Lesson Learn
Content for a deep dive into dopamine for those that are interested.
What is dopamine?
Dopamine is our body’s reward chemical. When an experience meets our expectations, it produces dopamine; as a result, our bodies experience feelings of pleasure, motivation, and desire.
Changes
in dopamine
Our bodies have a baseline level of dopamine, but we can experience things that cause peaks in our dopamine. Following a peak of dopamine, our baseline temporarily crashes; the stronger the peak, the stronger the crash.
Dangers
of imbalance
Low levels of dopamine can cause decreased motivation, insensitivity to enjoyment, and mental illness (e.g., depression, psychosis, schizophrenia).
High levels of dopamine can cause overcompetitiveness, aggression, and addiction (e.g., binge eating, gambling).
How to manage
dopamine
The most important step is to be aware of pleasure-inducing activities.
Be careful not to overstimulate our brain’s reward center; give time for dopamine to replenish.
Consider fasting from frequent activities that induce dopamine.
Abstain from “stacking” dopamine-inducing activities simultaneously.
Embrace delayed and “hard-earned” gratification.