Notes from podcast and my own research – may have some inaccuracies so please listen to the podcast

Dopamine Summarised

Dopamine is a hormone that makes people motivated, and in a sense happy.

We probably evolved to produce dopamine to make us explore and forage and hunt.

Dopamine is increased with drugs like cocaine and supplements like L-tyrosine and herbs including Mucuna Pruriens. 

The big problem with dopamine, tends to be for that every increase, there’s a corresponding decrease in dopamine that’s equal or sometimes greater. This is why people always want more cocaine 20 minutes after a line and (along with blood sugar) people want more food after a sugary treat.

Dopamine is classed as a neurotransmitter.

Dopamine is required for motivation and focus. If you didn’t have any dopamine, studies and observations have shown – you literally wouldn’t move – you’d be incapable of movement and you’d be very depressed

Dopamine is released from the brain when we do activities that we find rewarding, like eating, exercise or even learning.

Dopamine is instrumental in all addictions

Myths About Dopamine

There is no such thing as a “dopamine hit.”

Dopamine is released gradually.

Dopamine is not the only neurotransmitter that is involved in motivation and reward. There are a number of other neurotransmitters involved in reward including serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.

How to Control Your Dopamine

Stay off social media – “Intermittent Positive Reinforcement” really fecks with your dopamine levels. So scrolling through a social media feed until your find something you like, is similar to gambling – in that you never know when you’ll get a reward.

Novelty – varying activities increase dopamine.

Set Progress and Target goals. Progress goals – how are you going to achieve your goal – e.g. I will go to the gym twice a week for an hour on a monday and Wednesday – is a good progress goal, for the target goal off “I will lose 2 inches off my waist measurement by [set date]”

Meditate or practice mindfulness

Get good quality sleep and enough of it.

Eat a health diet, low in sugar.

Avoid stress and drugs like cocaine!

Learn to increase dopamine by effort and doing things – instead of focusing on the reward and/or end point. Learn to love the grind/effort.

Cold water immersion can increase dopamine levels for a few hours.

Nicotine, sex and chocolate also increase dopamine, but only in the short term – so probably best to avoid if you want to increase dopamine baseline.

Caffiene is okay and doesnt mess with dopamine too much.

You may also be interested in researching:

• sulbutiamine 
• L Tyrosine
• Macca
  

Ideally – you want to upregulate dopamine receptors, rather than increase dopamine, so stop using social media

Practical Strategies for Dopamine Control

1. Breaking Up High Dopamine Activities: It’s probably best not too ‘layer’ high dopamine activities but spread them out.
2. Avoiding Dopamine Peaks Before/After Work or Study: It’s probably best to avoid high dopamine generating activities before or after engaging in ‘hard’ tasks like studying or working. Try and think of the effort as enjoyable! The effort or working or studying etc.
3. Starting the Day: Engaging in studying or meditation first thing in the morning is advised to raise dopamine levels gradually. Get sunlight early in the day
4. Movement and Cold Showers in the Morning: Ice baths and cold showers are great – they raise dopamine levels for several hours.
5. Finding Gratitude in Tasks: Think about why effort is good – you’re improving yourself, helping others, building resilience, helping provide for your family etc.
6. Randomizing Rewards: Intermittent Reinforcement – Don’t give yourself a reward every time after a task, but randomise it
7. Sleep – sleep is crucial to restore baseline dopamine
8. Yoga Nidra – or None-sleep Deep Rest (see video below)
9. Don’t go on social media or gamble, or watch adult videos etc.Thanks

Yoga Nidra: