In this informal vlog, Samir Gardner promotes a personal “monk mode” or dopamine‑detox lifestyle that dramatically cuts down on technology use to about 20% of typical instant‑gratification activities. He outlines a concrete set of rules—one YouTube video per day, a maximum of two hours of Netflix per week, and a complete ban on social media, video games, porn, and other high‑stimulus habits. Gardner then shares two primary benefits he’s experienced. First, he describes how reducing digital overload lets him recapture the simple, childlike joy of everyday moments, such as playing in a park, watching a tree, or observing birds and squirrels, which he says makes him feel more connected to nature and the present. Second, he explains that the extra free time and reduced stimulation foster deep mindfulness: he can eat, exercise, and engage in activities without mental chatter, leading to less stress and a more peaceful state of mind. He acknowledges technology isn’t inherently bad, but argues it should be used purposefully—only for creating value, learning, or business—while avoiding mindless consumption. The video ends with a typical creator call‑to‑action encouraging comments, shares, and subscriptions.
Chapters
What's good, y'all? It's your boy Samir Gardner. Hope y'all doing good. So let's talk about like the most underrated benefits of monk mode. And bro, you gotta watch the video I made on monk mode. I'm gonna leave a link in the description. And bro, this is like a life, life, life change. I swear, when I'm saying life change, I'm not clickbaiting, I'm not saying anything, bro. It's really gonna change your life. Like if you actually do some, a plan like this, a sort of like monk mode where you just, we're basically reducing like our technology for about like 80% so we can leave like 20% of instant gratification activities and leave like the best instant gratification activities. So, you know, because basically we, we basically use that, uh, sort of like 80/20 rule where you're like You're doing what gives you like the 80% pleasure, but that 80% pleasure comes from the 20% of the instant gratification, for example. So, you know, go watch the video. Now the rules are like, I'm gonna like repeat the rules even though they're in the video. So we're basically like watching one video per day, one YouTube video per day. That's what I'm doing. You can do anything. One YouTube video per day. I don't really do that, but I feel like I might do it. But like 2 hours of Netflix per week. So for example, Saturday I get 1 hour and Sunday I get 1 hour. So, but I don't watch YouTube when I get those 1 hours. And also there's no social media, there's no video games, there's no, you know, porn, masturbation, or anything. There's no I mean, we don't do that. Like, there's no high, high, high instant gratification. We want to reduce our technology, and we also want to like not just scroll on our phone and research things on the internet 24/7. We want to be living mindfully. So now I'm gonna talk about the like two benefits, and bro, I swear, I swear, they're like— it's life-changing. Like, it's Bro, okay, now the first one, the first one. The things, bro, you used to do as a kid will become, will become fun again. Like, literally, like, last week I think I went to the park. I literally went to the park in my neighborhood and I was actually having so much fun. Like, bro, I was actually having fun. Like, I was smiling, I was Happy, I was like, I was just laughing and everything, bro. I'm not kidding, I'm actually not kidding, bro. I'm not gonna lie, this monk mode plan was inspired by a guy named, uh, Tashawn Adventure, and he basically talked about like how he felt like a kid when he was watching like a movie and everything. But what you gotta understand is for the monk mode is we're so stimulated by all this technology, bro. We're so stimulated. I was so stimulated. Everyone is so similar stimulated nowadays, except if you like have some like conscious parents that know that technology is bad and everything. Because no one knows technology is bad, because think about it, bro, it's gratification. So people are like— I don't know how to explain. It's like, it's like you're getting a good feeling, so why don't you want a good feeling? You know what I mean? But it's fake because it's just instant. It's not for the— in the long run, you didn't work for it. But we're so immersed in this sort of like stimulating technology and everything that, bro, when you go monk mode, when you go like no technology, dopamine detox or anything, it feels like you're living in the— in a different world. It feels like you're living in a different world. It feels like I don't know, it feels— it feels— you feel way, way, way, way more connected. You feel way more connected. Because I used to like look at all these YouTubers that were like, like these spiritual YouTubers, they'd be like, I feel connected to the Earth and everything. And now I understand what does that mean. I understand what does it mean when they, you know, they go like on, um, you know, the ground, they go sun gaze and everything. Now I understand why they feel so connected, bro. When you don't have technology, bro, you feel like— you actually feel like— it feels like you're living. It feels like you're living. It doesn't— bro, it's too much. Like, bro, we go back like as we were kids, bro, when like we had an attention span. We had an attention span, you know. We, we, um, we basically don't just look at the big picture, we look at every little details. Well, that's beautiful. Like, that's beautiful, bro. That's actually beautiful. Like, we, for example, me, like, I just be watching things, like, it feels like I'm just mind controlled by, just, I like, I just be watching like maybe a tree and I'll just stare at the tree and I'll watch every little details. And I'm in the present moment. I don't even have any thoughts. I just watch that tree, bro. But we, we look at every detail. So you might watch a movie, you might watch like, for example, anime. You're gonna watch every little details that the author put in. Like, bro, I swear, because, bro, think about it, bro. Think about it for a second. Were you like really— are you really living on this Earth, bro, just beyond it, just to be on your phone? Like, it's so, it's so insane that, bro, we like— this society, bro, we accepted like technology to be like something normal. So like, I'm not saying technology is the worst thing on the earth, but bro, we accepted like technology as something normal that we should be on 24/7. And when, when we should— when we are bored, we should be on technology. When we feel bad, we should watch a movie. Bro, that's so dumb. That's so fucking dumb, bro. Like, technology, technology, bro, it's not, it's not something, it's not normal. It doesn't come from nature, it doesn't come from the earth. It was created, bro. Actually, like, bro, you're like, some of y'all might feel like an animal again. I'm not again, but you might feel like an animal. You'll be like so cut off from technology that you'll feel connected to the earth. You'll be like on the grass and you'll be like probably like feeling like an animal wanting like to conquer something or something. Like, I don't know, but bro, it's beautiful. Now the second benefit, and that benefit Bro, okay, mindfulness. You're gonna gain a lot, a lot of mindfulness, a lot, bro. Now, like I said, you're not stimulated by technology 24/7, like I just said. So, bro, you're— I— like I said, you're gonna feel more connected. When you feel more connected, you're not going to be in your task 24/7. What you gotta understand nowadays is a lot of people create stress just because, like, for example, they don't have time. They don't have time to do this, they don't have time to do that, they don't have time to do this. Because, you know, you know, like, if you ask them, they'll probably be like, oh yeah, because, you know, I got a job, I gotta do this and do that. But like, looking back at it, this guy didn't tell you that he spent like 3 hours on Instagram. They spend like 2 hours playing video games, they spend like an hour watching TV. Now what happens with monk mode or dopamine detox or anything is you have so much free time that, bro, you don't stress about things. You don't stress about things. You don't even have to think about anything because you have so much free time on your hands. So when you don't have anything to like really think about Well, you make— you become mindful. Mindful. Yeah, you can practice mindfulness like I do, like try to be mindful, just, you know, I don't know, like looking at something and just have no thoughts in my head. But bro, you'll be more unconsciously mindful. For example, me, well, I was literally like— I was waiting for something, I was literally just looking at plants. I was literally looking at plants with no thoughts in my head, bro. I was looking at plants with no thoughts in my head. Do you know how— but like, it's sad that people, like, we don't live like this anymore because like when I think about it, when for example I go on technology and everything, I'm not even happy that I'm going on technology except if it's like for like one thing. When I'm talking about like instant gratification, for example, if I watch like 5 videos of YouTube, I'm not happy to have watched 5 YouTube videos afterwards. I'm not saying like out of guilt, out of guilt, but I'm not feeling good because I've got like gratification and everything. If I watch one video, I'm gonna be feeling way more good than if I watch 5. The thing is, it doesn't even make us happy. It doesn't even make us happy. We think we need this because it makes us feel good and everything, but it doesn't give you anything. Like, you're literally like talking about like when I was like watching plants, Like, I was just watching like 3 plants, like they were just hanging, and I was watching them and I was like, there's no thoughts in my head. Do you know how peaceful that is when you have no thoughts in your head? Do you know how peaceful that is? Like, I was getting a sense of peace. Literally, I was getting a sense of peace. And you know, that's so rare, like in this modern day age or anything you want to call it, bro. That's so rare. Like, for example, you might go to a grocery store, you might go to, I don't know, bro, you might go to, uh, walk in nature. You're looking, you'll probably be looking at every little details because, and what happens when you look at every little details, you have no thoughts in your head. You're just watching, you're not thinking, you're just watching. Literally just watching with your eyes. You go in nature, there's not much distraction. You just start, like for example, sometimes I just watch a bird for like 1 minute. I just watch a bird go do this and that. I might watch a squirrel, just go do this and that. But most people, they don't have attention span to do this. Most people, because of technology, they're gonna be like, oh, I saw the squirrel, now let me go back to my phone. Like me, I watch the squirrel like it's something, and people think, oh, let me go back on my phone so I don't miss out of anything. But even if I watch like the squirrel for 1 hour or stuff, I'm not gonna feel guilt. I'm not gonna feel— be feeling guilty that I've watched nature for like 1 hour, that I've watched a bird for 1 hour. I'm not gonna feel guilty. Like, because why? Because first of all, I deport, and second of all, I have so much free time because I deport and I don't have all this technology. For example, when you eat, you're not going to bring your phone, you're not going to be on your computer eating. So what happens, you're gonna enjoy more of the food because you're gonna be mindful. You're gonna be mindful of the food. So it's like you don't have anything to think about, you just eat. And that's an experience. Like I said in many of my videos, that's it, that's an experience. Eating is an experience. So you're just gonna be eating and you're, you're gonna enjoy more of the food because you're gonna be able more to like taste the food because you're gonna be mindful. You're gonna be mindful of the taste. Well, it's so underrated. Like, bro, I'm funny. Like, I might cry. Like, bro, like, we need to go— we need to go back to this sort of like way of living. Like, no technology. I'll make sure my kids don't have any phone, bro. I'll make sure my kids don't have any like computers unless they're like 18 or something. Like, bro, I'm 18 and I just want to use technology to my advantage. I just want to use technology to make videos. I want to use technology to, you know, make a business, uh, give out value and everything. That's what I want to use technology for, or learn things and everything. But bro, things like reading, working out and everything, they became fun for me. Sometimes I feel like working out twice a day because I have free time, so I'm like Why not work out? Like, I actually feel like working out. I never thought like I would want to work out twice a day, bro. Like, I'm for real. So bro, that's it for the vid. Hope y'all liked it. Comment, share, subscribe, and like. I'm out, peace.
