Dopamina: ¿Cómo puedes controlar la hormona motivadora?

Dopamine: How can you control the motivating hormone?

What is dopamine?

It is the “motivational hormone” responsible for getting you off the couch and encouraging you to do the things you love. dopamine It is one of the brain's feel-good hormones, associated with pleasure, reward and arousal.

Dopamine is released in your brain’s “pleasure centers” when you do (or even just think about doing) something you’ve been looking forward to. That rush you get every time you hear your favorite song at a party, eat a chocolate chip cookie, or meet up with your crush—that’s dopamine in action.

Why is dopamine important?

This hormone plays a very important role in:

  • Memory, learning and concentration through reinforcement and reward seeking.
  • Cheer up
  • Exercise and sleep
  • Physiological functions: heart rate, kidney function, blood vessel function.
  • Pain processing

How can you enhance it?

Low dopamine levels are linked to lack of motivation and focus, fatigue, and mood swings. Are you too lazy to get off the couch to do anything and can’t even choose which Netflix show to watch? Here are some small habits you can incorporate into your daily life to keep dopamine levels high and keep you motivated and going:

boy with long hair trying to control dopamine
  • Get some natural sunlight every day.
  • Get a good night's sleep, it will make your brain more receptive.
  • Eat a healthy diet that includes protein-rich foods like soy, avocado, chicken and legumes, tyrosine-rich foods like nuts and green tea rich in the amino acid L-theanine, which is linked to increased dopamine production.
  • Limit your intake of high-fat processed foods, which interfere with dopamine production.
  • Find a new skill, hobby, or creative activity that excites you. Anticipating progress and seeing your evolution will increase your dopamine release.
  • Exercise regularly and recognize your achievements.
  • Listen to your favorite music: it will give you chills and increase your dopamine levels.
  • Meditate and test Yoga : It's all the rage and evidence suggests it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain.
  • Set goals at the start of the day – checking off each item on the list will give you a mini dopamine rush. Dopamine makes you feel good about pursuing things, even if they are broken down into smaller, more manageable steps. The bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the dopamine rush.

By anticipating the positive feeling that accompanies these small additions to your routine, you will also feel more optimistic and better about yourself.

Learn when to slow down: the dopamine you want to avoid.

Is this hormone a crucial brain response for increasing motivation, enthusiasm and overall happiness? Yes.

However, too much dopamine can also be harmful, as it causes poor impulse control and leads to anxiety and stress. In extreme cases, elevated dopamine levels are correlated with ADHD and addiction.

By playing on instant gratification, alcohol and drugs release a temporary and intense surge of dopamine into the brain. These dopamine spikes are short-lived and produce abrupt drops, which can lead the brain to produce less dopamine overall if disconnected from its addictive source.

Therefore, the best way to maintain healthy and constant levels of dopamine in the brain is to avoid drugs, high-sugar foods, and social media addiction and adopt healthy habits that make you feel good and truly motivated.

And if you want to learn more, you can discover other tips at our blog.