and I had been ignoring it because I was addicted to digital distractions.

The Guardian explains, “Our obsession with instant gratification means we’re constantly living in our limbic brain, which processes emotions, rather than in our prefrontal cortex, which deals with future planning and problem-solving.” This really resonated with me. The constant need for instant gratification was keeping me stuck. I was avoiding the deeper work, the things that required more focus and planning. Source: The Guardian."

Without the dopamine hits from my phone, I was forced to sit with myself, my thoughts, and even my discomfort. And instead of chasing the next quick fix, I discovered a sense of presence, resilience, and clarity.

I also began to reflect on the addictive nature of social media. Social media uses strategies like variable rewards (likes, comments, notifications), social validation, infinite scroll, and FOMO to keep us hooked. It’s all designed to trigger our dopamine system and keep us engaged. The longer I'm on it though the worse I feel afterwards. According to Scope, “Our brains aren't equipped to process the millions of comparisons the virtual world demands. We can become overwhelmed by our inability to measure up to these 'perfect' people who exist only in The Matrix. We give up trying and sink into depression, or what neuroscientists call ‘learned helplessness. Upon signing off, the brain is plunged into a dopamine-deficit state as it attempts to adapt to the unnaturally high levels of dopamine social media just released. This is why social media often feels good while we're engaging with it but horrible as soon as we stop. Source: Scope Blog." What happens when we focus on the things that truly bring us joy, rather than seeking validation from others?

For me, this trip was a reminder that I don’t need constant external validation to feel fulfilled. I was able to enjoy my experiences without comparing them to others. I wasn’t looking to post pictures just to get likes or comments. I was living in the moment, doing things that made me happy, and that’s when I realized, the dopamine detox didn’t make me feel deprived. It made me feel more alive.

Stepping away from the constant buzz of my phone gave me the courage to explore the ideas I had always had. It gave me clarity and reignited my passion for creating content, not for validation, but because it truly fulfills me. I love documenting my life and creating content that I think will help people. I realized from being away from my phone that I want to create content that my younger self wanted to create but was too scared to post.

In the end, it’s all about finding balance. As a creator, social media is a tool, but I do think its important to ask, why am I posting this? Am I sharing my message because I believe it will help others, or am I simply chasing the dopamine hits? The insights I gained during the W Trek have given me the courage to continue exploring my passions and creativity but with a deeper understanding of why I’m doing it.

Sources:

• The Guardian - How Digital Media Turned Us All Into Dopamine Addicts

• Scope Blog - Addictive Potential of Social Media Explained