Dopamine Dependency Disaster vs Modern Monk Mastery
Last week I was a little inconsistent with my meditation.
This week I have been on.
My thoughts when I leave meditation to enter work mode have been changing.
From “Uhhh… I don’t want to”, to, “Cool, I’m ok with some focused work this morning.”
Isn’t it wild that we have the power to change our brain chemistry with our actions?
The old myth that as you age your brain isn’t as malleable has been debunked.
These changing thoughts aren’t from just meditation. Life is complex.
It is based on all the decisions we make and our behavior.
Here are two few takes for you, increasing in heat about Dopamine;
It is the most powerful neurotransmitter when it comes to how we operate and function in the world around us.
In this technological day and age, it completely controls our success in life.
I don’t have Ph.D. or any qualifications here, but I listen to many that do like Dr.Huberman.
Dopamine is a theme they are obsessed with, for good reason.
Let’s paint 2 pictures.
Monday Mastery
Wake up and start the week strong with some squats. Then go for a walk, get sun before you hit your desk. Turn on airplane mode, type away, and feel like a champ. For lunch, you enjoy your sandwich with Rebecca and listen to her fascination with water polo. In the noon you lead a workshop, then bike home. Settle in for a dinner with the fam, read a murder mystery then watch break point for 45 minutes before shuteye.
Friday Fumble
Wake and grab your phone to shut off the alarm, back to sleep. Wake again, scroll trendy kitchen hacks, come to, rush to work. Work? Not really. You're stuck in emails. Reacting to each request, urgent or not, important or not. In the PM you can’t wait to get home and log out. When you get home you log in and get a little flack for forgetting to pick up the bread.
Dopamine Science
It's not just about pleasure.
It serves as a currency for our brains when it comes to foraging and seeking things that bring us joy and sustenance in the short term.
It also contributes to our well-being in the long run.
The incredible thing about the dopamine system is that it's not picky about a specific goal or pursuit.
It encourages us to go after things we find meaningful, whether they are healthy choices or not.
Our brains simply love the excitement of pursuing various activities and experiences.
Dopamine is not just released when we get the reward, it’s released before to motivate us to get it.
In a past article, I spoke about a time when I was feeling burned out and finding it tough to get back into healthy habits.
I shared how dopamine functions during this time and some tips to get back on track.
Dopamine is simple.
You receive it 1 of 2 ways.
Either from a source that helps you in your pursuit of your goals or not.
We can lose track of time in either a focus session or a scroll.
Caveat: use dopamine hits that don’t help you directly to motivate you to stay on track.
So, if you have a superhuman day, eat popcorn with your buddy at Oppenheimer.
I shared some science-based solutions to help your relationship with dopamine before.
Gimmie More Tips
Reduce certain activities that release dopamine, like highly palatable food or sex for a period of time. This can be helpful to restore normal levels of dopamine,
If you are going to watch short video content - say to yourself you will only watch 15 videos. Or, give yourself a time limit,
Take a cold shower/plunge before a work bout for multiple hours of focus,
Listen to pink, brown, or any type of color noise during a focus session. It is the most effective way to stay sharply focused. Check your fav music app or youtube for it.
We all have the freedom of choice and the ability to change our behavior.
Nowadays, dopamine regulation is tricky due to the myriad of temptations.
I hope understanding it better will help you can develop your own personal hacks and strategies to improve your life!
Enjoy,
Ari.