How to Increase Your Dopamine Levels Naturally: 5 easy steps: 5 easy steps
Everyone knows dopamine is the “go-to” neurotransmitter for managing your responses to rewards, like food or sex. But do you know how to increase your own levels of this feel-good hormone? Have you heard about dopamine? If not, it might be time to learn more… because dopamine is a key player in our brains and bodies. It makes us feel happy, it makes us eat right and exercise, and it helps keep us motivated. When levels of this feel-good brain chemical are lower than they should be — due to disease or injury or genetics — we start to experience withdrawal symptoms when our dopamine supply is low. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural ways to support your dopamine levels naturally. Here are 5 easy steps you can take today to help boost your dopamine production and increase your own natural levels of this feel-good chemical. Tips to Increase your Dopamine Level Naturally
- Do something you love to do.
- Meditate or practice classic relaxation techniques.
- Exercise helps increase our levels of dopamine in the brain.
- Help others — and become a happier person in the process.
- Don’t drink and drive — and don’t eat high-energy, high-sugar foods either.
Do something you love to do.
What’s that thing you’re passionate about? You, and your passions. Are there any hobbies you’ve always wanted to pick up but put off for years? Do something you love to do, and you’ll get the dopamine rush you’ve been craving all this time.
Meditate or practice classic relaxation techniques.
Whatever techniques you’ve been using to relax, or have always wanted to try, meditating might be the key. Meditation is learning to control your attention so you can focus on the here and now, instead of the past, the future, or the past again. You can learn to meditate by listening to a sound, such as a bell, a voice, a rushing stream, or the wind.
Increase your levels of serotonin, a feel-good chemical in your brain, by practicing meditation. Learning to focus on the here and now can help manage your stress levels and make you feel happier and more alert. Meditation is a low-intensity activity that requires very little effort on your part and can help you release tension and feel relaxed. It’s a simple, but effective way to support your dopamine levels.
Exercise helps increase our levels of dopamine in the brain.
Exercising has been proven to increase dopamine levels in the brain. That means that, when we exercise, we’re actually supporting our own levels of this feel-good chemical in our bodies! What does that sound like for you? You’re probably thinking that, because I work out, I must be an “exercise addict”. Not true, friends. Exercise does more than just make you feel good — it can also help with a range of issues, like anxiety and depression. It may even treat them.
When you suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression, physical exercise can help you feel more satisfied with your life, and be less likely to seek treatment. Exercise is a very powerful way to support your dopamine levels.
Help others — and become a happier person in the process.
Helping other people makes you feel good, and that’s a good thing. Helping others means you experience a sense of achievement and a sense of joy. It also means you get to share this happiness with other people and feel good about yourself for doing so. Helping your fellow man — both those you know and those you don’t — can make you feel good, and can increase your own dopamine levels as well. Selflessness is a key factor that leads to self-fulfillment. You can’t really go wrong by helping others, or anyone, in time of trouble, or in need. You don’t have to do this on a large or large scale, or in a way that will get you recognition or applause from others. Helping just one person, or five can make you feel great.
Don’t drink and drive — and don’t eat high-energy, high-sugar foods either.
It’s no secret that drinking and driving, and eating food that’s high in sugar, lead to bad outcomes for your health. And, since eating foods that increase your levels of insulin can lead to high levels of blood pressure and cravings, it’s important not to feed your brain with foods that are bad for you. Not only will your blood pressure and cholesterol fall, but you’ll also be less likely to binge eat or drink in a risky situation. And, lastly, don’t forget about your mental health — which will be boosted by eating well too.
Avoiding high-fat, high-sugar foods can help you feel more alert and focused, which can help you perform better at work, or in school. And, last but not least, eat healthy, sleep regularly, and keep your body moving. That’s a recipe for building better brain cells and helping yourself get smarter, younger, and happier.
