Dopamine is Your Master

Indeed there are actions you can take that will move you, with certainty, to the achievement of every goal you imagine. Right now, you can write up a plan of action, list the necessary processes, detail the methods and approaches, and do all that is necessary to achieve any great success. Indeed, in the next moment, you can outline those key activities, create incremental steps, and then wake up every day, roll out of bed, and blaze through the day, executing your predetermined plan. Certainly, if you did this, the success you would achieve in the years, months, even weeks ahead, would be astounding! Surely you can be that methodical, right? You could execute with such consistency, grace, speed, and laser focus . . . relentlessly getting the tasks done, every day, and all the while maybe even enjoying the experience? Well, can you? Are you in control of your self or are you controlled by other forces? What keeps you focused, what keeps you motivated, what keeps you engaged? Enter, dopamine. Dopamine is a key source of your drive to do all things, it is the ‘approach motivation neurotransmitter.'

Neurotransmitters are a central component of communication in the brain. In the case of dopamine, it is the molecule that drives your actions, channels your energy, and coordinates most of your biological functions. Your ability to stay motivated throughout the day is very much linked to how effectively your body manages dopamine levels. Dopamine directly impacts memory, cognition, attention, and learning. So having the right dopamine levels throughout the day helps ensure that you execute your daily task list.

Additionally, your effectiveness, your efficiency, and your rate of learning, as you carry out these tasks, are directly impacted by dopamine. Dopamine is the master - you are not in control! When we consider the power of dopamine to impact attention, learning, focus, and memory, it is also fair to consider that dopamine levels have a critical impact on the two biggest predictors of career success: intelligence and conscientiousness. Dopamine is a big deal for life and career success.

The real question then, is how to make dopamine your servant? How do you safely increase and maintain dopamine levels throughout the day? In the next two posts I will provide tips for increasing and sustaining dopamine, let us call that "managing dopamine." Then over the next week, together, we will deepen our understanding with more insights and tips, so that you have the knowledge to take control of the dopaminergic action in your brain, and move even faster on your path to achieving your major goals.

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 OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR.]

1. Your first tip is to reduce your simple sugar intake progressively, each day, and each week. Simple sugars create an instantaneous spike in dopamine levels and this is shortly followed by a sharp decline. Sugar also causes your body to produce and use up insulin at unhealthy rates. Insulin has a key role in transporting the building blocks of dopamine to the brain, and the overproduction of insulin that results from frequent sugary snacks leads to reduced effectiveness of that transport system. So, reduce your consumption of simple sugars to keep dopamine levels healthy and steady.
   

2. Stress reduction is useful for maintaining healthy dopamine levels. This is because when stressed, your brain converts dopamine into epinephrine and norepinephrine - those are the hormones utilized in the body's fight or flight response. High levels of stress drain the brain's supply of dopamine. One such stress, it is important to note, is exercise. In the short term exercise will drain dopamine, however once exercise becomes a habit, and with a healthy diet, the body will adapt to the stress of exercise and up regulate dopamine production. Still, you want to be sure to increase your consumption of dopamine enhancing foods on the days you exercise.
   

3. We note the importance of diet for this dopamine increase over time. Some of the foods that are most useful for the brain's production of dopamine are bananas, almonds, avocados, fish, eggs, cheese, green tea, and pumpkin seeds.
   

4. Create a to-do list and check off and celebrate achievements throughout the day. The more steps you create, the more the brain will keep that flow of dopamine going. If you struggle to get started with your key goals, write up 5 checklist items of tasks you can do for 5 minutes. It can be as simple as 5 minutes reading a book, 5 minutes opening a word-processor and typing, 5 minutes walking, or 5 minutes getting organized. You do not have to finish any of the tasks, the 5 minutes will give you a start and you are then more likely to continue with the activity. You may also stop after 5 minutes, and just celebrate. The hardest part of any task is getting started so writing up a super easy checklist, and getting a few 5 minute wins, will get the dopamine flowing!
   

5. Realize that the process of managing dopamine takes minimum 1 - 2 weeks. You will initially have a strong boost on the first day or two, and then you can expect a slump and rebound days later. Stick with it for the long run. In all your strategies, you want to avoid any action that will spike dopamine too sharply, this includes many drugs. Over stimulation of dopamine at any point in time leads to a reduction in the effectiveness of the dopaminergic system, so use healthy, and natural approaches.
   

In tomorrow's post, we shall consider the role of dopamine more completely and explore more ways to effectively manage your dopamine levels. Get your dopamine levels right and you will have the energy to achieve your dreams and transform your world.

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