Top 13 'Dopamine-Detoxing' Long-Form Essays to read for reclaiming your attention span in 2025 - Goh Ling Yong
Feel that? It’s the phantom buzz in your pocket. It’s the twitchy need to refresh your feed, the vague sense that you’ve been busy all day but have accomplished nothing. You’re not imagining it. We live in an economy powered by our attention, and the products we use are engineered to keep us scrolling, swiping, and clicking for that next tiny hit of dopamine. The result? Our ability to focus deeply on a single task feels like a superpower from a bygone era.
As we look toward 2025, the challenge isn't just about reducing screen time; it's about actively rebuilding our cognitive muscles. It’s a challenge we discuss often here on the Goh Ling Yong blog: how do we thrive in a world designed to distract us? The answer isn’t another productivity app or a complex system. It’s a return to a practice that is both ancient and revolutionary: deep, uninterrupted reading. Specifically, reading long-form essays that demand your full concentration.
This isn’t about speed-reading a summary. It’s about the slow, deliberate work of following a complex argument, appreciating nuanced language, and letting a single idea occupy your mind for more than 30 seconds. It’s the ultimate ‘dopamine detox.’ To help you on this journey, I’ve curated a list of 13 powerful essays that will not only challenge your thinking but will actively help you reclaim your precious attention span. Let's dive in.
1. "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
This isn't just an essay; it's a declaration of cognitive independence. Written in 1841, Emerson’s masterpiece is a powerful call to trust your own instincts and thoughts against the deafening roar of the crowd. In our hyper-connected world, where opinions are served up algorithmically, his message is more urgent than ever. He argues that true genius lies in recognizing and valuing your own private thoughts, rather than conforming to the pre-approved ideas of society.
Reading "Self-Reliance" is an act of defiance against the digital hive mind. Emerson’s prose is dense and philosophical, forcing you to slow down and grapple with each sentence. You can't skim it while half-watching a video. It demands your presence, and in doing so, it retrains your brain to find satisfaction in complexity rather than novelty. It’s a workout for the part of your mind that social media has let atrophy.
Actionable Tip: After reading, practice the "Emerson Challenge." For one day, whenever you feel the urge to check what others think about a topic (a news story, a movie), stop. Instead, take five minutes to write down your own unvarnished thoughts first, free from outside influence.
2. "The Busy Trap" by Tim Kreider
If you've ever felt a strange sense of pride in telling someone how "crazy busy" you are, this essay is for you. Kreider, writing for The New York Times, brilliantly dissects our culture's obsession with busyness, arguing that it’s often a self-imposed trap. He suggests that we use busyness as a hedge against meaninglessness, a way to feel important and wanted in a world that can feel isolating.
This essay is a perfect tool for a dopamine detox because it challenges the very foundation of "hustle culture," which is often fueled by the endless notifications and performative productivity of our digital lives. It gives you permission to be still, to be idle, and to see that idleness not as a failing but as a prerequisite for creativity and true connection. It helps you realize that much of your digital "work" is just an elaborate form of distraction.
Actionable Tip: Schedule a "do nothing" block in your calendar for 30 minutes this week. No phone, no book, no podcast. Just sit and observe your own thoughts. It will be uncomfortable at first, but it's a crucial step in breaking the addiction to constant stimulation.
3. "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
While ostensibly about political writing, this 1946 essay is a masterclass in clear thinking. Orwell argues that lazy, imprecise language leads to lazy, imprecise thought. He rails against jargon, dying metaphors, and pretentious diction—all of which are used to obscure truth rather than reveal it. He provides clear rules for writing that are, in fact, rules for thinking.
In the age of 280-character hot takes and vague, emotionally charged headlines, Orwell's call for precision is a bracing tonic. Reading this essay trains you to become a more critical consumer of information. You’ll start to notice the empty phrases and manipulative language used in online discourse, which will naturally make you less susceptible to its pull. Improving your own clarity of thought is a powerful defense against the noise.
Actionable Tip: Pick a recent news article or social media post. Go through it and, using Orwell's rules, try to "translate" it into simple, clear, and direct English. Notice how much meaning is lost (or revealed) in the process.
4. "Solitude and Leadership" by William Deresiewicz
In this profound speech delivered to West Point cadets, Deresiewicz makes a counterintuitive argument: true leadership requires solitude. He distinguishes between loneliness (a negative state) and solitude (the positive choice to be alone with your thoughts). It is in solitude, he argues, that you can concentrate, think for yourself, and develop the moral courage to defy groupthink.
This essay directly confronts the modern fear of being alone, a fear that our devices are perfectly designed to soothe. By constantly filling every spare moment with podcasts, music, or social feeds, we rob ourselves of the very solitude needed for deep thought. Reading Deresiewicz's words will inspire you to see solitude not as a void to be filled but as a space to be cultivated. It’s essential for anyone who wants to do more than just react to the world.
Actionable Tip: Identify your "input triggers"—the moments you automatically reach for your phone (waiting in line, walking to your car). For one week, resist that urge. Let those moments be silent and see what thoughts emerge.
5. "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace's writing is the literary equivalent of high-intensity interval training for your brain. His sentences are long and winding, packed with footnotes and digressions that demand total concentration. "Consider the Lobster," an article written for Gourmet magazine about the Maine Lobster Festival, is a prime example. What starts as a simple piece of travel journalism spirals into a deep, uncomfortable, and morally complex meditation on pain, consciousness, and the ethics of eating animals.
You simply cannot read DFW passively. He forces you to hold multiple ideas in your head at once and follow his train of thought through thorny ethical territory. This is the opposite of the easy consumption offered by an infinite scroll. Finishing this essay feels like a genuine accomplishment and reminds you that your brain is capable of far more than you give it credit for.
Actionable Tip: Read the essay with a pen in hand. Underline sentences that confuse or challenge you. Look up words you don't know. Actively engage with the text as a participant, not just a consumer.
6. "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" by Jenny Odell
While this is now a best-selling book, its core ideas originated in a talk that functions as a brilliant essay. Odell argues for a more radical form of "detox"—not to abandon technology, but to refuse the terms of the attention economy. She champions the act of "doing nothing," which she redefines as redirecting our attention toward the local, the natural, and the non-commercialized world around us.
This piece is a blueprint for re-anchoring your focus in the physical world. It’s not about becoming a Luddite; it’s about becoming a connoisseur of your own attention. Odell's writing is rich with references to art, ecology, and philosophy, encouraging you to see the profound complexity in your immediate environment—a bird in your backyard, the history of your neighborhood. This practice makes the digital world seem thin and unappealing by comparison.
Actionable Tip: Go for a "notice walk." For 15 minutes, walk around your block with the sole intention of noticing things you've never seen before—the type of brick on a building, a unique plant in a garden, the pattern of cracks in the sidewalk.
7. "The Age of the Essay" by Paul Graham
This is a meta-choice that’s perfect for our list. Paul Graham, the co-founder of Y Combinator, writes an essay about why the essay form itself is so valuable. He argues that essays are for figuring things out, not just stating what you already know. An essay allows the writer—and thus the reader—to meander, to question, to follow an idea wherever it leads, without knowing the destination in advance.
This directly contrasts with most online content, which is designed to deliver a quick, pre-packaged answer or a definitive take. Reading Graham’s piece reminds you of the joy of intellectual exploration. It trains your mind to be comfortable with ambiguity and to value the process of thinking over the finality of a conclusion. It’s a wonderful palate cleanser for a mind accustomed to certainty and clickbait.
Actionable Tip: After reading, try writing a short "essay" yourself on a topic you're curious about. Don't outline it. Just start writing and see where your thoughts take you. The goal isn't a perfect piece; it's to practice exploratory thinking.
8. "Walking" by Henry David Thoreau
Before digital detoxes, there was Thoreau. In this classic essay, he champions the simple act of walking as a path to spiritual and intellectual freedom. For Thoreau, walking wasn't just exercise; it was a way to escape the confines of society and connect with a wilder, more authentic part of himself and the world. He calls for a "Crusade" to walk, to leave our indoor lives behind and engage directly with nature.
Reading "Walking" is like taking a deep, cleansing breath. His descriptions of the natural world require a patient, observant mind. It encourages a slower, more deliberate pace of life, where the goal is not to arrive at a destination quickly, but to experience the journey fully. It’s the perfect antidote to the frantic, goal-oriented mindset that our digital tools often encourage.
Actionable Tip: Plan a one-hour walk with no destination in mind. Leave your phone and headphones at home. Your only goal is to walk and observe. Follow a path that looks interesting, even if you don’t know where it leads.
9. "On Deep Work and the Good Life" by Cal Newport
Cal Newport is the king of reclaiming focus, and this blog post serves as a powerful, concise summary of his philosophy. He argues that the ability to perform "Deep Work"—focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task—is becoming increasingly rare and valuable. More importantly, he connects this ability not just to professional success, but to a life of meaning and fulfillment.
This is a principle Goh Ling Yong has built his entire philosophy on—the power of undistracted, deep work to create meaningful results. Newport’s essay provides the "why" behind the "how." It’s a motivational piece that reframes focus not as a chore, but as an enriching, deeply human activity. It will make you want to turn off your notifications and do something hard.
Actionable Tip: Identify the single most important, high-leverage task on your to-do list. Block out a 90-minute, completely uninterrupted session in your calendar to work on it. No email, no phone, no excuses. Treat that time as sacred.
10. "You and Your Research" by Richard Hamming
In this legendary 1986 talk, mathematician Richard Hamming asks a simple but profound question: why do so few scientists make significant discoveries? His answer is a brilliant treatise on focus, courage, and working on important problems. He argues that great work comes from dedicating yourself to big questions and having the discipline to shut out the endless stream of smaller, less important distractions.
While aimed at scientists, Hamming’s advice is universal. It’s a powerful call to align your daily attention with your long-term ambitions. He scolds those who let their "inbox" dictate their day, urging them to spend their time on work that truly matters. Reading this will force you to take a hard look at where your own attention is going and whether it serves your ultimate goals.
Actionable Tip: At the start of each week, write down the answer to Hamming's question: "What is the most important problem in my field/life, and why am I not working on it?" Use the answer to guide your priorities.
11. "The Luddite's Guide to Not Getting Played by Your Apps" by L. M. Sacasas
L.M. Sacasas is one of today's most insightful thinkers on technology and society. In this essay from his newsletter, The Convivial Society, he reframes the term "Luddite." He argues it’s not about mindlessly smashing technology, but about asking critical questions: Who benefits from this tool? What does it demand of me? What habits does it cultivate?
This piece is a practical guide to developing a healthier, more intentional relationship with your technology. It moves beyond simple tips like "turn off notifications" and pushes you to develop a personal philosophy for how you engage with the digital world. It’s about using technology on your own terms, rather than being used by it. Reading it will arm you with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate the attention economy wisely.
Actionable Tip: Pick one app you use daily. Spend 15 minutes answering Sacasas's questions about it. Does its use align with your values? If not, what one change can you make to your usage habits?
12. "The Real Reason You're So Busy" by Oliver Burkeman
Adapted from his phenomenal book Four Thousand Weeks, this essay demolishes the myth of "getting everything done." Burkeman argues that our busyness stems from a refusal to accept our own limitations. We have a finite amount of time, yet we act as if we can do it all, leading to anxiety and a feeling of constant failure. The solution, he claims, is not better time management, but a radical acceptance of our finitude.
This essay is a huge relief. It frees you from the tyranny of the endless to-do list and the productivity guilt that social media amplifies. It helps you understand that the feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t a personal failing; it’s a mathematical certainty. By embracing your limits, you can finally make conscious choices about what truly matters, and let the rest go.
Actionable Tip: Write a "To-Don't" list. Identify tasks or commitments that you will consciously choose not to do this week in order to make space for what is truly essential.
13. "The Things" by Peter Watts
We end with a curveball. This is a science-fiction short story, but it functions as a mind-bending philosophical essay. It retells the story of John Carpenter's classic horror film The Thing from the alien's perspective. The "Thing" isn't a malicious monster; it's a being of pure communion and unity that sees individual, conscious life as a cancerous, horrifying plague.
Reading this requires a complete cognitive reset. You have to inhabit a completely alien mindset, forcing every part of your brain to work to understand its logic and worldview. It’s an exercise in extreme empathy and sustained concentration. After an hour spent in the mind of this creature, the trivial dramas of your social media feed will seem utterly insignificant. It’s a brilliant way to jolt your brain out of its usual ruts and remind you of the power of deep, imaginative focus.
Actionable Tip: After reading, try to explain the alien's point of view to a friend without judgment. The act of articulating such a foreign perspective will solidify the mental exercise.
Reclaiming Your Mind, One Page at a Time
The journey to reclaim your attention span in 2025 won't be won with a single app or a weekend retreat. It's a practice, built day by day, choice by choice. It's the choice to close the infinite tab and open a finite page. It’s the choice to grapple with a difficult idea instead of consuming an easy opinion.
These 13 essays are not just reading material; they are training grounds for your mind. They will frustrate you, challenge you, and ultimately, strengthen your ability to think deeply and live intentionally. Don't try to read them all at once. Pick one that resonates, set aside an hour, and give it the one thing the modern world wants to steal from you: your undivided attention.
Which essay will you start with? Do you have another long-form piece that has helped you rebuild your focus? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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