Dopamine Detox: How To Stop Overstimulation Ruining Your Life - Hector Hughes

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Jul 27, 2023

Hector Hughes, co-founder of Unplugged, specializes in digital detoxes to combat burnout in our hyper-connected world. He shares his journey from overcoming burnout to launching a business that offers retreats in nature. The discussion dives into the detrimental effects of excessive screen time on mental well-being and productivity. Hector emphasizes the importance of unplugging to foster deeper connections, enhances emotional awareness, and improve overall health, wrapping up with practical tips for a healthier relationship with technology.

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ANECDOTE

Burnout and Retreat

Hector Hughes experienced burnout after working at a tech startup for three years.
A silent retreat in the Himalayas, where his phone was taken away, transformed him.

INSIGHT

Recognizing Burnout

Burnout involves feeling unlike yourself and lacking excitement for life.
Low-key burnout, characterized by dissatisfaction, is widespread.

INSIGHT

Burnout vs. Dissatisfaction

Burnout symptoms often overlap with depression.
It's unclear when normal job dissatisfaction becomes actionable burnout.

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No More Mr. Nice Guy

A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex and Life

Robert Glover

In 'No More Mr. Nice Guy', Dr. Robert Glover provides a roadmap for men to break free from the thought patterns and behaviors associated with 'Nice Guy Syndrome'. The book helps men understand how their childhood experiences and societal pressures can lead to chronic people-pleasing, passive-aggression, and dishonesty. Glover offers practical advice and exercises to help men reclaim their personal power, set boundaries, handle conflict, and develop satisfying relationships. The book emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance, authenticity, and prioritizing one's own needs to achieve success in various aspects of life.

Digital Minimalism

Cal Newport

In 'Digital Minimalism', Cal Newport argues that we need to be more intentional about the technologies we allow into our lives. He proposes a philosophy of digital minimalism, where individuals focus their online time on activities that strongly support their values and ignore the rest. The book highlights the negative effects of behavioral addictions created by technology, such as solitude deprivation and the fleeting nature of social media satisfaction. Newport suggests a 30-day 'digital declutter' process and other practices to help readers integrate digital minimalism into their lives, emphasizing the importance of optimizing technology use to support personal goals and values[2][3][5].

Flow

The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

In this classic work, Csikszentmihalyi investigates 'optimal experience' and reveals that true happiness and satisfaction can be achieved through a state of consciousness called 'flow.' During flow, individuals experience complete concentration on the task, clarity of goals, and immediate feedback. The book demonstrates how this positive state can be controlled and how it can improve the quality of life by unlocking meaning, creativity, and peak performance.

Feel-Good Productivity

How to Do More of What Matters to You

Ali Abdal

In 'Feel-Good Productivity,' Dr. Ali Abdaal challenges the conventional notion that productivity is about hard work and discipline. Instead, he argues that the secret to productivity is feeling good. Drawing on decades of psychological research, Abdaal introduces the three hidden 'energisers' that underpin enjoyable productivity, the three 'blockers' to overcome procrastination, and the three 'sustainers' to prevent burnout. The book includes inspiring stories from founders, Olympians, and Nobel-winning scientists and provides simple, actionable changes to make work more enjoyable and sustainable. Abdaal's approach focuses on cultivating a deeper energy for work, balancing well-being with productivity, and enjoying the journey.

The Happiness Hypothesis

Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Jonathan Haidt

In 'The Happiness Hypothesis,' Jonathan Haidt delves into the nature of happiness, fulfillment, and meaning. He discusses the division of the self into two parts: the primitive limbic system and the rational neocortex, using the metaphor of a rider and an elephant to explain the relationship between conscious and unconscious processes. Haidt examines 'Great Ideas' from ancient thinkers like Plato, Buddha, and Jesus, and evaluates them in light of contemporary psychological research. He argues that happiness is influenced by both internal and external factors, including biological set points, life conditions, and voluntary activities. The book also explores the importance of social relationships, the role of adversity in personal growth, and the concept of 'vital engagement' in work and life[2][3][5].

In a world where we’re always on, always attuned to the constant buzz of notifications and glued to the never ending scroll, it’s no wonder that overstimulation and burnout are on the rise. Globally, people have an of average 6 hours 58 minutes of screen time per day (according to the Average Screen Time Stats 2023) and when you look at an entire week that’s over 46hrs, almost two whole days a week, spent on devices - which is pretty mind blowing. But what kind of impact is this time spent on the digital hamster wheel having on our focus, motivation and overall health? How do we block out the noise and focus on what really matters to be happier and healthier people. Today I’m joined by Hector Hughes. Hector is the co-founder of Unplugged who provide digital detoxes at minimalist, off-grid cabins in nature across the UK to help the always-on, switch off. In the episode, we’ll talk about how Hector started his business after overcoming burnout, all things digital detox and how important it is to unplug in our increasingly digital dependent world, what the consequences are if we don’t and a few hacks for developing a healthier relationship with tech. Enjoy!

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Season 6 Episode 8

00:00 Intro
01:16 Book
04:18 Your experience with burnout
07:01 What are the signs of burnout
18:05 3 types of burnout
25:07 Struggling to have feelings
32:20 Trauma and psychosexual therapy
36:06 What if you just turned down your fear
46:06 Daily challenges to self-worth
50:40 Experiencing a silent retreat
53:54 Meditation practice
58:49 Overstimulation and developing self-awareness
01:05:21 Eye opening moments from the retreat
01:13:22 Taking the space and time matters
01:21:18 How Unplugged cabins work

🔗 CONNECT WITH HECTOR

💻 Website

📸 Instagram

👥 Linkedin

🔗 CONNECT WITH ALI

📲 Join My Telegram Community - https://t.me/+bH5gLHty5kBiOGZk

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - https://geni.us/7YhPe
The Happiness Hypothesis: Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science by Jonathan Haidt - https://geni.us/RZ9BZ18
Peter Crone: The Mind Architect - https://www.petercrone.com/
No More Mr Nice Guy by Dr Robert Glover - https://geni.us/tek2No

📄SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

Visit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/

🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST

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