6 Proven Ways to Naturally Optimize Dopamine Levels
It’s not you, it’s Dopamine!
Ever experienced that sudden jolt of energy after eating that last cake slice? Getting complimented on your charismatic personality? Or doing a 30-minute cardio workout after a very stressful day?
It’s not you, it’s Dopamine!
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that has the key to our happiness. It is a chemical that is responsible to track our brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It does so by transmitting signals between nerve cells called neurons to the brain. Dopamine enables you to feel pleasure, have a sense of reward, and thus motivate you to act a certain way.
Now you know about the force that made you cross your own beliefs to get that last slice of chocolate cake lol..
How does it make you feel good, you ask?
Remember that good fast food meal you ate when you were hangry and gulped down soda? How did you feel? Good, right?
Our brain has a system called “The Reward System” that is found in both humans and animals. This system is designed to reward you when you do things that help with your survival. This includes primal behaviors like eating, keeping clean and sexual acts. The brain knows when you do these acts and tells you that you are doing something right. The brain then releases Dopamine as an act of reward leaving you with a feeling of pleasure.
Since the brain seeks Dopamine, the feeling of pleasure that you get from eating fast food is much stronger than eating a wholesome meal. In extreme cases, this seeking behavior leads to addiction.
According to research, people with low levels of Dopamine are often involved in detrimental behaviors such as addiction. Consuming drugs releases Dopamine in the brain which makes the brain create a memory of that experience and remember it as the most major pleasurable experience which results in consuming the drug again.
Dopamine rewires the brain into doing the actions again, to experience the same pleasure. Not only that, research indicates that Dopamine deems that action so important that it labels it as ‘important for survival’ which is of-course a primary instinct and so it triggers the same motivation we have for survival.
Hence, any activity that evokes the release of Dopamine becomes far more important to the person than survival itself. Battling these harmful behaviors such as addiction is not a matter of determination, it’s all happening on a cellular level.
Addiction is a recurring issue where relapse is likely. Emotional factors and other factors often precede the development of addiction. Recovery from an addiction is tough, but possible with help. It is important to understand that recovering from addiction takes many attempts. It is not a feat that can one can do overnight. It takes time, which is why patience and support are important things a recovering addict needs from their support system.
To continue producing Dopamine naturally (because, hey who doesn’t want to feel happy?) and prevent Depression or behaviors such as addiction here are 6 tried and tested methods that I use. They have helped me maintain my Dopamine levels consistently.
1. Limit Sugar Intake
Guilty as charged! This has been the biggest addiction for me to get rid of. I love desserts, candies, and sodas that I consumed one way or the other on a daily basis. Although the sugar high was great, the lows were terrible. I was irritable and had bad mood swings as well. Not only that, it increased my insulin levels that made it difficult for me to maintain or lose my weight among other hormonal imbalances.
I decided to go cold turkey on this habit as it was impacting my health. I cleaned my secret stash of candies in my room and replaced them with a mint sugar-free chewing gum; eliminated sugar or sweetener from my tea and coffee; and no soda at all.
2. Eat Healthily
When I deprived my body of artificial highs, I needed to continue to produce Dopamine. For that, I increased my intake of protein and fiber. Also limited my carbohydrates intake, especially at night, and shifted to salads only. To cater to the sweet tooth, I shifted to fruits in limited quantity.
3. Eat foods rich in Tyrosine
To make dopamine, your body needs tyrosine which can be found in almonds, bananas, avocados, eggs, beans, fish, and chicken.
4. Exercise and Meditate
Another thing that works out for me is exercise and meditation. When I wake up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed for five minutes and self-reflect. This practice has allowed me to stay focused throughout the day and instilled a sense of calm in my life. I talk about the benefits of self-reflection in the article.
Moreover, exercise is famously known to make you happy, so get that body moving at least 3 times a week! The aim here is to increase your heart rate and get that release of Dopamine.
5. Get Enough Sleep
My favorite part and I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of it, GET GOOD SLEEP! According to research, our body needs at least 7 hours of uninterrupted good quality sleep to recover, energize, and repair. You need to allow yourself to rest to be able to lead a healthy lifestyle.
6. Listen to music
If you are a fan of rock music, I would suggest you skip this tip. Here I am talking about calming music that can release pleasurable feelings, lower your heart rate, and take you into a zen mode. According to research, it helps you with focus and concentration as well. I usually do this between my work breaks or at the end of a stressful day.
It is always a good practice to lead a life as naturally as possible. Our bodies are a work of art, that can endure the harshest of days if treated well.
