Dopamine, often referred to as the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter, plays a critical role in our mental and physical well-being. As someone with ADD (I was diagnosed 20-years ago), low dopamine can be a real issue. If you know how to reset dopamine, this can do wonders for your motivation.

Even if you don’t have an ADD diagnosis, you are likely battling some signs of dopamine addiction – scrolling social media, needing to be complimented/get attention all the time, drinking alcohol and/or coffee, eating hyper-palatable foods, buying clothes and shoes, playing games on your phone – pretty much anything that makes you ‘feel good’, real quick. 

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter, a chemical that transmits signals in the brain and nervous system. It is associated with the brain’s reward system, helping to reinforce behaviors by signaling pleasure or satisfaction. Essentially, it exists in order to motivate us to get food, water and a sexual partner. 

It’s a motivational neurotransmitter. When it is low, we push for a reward. When it’s high, we lose motivation. 

Dopamine Imbalance Effects

When dopamine levels are too high or too low, it can lead to various physical and mental health issues. For instance in low dopamine, we find conditions such as depression, fatigue, ADD, lack of motivation, and Parkinson’s disease. When dopamine is high, it can contribute to symptoms of schizophrenia or manic episodes in bipolar disorder. So it’s a powerful neurotransmitter, and we don’t really want to be messing with it if we can avoid it. 

How This Reward System has been Hijacked

In the modern world, our reward system is completely overrun. We don’t need to hunt for food, sex comes easily for most people (and if you can’t get it, you can just watch porn – your body doesn’t know the difference), and most of us are being paid for work. 

If we don’t have a job, the government deposits money in your account instead. It’s a civilised society and so the only motivator we really have is advancement, and this is exactly what we would strive to do if this system was not being hijacked on a daily basis. 

Think of the modern day influencer – they post on social media and are immediately rewarded with likes. The more sexual, the more likes. You drink coffee, Pepsi, chocolate, and your reward system is flooded with dopamine, but for little effort. And that is the problem. Dopamine is supposed to build over time, and after we have achieved the reward, it dips, resets, and starts to build again. 

How to Reset Dopamine (you know you want to, deep down!)

If you stop scrolling, stop eating junk food, drinking wine and coffee, you’ll probably find yourself falling into a rather deep hole, a bit like depression. It’s not depression, but more of a dopamine crash. 

On the other side of this crash will be a natural reset, or rise, in dopamine – enough to motivate you towards a particular goal (think weight loss, increased fitness, bettering yourself to find a partner or mother your children better). You’ll also put an end to the cycle of addiction. 

It’s not easy, but it is simple. The less you stimulate your dopamine on a daily basis, the more likely you are to have motivation for the bigger things. 

Lastly, here are some natural ways to enhance dopamine production:

• Nutrition: Foods rich in tyrosine, an amino acid found in eggs, dairy, and lean meats, are precursors to dopamine production.
• Exercise: Regular physical activity stimulates dopamine release, improving mood and motivation.
• Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for replenishing dopamine levels in the brain.
• Mindfulness and Hobbies: Engaging in activities you enjoy, such as meditation or creative pursuits, can help sustain dopamine levels.
• Reduce addictive patterns: Slowly disengaging from social media, junk food, and impulse shopping will support you in resetting this powerful neurotransmitter. 

So that’s a little about dopamine, our most powerful chemical reward messenger. It’s an amazing asset, but only if we use it well!

Jen X