Dopamine is Your Master - Part II

Yesterday, we discussed the neurotransmitter dopamine. Please read that post first, here, as it included an introduction to dopamine, and outlined the first 5 tips for getting your dopamine production to a healthy and steady level that will allow you to achieve your goals and to stay motivated as you proceed. Today we consider more tips for healthy and effective dopamine levels.

Often dopamine is described as the pleasure neurotransmitter, however that is not the ideal way to understand its nature and function. It is better understood as the neurotransmitter which drives the activities that are necessary for your survival and success as an organism. When the brain determines that there is the potential for achieving a reward that will be useful to survival, it produces dopamine so that you keep moving towards that reward. From this perspective, dopamine production facilitates your “approach motivation.” Dopamine is the brain’s way of getting you to enjoy the process towards accomplishing your goals. This is an ideal approach by the brain, as achieving your dreams, and transforming your life, is all about creating a process that moves you closer every moment, and every day.

Dopamine keeps you moving. Many persons suffer from sub-clinical dopamine deficiencies, and this often is manifested as difficulties with focus, attention, memory, and engagement. The challenge is that such deficiencies cannot be fixed by simply increasing your dopamine levels in an immediate or dramatic fashion, as the brain will seek to counterbalance that sudden spike. That is, if you consume a drug that increases your dopamine production, your brain will respond over time by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the brain, and you will be in a worse position than when you started – this can be a path to addiction. So strong stimulants, and even caffeine and sugar, will dampen your brain’s sensitivity to dopamine. With regular strong prescription drugs, or a handful of exposures to certain illegal stimulant drugs, the damage to the brain occurs more rapidly and can be significant and in the worst cases, permanent. Instead, what you need to do is achieve healthy, steady, dopamine levels throughout the day, with limited, or no use, of any unnatural means of stimulation.

For more serious levels of dopamine deficiency, as may be in the case with some forms of depression, you should consult your doctor. None of the tips that follow are medical advice, as individuals vary, so always consult your doctor before making major changes to diet, exercise, or lifestyle.

Today's Dopamine Management Tips

[THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO YOUR DIET AND/OR BEFORE STARTING AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. THESE TIPS INCLUDE THE PERSONAL OPINION OF THE AUTHOR.]

1. Have a fast from technology, internet, and social media. This can be for 6 hours, for a day, or longer. The act of fasting will increase your discipline, and will get your brain used to a lower level of stimulation. If you typically have difficulty sitting still to read or research, a dopamine fast will help your brain to become more comfortable with those types of activities. Some persons also do food fasts, and there are the "no fap/no porn" fasts that are rising in popularity. Research shows that self control functions in some ways like a muscle, in that, practicing restraint in the present moment helps you when faced with future needs for restraint.

2. Meditation has been shown to increase dopamine sensitivity [source]. It has numerous positive effects on mood and focus throughout the day. Meditation can be as simple as closing your eyes, and counting 5 deep breaths, with all your focus on the breath in and the breath out. I recommend Headspace as a great meditation app, or any audio by Lyndall Briggs on Audible.

3. Diet, as discussed in the last post, is critical. The brain converts the amino acid L-Tyrosine (tyrosine) into L-Dopa, and then into dopamine. You need adequate levels of tyrosine in order for healthy dopamine levels throughout the day. Supplementation is over-the-counter, but this should be discussed with your doctor as increasing tyrosine through supplementation can lead to drops in other neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin. A solid approach is to focus on food as the source of tyrosine, as those foods contain other vital nutrients in balance. Bananas are high in tyrosine, as are apples, watermelons, and cherries; eggs, fish, and various meats also have the amino acids required for effective dopamine production.

4. Foods that are high in antioxidants help to protect the dopaminergic neurons in the brain, these include most dark colored fruits, greens, and vegetables, such as blueberries, leafy greens, grapes, and green tea. Supplementation with resveratrol has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, and multivitamins are important - notably B6 and D3 are used for converting amino acids and other related functions – so discuss multivitamins with your doctor.

5. Respect your circadian rhythm, by keeping a daily routine. This is important because the brain is always seeking to predict your activities, and it moderates the flow and production of neurotransmitters and hormones based on those predictions. If you do certain work at a certain time every day, your brain will ensure that the supply of neurotransmitters are available at the standard time to achieve the standard activity. Stick to a routine, and eat healthy foods and supplements where needed, and the brain will adapt to your needs.

6. To keep steady dopamine levels, you need to take this additional step. I do not recommend it lightly, for it is not completely Zen. That is, to achieve optimal dopamine levels, you must often live in the next moment, believing that the task you are doing now will bring you closer to some other achievement. You must believe that the next sentence you read will bring you some insight, the next turn of the page will bring you some joy, the completion of your current task will bring you some bit of happiness.

Yet the very nature of dopamine suggests that your upcoming reward is an illusion, for dopamine production falls once the goal is accomplished and the task is complete. Sure, other neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin then take the place, but still, dealing with dopamine is like constantly being exposed to a cliffhanger ending in a TV series, you are always thinking that something more exciting is around the corner, and some amazing thing is about to happen. It is the classical carrot at the end of the stick that you chase continually.

The rewards in your environment get you to run in all sorts of directions, one moment here, next moment there. That feeling of motivation is a constant chasing of rewards, one moment West and next moment East, darted about like an ass. Understanding how dopamine functions, and then creating your own anticipated experiences, allows you to take conscious control of the process from the unconscious parts of the brain – it allows you to hold the stick that dangles your carrot, and you can then keep your path steady towards your ultimate long term goals. North, north, north, every day, changing only as needed, each day moving closer to achieving your dreams. I wish you good luck.

Kevin Michel, MSc. is the author of the book "Moving Through Parallel Worlds To Achieve Your Dreams." He is a Performance Psychology Consultant based in New York City, and has a Masters Degree in General Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.

#motivation #dopamine #psychology