Dopamine: The Responsible Chemical for Motivation
The #1 Solution to Laziness
Lack of motivation can be very frustrating, especially when you are driven with big & audacious goals. Do you feel like you should be doing more and your current commitment won't get you where you want to be in the future?
This blog post will help you to understand yourself better and get back on track with the hustle.
I struggled with motivation and discipline over the last past few years and it was very challenging to come to terms that I won't be motivated all the time and that my day-to-day tasks are not bringing me any pleasure. So I decided to dive deep into the topic of which chemicals in our brain are responsible for the experience of pleasure and motivation to understand myself better and this is what I found out.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in motivation, pleasure, and reward. It is produced in several areas of the brain, including the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens, and is released in response to pleasurable experiences or anticipation of them.
One of the primary functions of dopamine is to regulate motivation. When we engage in activities that are rewarding or pleasurable, our brain releases dopamine, which helps to reinforce and motivate us to continue engaging in those behaviors. For example, if we enjoy going to the gym, our brain will release dopamine when we exercise, which will make us more motivated to go to the gym again in the future.
However, dopamine levels are not always constant. Some people may have naturally higher baseline levels of dopamine, which can make them more prone to seeking out pleasurable experiences or seeking novelty. On the other hand, people with lower baseline dopamine levels may be less motivated to seek out new experiences or may find it harder to get motivated to complete tasks.
There are several ways that you can regulate your dopamine levels to be more productive. One way is to set small, achievable goals for yourself. When you achieve a goal, your brain releases dopamine, which can help to increase your motivation and drive. You can also try to incorporate pleasurable activities into your daily routine, such as exercising, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in hobbies that you enjoy.
Another way to regulate dopamine levels is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Certain nutrients, such as tyrosine, which is found in protein-rich foods like chicken and turkey, and phenylalanine, which is found in dairy products and nuts, are necessary for the production of dopamine. Incorporating these nutrients into your diet can help to increase your dopamine levels.
It's important to note that dopamine is not the only neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation and pleasure. Other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, also contribute to these processes. However, dopamine is an important player, and understanding how it works can help you to regulate your motivation and productivity.
In conclusion, certain activities and compounds can elevate our dopamine levels up to 3x of the baseline levels, those include caffeine, drugs, and certain vices such as gambling or social media, which is cleverly designed to give you small dopamine hits with playful features to keep you further engaged on those platforms.
Knowing this information now, it makes sense that once dopamine increases above our baseline level, the activities or compounds consumed causing the increase will make it very hard for us to feel any pleasure from anything else.
This leads me to this great quote by Andrew D. Huberman;
"Don't spike dopamine prior to engaging in effort and don't spike dopamine after engaging in effort. Learn to spike your dopamine from effort itself."
References:
https://hubermanlab.com/controlling-your-dopamine-for-motivation-focus-and-satisfaction/