“Low Stimulation Protocol” is a memorable name for behavioral training. It is not a literal biological reset of the dopamine system. This protocol is a personal self-experiment, not medical or psychotherapeutic treatment.
Interrupt automatic media use, rebuild tolerance for low-stimulation activities, and practice sustained attention. Changes in calm, focus, or creativity will vary between individuals.
- Spend 15 minutes without deliberate stimulation.
- Immediately read on paper for 15 minutes.
- Use one consistent social-media friction rule.
- Repeat daily without compensating for missed days.
- Put your phone out of reach.
- Turn off music, podcasts, and screens.
- Sit, stand, or walk slowly.
- Use a consistent time when practical.
- Set a 15-minute timer and place it out of sight.
- Do not read, write, plan, or deliberately solve a problem.
- Let thoughts and perceptions come and go.
- Notice restlessness without immediately ending the exercise.
The purpose is not to empty your mind. It is to practice not responding instantly to every internal or external cue.
- Start immediately after Part 1.
- Read a paper book or another long-form printed text.
- Avoid news snippets, short-form content, and parallel devices.
- When you want to check or capture something, notice the urge and continue reading.
Fifteen minutes daily is preferable to an occasional long session.
Choose one option and keep it unchanged for 30 days.
An app such as one sec can insert a brief interruption before selected apps open.
- Complete the interruption.
- Set a short intended session length.
- Close the app when the time ends.
- Do not extend automatically.
- Select a fixed number from 3 to 7.
- Take one slow breath before opening the app.
- Count every scroll.
- Close immediately at the chosen number.
- Pause for three seconds.
If you break the rule, close the app when you notice. Do not punish yourself or restart the entire program.
- No phone in the bathroom
- No phone in the bedroom and a separate alarm clock
- Grayscale mode to make the display subjectively less attractive
- Disable nonessential notifications
Grayscale setup differs between iOS and Android.
Record these values before starting and again after 7 and 30 days:
- average daily screen time
- daily openings of your main social-media app
- longest uninterrupted reading period
- subjective urge to open social media from 0 to 10
- completed protocol days
Improvement is a personal trend, not proof of a specific biological mechanism.
Do not compensate with a double session. Continue normally the next day.
This protocol is not intended to treat ADHD, depression, anxiety, addiction, or other medical conditions. Stop if the exercise substantially increases distress and seek professional support when appropriate.
© 2026 Dopamin Reset Project. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.