Part 1. Awareness & knowing the consequences of your instant gratification

The first step usually is notice how negatively your acts of instant gratification are affecting you. How often you eat junk food ,and use food to eat when stressed can have immense consequences . Other examples are wasting so much of your life not actually being there and watching TV and doom scrolling. Once you realize how often you engage in instant gratification,you can truly start your journey.

Part 2. Dopamine Detox

I'm sure you've heared of dopamine detox,and while it sounds like a fad ,it actually works. Dopamine detox is usually like a factory reset for your system and it helps you build things how you like them.

Usually there are two ways to apply it. One can apply it completely -cold turkey or slowly incorporate your dopamine detox program. Both can work for different individuals.

For sudden or complete dopamine detox that usually means eliminating or reducing a large percent of your dopamine stimulation. But one must replace the time used for dopamine stimulation towards healthier activities. For example instead of watching TV, doing chores/manual labor studying and exercising. Going on a nature retreat can help too.

You could also gradually introduce it by setting a certain amount of time each day where you do the dopamine detox. For example, if most of your day is stimulated by dopamine,starting with setting just an hour a day could help,with time you can increase this time .

Note -stimulants can also include things like high caffeine etc



Part 3. Observe nature

Spending time in nature can literally change our body and mind. It shows a beautiful example of how nature is patient,strong and beautiful. Seeing how long it takes for a flower to bloom from what seemed as "doom" some seasons ago can help.


Part 4.Therapy/inner healing

Usually many people engage in instant gratification not only out of boredom or bad habit,but due to a lot of pain and not knowing how to deal with it in a healthy way. That's why it's easier for a depressed individual to eat unhealthy food and derive most of their "joy" from it . Also,for someone to have delayed gratitication,they must respect and love their life,self,and futureself. Struggling with depression and similar issues make it more difficult to be disciplined and delay gratification. Working on your inner healing through whatever way alongside this can do wonders.

One must love (or even like )their self enough to reduce junk food for example in order to have a healthy mind and body.

Part 5. Tweak your approach & Make lifestyle changes

Whatever habit you're building or doing,making sure the approach is from a well intentioned ,healthy place is important. For example if you want to eat healthy to lose weight because you dislike your body and self and want to fit in a certain outfit etc., that will only take you so far and one might even relapse.

A better way to put it is to feed and nourish your body with nutrient dense meals in order to make you a physically,mentally and emotionally more healthy individual

Basically don't punish yourself as you eat a salad but look forward to it and enjoy it (it's ok to enjoy indulgences as well occasionally )

If you struggled with idleness and laziness you could find a sport you like and join a sports club

Part 6. Habit Stacking &Enjoy the journey

Sure, ordering a tasty meal at work can be more rewarding than meal prepping on the weekend or cooking every night but with time,tweaks etc you can also enjoy doing the "tough " thing.

Seeing yourself make better habits for your current and future self can also make you enjoy the process . Sometimes marking a to do list is just as rewarding if not more than doing an unhealthy activity.

One could also create more joy by viewing the activity as relaxing or by doing it alongside/before / or after an activity you enjoy .

For example,if you're meal prepping you could play music you like and have your favorite cup of tea as you meal prep,or even watch a show you like .

You can also reward yourself afterwards. For example after you do a task,you can go hang out with good company or treat yourself to something you enjoy.This way you become more motivated to do the tougher things and will be more likely to stick to them

© Monarch94