MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO INCREASE YOUR NATURAL RELEASE OF DOPAMINE
People with naturally higher dopamine levels in certain brain regions are willing to work harder than people with naturally lower levels of dopamine in the same regions. Dopamine acts as a focusing chemical in a sense. You can see how beneficial it can be to motivate yourself to increase your natural release of dopamine.
a DOPAMINE RUSH WITHOUT USING DRUGS?
There are hundreds of things you can actually do to get dopamine kicks. Even the simplest things like going to the movies or having a family reunion can increase your dopamine levels and give you pleasure.
Here is a list of effective things you can do to get that natural high:
1 – Eat food you really enjoy. Eating is one of the most rewarding systems we have. Unfortunately, many of the food we love eating, is not the best healthy choice. You must be careful not to overindulge yourself and sacrifice your personal health or self-image over just to satisfy your food cravings.
2 – Make love or have sex. Our brains in love or under high levels of excitement show the same dopamine rush pattern as a brain under a hit of cocaine. Just try to change things up to keep it fresh. Work on that moment of anticipation.
3- Play your favorite music. Studies have shown that listening to music has a similar effect on your brain as other pleasurable activities.
4 – Like video games? Go for it, play until you beat the game. Although video games do not provide an intrinsic reward, studies have shown them to increase your dopamine levels. Although the reason why dopamine increases while playing video games has not been explained, my theory is that since video games are goal-oriented, the activation comes from the drive to fulfill those short goals (wanting-enjoyment loops).
5 – Go out and get that one thing you been wishing you had for so long, or buy a great gift for someone special. Making people happy also has a rewarding effect.
6 –Think about what you really want to do, playing a sport, watching a movie, or going to see your favorite person. The anticipation of doing something that brings you pleasure sometimes has an even greater effect on your brain than actually doing it.
There are many ways to increase your levels of pleasure and excitement, it is just a matter of finding what works best for you. We are all different, but we all share the same basic mold. We all like to feel good. It was all designed by nature to preserve our species, so you can thank evolution for being able to enjoy a wonderful piece of pie.
References:
Helen Fisher. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. 2004. Henry Holt and Company LLC.
Kent C. Berridge and Terry E. Robinson, What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience? Brain Research Reviews. 1998. 309–369.
Koepp M, Gunn R, Lawrence D, Cunningham V, Dagher A, Jones T, Brooks D, Bench C, Grasby P. Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game. Nature. 1998. 393:266-8.
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