Dopamine, detoxes and donutsDopamine, detoxes and donuts
All In The Mind
Dopamine feels great, but is it always good for us? The answer is complicated, so today, we get into what dopamine actually does in the brain. How does it affect our motivation, movement and behaviour? And how does our environment influence that? Plus, should we be detoxing from dopamine ... and why are people raw dogging flights? This episode first aired in December 2024. Guest: Dr Anastasia Hronis Clinical psychologist Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Author, The Dopamine Brain: Your Science-Backed Guide to Balancing Pleasure and Purpose Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Isabella Tropiano To read the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage.
29:37•13 Nov 2026
Dopamine, Detoxes and Donuts: Finding Balance Between Pleasure and Purpose
Episode Overview
- Dopamine fuels both the feeling of pleasure and the motivation to seek it, which is why it plays a key role in habit formation and addiction.
- Constant small hits from phones, streaming and social media can raise dopamine tolerance, making everyday pleasures feel less satisfying.
- Short, extreme dopamine detoxes are unlikely to reset anything; longer breaks of a week or two can be more effective and realistic.
- Taking a break from a behaviour creates space to practise sitting with discomfort and to build new routines that align with personal values.
- Clarifying values through reflection on the kind of person you want to be later in life can guide choices towards more fulfilling, purpose-driven behaviour.
“Often, not always, but often these dopamine-driven behaviors can be at odds with what our values are and what our values are directing us to do.”
What drives someone to seek a life shaped more by values than quick hits of pleasure? This episode of *All In The Mind* zooms in on dopamine, the brain chemical behind motivation, movement and that "yes, yum, this is delicious" feeling over a perfect sugar-coated donut. Clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis uses her own growing fondness for the Italian pastries downstairs from her office as a playful way to explain how dopamine works.
You’ll hear how dopamine fires not just when you bite into the donut, but earlier, at 3pm in the office when you start thinking, "I could really go for like a coffee and a donut" — that’s the motivation side of dopamine kicking in. The chat digs into how modern life has turned into a kind of mental Disneyland, with phones, streaming, social media and online shopping constantly offering tiny bursts of stimulation.
Dr Hronis explains how this can raise our tolerance, leaving everyday pleasures feeling a bit flat and sometimes nudging us towards unhealthy relationships with scrolling, sweets, gambling or other habits. Dopamine detoxes and “raw dogging” flights get a sceptical look.
Those extreme 24-hour fasts from anything fun might sound hardcore, but as Dr Hronis points out, "realistically, 24 hours is not long enough for us to make any kind of meaningful or long lasting change." Instead, she suggests taking longer breaks from problem behaviours, learning to sit with discomfort, and using that time to build new routines that genuinely fit your values.
You’ll also hear practical ways to identify what truly matters to you – family, health, creativity, justice, kindness – and how to balance short-term pleasure with a deeper sense of purpose and contentment. If dopamine is tugging you towards habits that don’t quite match the life you want, could a values check and a simple break be your next small step?
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