Taking a break from a world full of noise

We live in a world full of noise. From morning until night, it feels like we are bombarded with either too many tasks or overconsumption. 

From breaking news to social media chit chat our online worlds are full to the brim with connection and stimulation. 

Just the kind of complexity that our craving brains love so much.

We now understand that part of our addiction to this noise is because we are rewarded with little doses of dopamine, a chemical released in the brain, that makes us feel full, satisfied and happy. 

At least until the next dose!

Weirdly, dopamine, which is also triggered by eating delicious food or listening to music, is extremely addictive. 

It’s what makes cocaine and other drugs addictive too! So if you can’t resist going back for more pavlova or yet another deep dive into Channel 4 comedy, then you may be in this up and down cycle of dopamine hits and misses.

It’s not that this lovely feeling after a dopamine hit is bad for you, it's that the constant noise of social media and nonstop online consumption creates a kind of addiction that pulls us into a world away from real life as it happens. 

Our brains just love the online dopamine hits. As soon as we start to feel the cravings return, we reach for our drug of choice, these days our phones, for the next top-up.

I’m as addicted to my dopamine hits online as anyone so I set out to explore in what ways I could modify some of my own cravings. 

As I set up my laptop to write this, I get a cuppa at the ready. Mmm. Next I turn on some music, today it’s 'Coolfin', by Donal Lunny, after I watched the new documentary (twice so far) about his life. 

Music addiction is one of the better ones? Yes, google confirms that music is good for us!

But it doesn’t take too long before a message pops up and off I go down a rabbit hole to find out that Trump has either gotten himself a new wig or as my sister insists a set of blonde hair extensions…..I get a great laugh out of this bit of gossip and reluctantly I come back here to continue digging into the topic of internet noise and dopamine. 

You can travel off anywhere in seconds with this virtual technology.

So as far as addiction goes all we can do is try to improve the quality of those addictions and put in place healthier options. 

Is that it? In other words, a jogging addiction might be better than a McDonalds one? Or a book addiction would be healthier than say a cigarette one?

But if my generation are addicts to online media then the younger generations, or the digitally native as they are called, are even more prey to this phenomenon. 

Apparently, its main impact is their inability to partner up and have children. 

Imagine! I was told that young people are scared to dance or date in public. 

Why? They fear that someone will record their efforts, share it on the socials and forever tease them about it. 

Going to a club these days, if it even happens, is full of anxiety for young ones. 

From how they look, to how they blend in with the rest, to how cool they are. Yes I know it was always thus, but our efforts were never filmed or shared globally. 

No wonder they prefer to stay in their bedrooms.

One thirty something year old told me that none of her friends have children and are unlikely to. 

The birth rate falling is clear evidence and there are too many barriers; housing, childcare, insecurity, the expense of having a child. 

But still I wondered why in her case? “Because I’m so lucky to have a job that I love and I can simply choose not to have kids” she said.

Of course we now have more choices as women and so we are living our best lives, single, childless and thriving. Or are we?

Experiencing pleasure in life is as basic as breathing and so it is vital that we get a good balance in our brains between over consumption and healthy enjoyment of the world. Whether it’s drugs or Instagram that gives you the dopamine buzz, apparently the only cure is to take a cold turkey break from all that noise and refresh your brain.

These last few weeks have been the greatest antidote to all the noise. 

While the apocalypse lingers in the background, somehow the beauty and joy of summer can give us so many more reasons to be optimistic and hopeful.

I always think that the more we fall in love with our lives and our planet the more we will care and will get on board with protecting it all.

The bliss of our beautiful coastline has come into its own once again. 

Could a body be happier than sitting with a view and having a dip? So I decided to ditch the phone, sit on the Prom, and drool over a Wexford Strawberry ice cream while watching the world go by.

What's your poison? Why not give it a rest and take yourself out in nature and absorb some dopamine from a better source or even have an ice cream by the sea.