LETTER TO SELF ON EXPERIENCE OF DOPAMINE DETOX

To Mr. Arthur Aranha

Dear Mr. Arthur Aranha,(Original)

I know you reluctantly joined the Dopamine Detox webinar and activity started by Dr. Bhagyesh Kulkarni and Smt. Gayatri Kulkarni on 12th May. It was more out of curiosity that you joined. Did it make any difference to your daily routine?

Yes. It provided you with a opportunity to introspect on those areas where you have been excessively concentrating giving a go bye to other activities in your life. I know you are committed to spreading knowledge among others and for that you need to use the digital media quite a bit. But have you realised that you are using it for almost 10 to 11 hours a day. This is too much. Yes, during the last digital detox exercise conducted by Dr. Bhagyesh Kulkarni in September 2023, you set aside the digital medium for 5 days and benefitted immensely. So, this time again this exercise provided you an opportunity to repeat the same for atleast 3 full days.

Ok what you did you do when you were not using the digital media ?

1. I know you cleaned up your cupboard and donated some of your old clothes.

2. You re-organised your desktop after a gap of almost 2 years.

3. You decluttered your work station which was filled with papers.

4. You called some of your old friends and acquaintances after I think a year.

5. Now that you have shifted to Mumbai, you are trying to make acquaintances in your area, more particularly with senior citizens.

6. I know you are working on propagating the knowledge you gained from Dr. Bhagyesh Kulkarni in your surrounding areas, more particularly on the subject of FORGIVENSS.

7. I know you are devoting your time to prepare a website on the subject of PRAYER for the benefit of your community.

8. It is well known that you are a good salad and smoothie maker. Keep up this activity by helping your spouse in her daily chorus. This not only helps to re-build your health but also provides an opportunity to keep engaged in a creative and healthy habit.

9. Smt. Gayatri Kulkarni taught you the use of dupatta for swaying with your thoughts and emotions, particularly those which take you towards negativity. I know you are using this technique along with the teachings of Mr. Sneh Desai to build up positive thoughts even in negative environment. Keep this going.

10. Propagate this message of Dopamine Detox to others. I know you have already placed the logo in your status on whatsapp so that others will notice. You have also informed you’re your colleagues in the Whatsapp groups about the 5 days dopamine detox. Encourage others to try it in the best way possible.

11. Like you do juice fasting and intermittent fasting, do digital fasting once a month – start small every day and increase the timings once a month. This will provide an opportunity to practice it on an ongoing basis.

12. I know you keep your phone aside every day at 9.30pm and thereafter do not look at the phone till next day morning 1 hour after wake up. This is a good habit which you need to continue.

13. Smt. Gayatri Kulkarni has provided a tip on how to turn off notifications on your messages. Do it every day so that you are not disturbed when you are on dopamine detox.

14. I know, as a matter of rule, you do not use the mobile in washroom, dining table and bed room. Continue this good habit.

15. I know that you do not use the Social Media except on need basis. It is a good thing that you do not scroll through Facebook or Instagram to look at the reels or shorts except for those from which you learn something new. The social media reels, shorts, ads are so much dominative that they clutter your thinking and lead to unnecessary dopamine burst and consequent frustration or depression. It is a wise decision by you not to fall for this bait. It keeps your mind free of clutter.

16. The Dopamine Menu concept provided by Smt. Gayatri Kulkarni provides you an opportunity to work out what you CAN do and what you CANT do. Display these CAN and CANTs on your desktop for reference during the day.

17. I know that you are doing nature connect every day in the morning. Take this time to forget about instances which are worrying and simply be with the nature. Do it as a part of your meditation process so that you get well connected to nature and forget your worries during that time.

18. I know you are a reader. But of late, you have been keeping your reading aside because of your continuous activity on the digital media. Take some time out to read something new every day.

19. I know you do not take a nap in the afternoons. But during this period of dopamine detox I found you sleeping a little more during the day time. Is it because you are deliberately training your brain to work a little slow. If so, see whether you can engage with some interesting activity during such periods.

20. I know you do not undertake unnecessary online shopping. That is a good habit which continue in future too. Even when you visit a mall or a super store, do not look around at other items than what you really need. Not particularly at the snack section. It is always tempting in a super market to buy things which are not really necessary.

21. You have been busy with family outings and religious meetings in the last 2 to 3 days. This has provided you an opportunity to avoid use of digital media.

There is a lot to benefit from this exercise started by DFF more particularly Dr. Bhagyesh Kulkarni and Smt. Gayatri Kulkarni in going in depth into this subjects and providing you the knowledge online FREE OF COST. Hence, be thankful to both of them for sparing their valuable time to educate you on this subject which is for your own good.

DFFly yours,

Arthur Aranha

(Replica)