Today’s society is built on convenience and instant gratification.

Today’s society is built on convenience and instant gratification. 

Supermarkets are designed like Vegas slot machines, enticing us with colorful, pretty packaging holding a nasty surprise of processed sugars and additives within. Where a jar of peanut butter made from one simple ingredient (peanuts) costs more than double of its oiled-up, seven-ingredient fake alternative.

Perpetual fatigue and short attention spans are now the norm, courtesy of a constant barrage of information and stimulation being fed to us through the iPhones we carry 24/7. If we don’t have ADHD, we have ADT (Attention Deficit Traits) anyway.

Our time and attention are among our greatest assets, yet we waste them away watching shows like Love Island on Netflix.

Our self-worth influenced by Instagram.

And we’ve become perfectly engineered to want more - consume more.

Quick dopamine hit here, quick dopamine hit there. But never fully satisfied. Because how could the above truly do so?

I believe that in this world of distractions, we need to make a conscious effort to chase healthier, REAL sources of dopamine, such as exercising, eating a good meal, spending time in nature, reading a book, or achieving a long-term goal.

We need to be mindful of how we interact with algorithms, and push back against the allure of cheap, instant dopamine kicks.

Meaningful and sustainable change is often found in the small daily habits that we practise. Being intentional about our time and making sure we do the things that make us happy takes mindful work and effort. Let’s consciously steer our lives rather than let life happen to us.