In my previous column, I explained motivation and how to keep ourselves motivated to maintain drive. I also talked about dopamine, a neurotransmitter and central to motivation, serving as the brain’s signal to start and persist in goal-oriented actions. It not only drives the desire to achieve but also sustains effort during the process.
Dopamine was recognized as a key neurotransmitter by British scientist George Barger in 1957. In 2000, related research earned the Nobel Prize for contributions to understanding movement, reward and cognition. Knowledge about dopamine revolutionized our understanding of human behavior, decision-making and physiology.
The body releases dopamine when we anticipate a reward, increasing our focus, drive and determination. It also helps maintain effort to ensure we keep our commitment to long-term objectives. That sounds pretty good! Of course, we still need to actually do the work that is needed, but if we set clear goals and visualize success, small achievements along the way can trigger the release of dopamine.
Starting new tasks stimulates the hippocampus, the brain’s memory and learning center. This activates neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt by forming new connections. So when we keep doing something over and over again, we enhance memory and teach the brain a new skill.
This builds up resilience and adaptability, which makes us flexible but at the same time strong to handle challenges. It also strengthens motivation, reinforcing behavior by associating it with pleasure or success so the tasks become progressively easier over time.
Dopamine plays an important role for motor control, or movement regulation. Deficiencies cause disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Low dopamine levels are linked to depression, which is one of the reasons that chronic dopamine dysregulation due to excessive time spent on our digital devices may lead to anxiety, attention disorders and reduced motivation.
In addition to dopamine, other hormones can influence motivation and determination. These include endorphins, released during rewarding activities to improve mood and increase pain tolerance, such as during exercise. Also oxytocin, which helps improve social connections and a sense of belonging, indirectly boosting motivation.
Starting something new can be overwhelming, and activating the initial energy to start a task often feels too hard. So breaking it into smaller, manageable steps can reduce stress. We make on average 60,000-70,000 decisions a day. Repeated decision-making depletes mental energy, so we do not make most of these decisions consciously. Doing many things on auto-pilot might be helpful to release stress; however, we can not then expect to master a new task in a short time-frame.
And when we think about risk factors of something new, we increase our fear of failure. The prefrontal cortex, part of the brain known as the “personalty center,” evaluates risk versus reward. This can amplify fear of failure. So reframing failure as an opportunity for learning and growth can reduce this fear, and encourage action.
There are natural and effective ways to stimulate dopamine, which can enhance motivation in whatever we’re doing. Of course, our nutrition and lifestyle choices affect dopamine. Tyrosine, an amino acid, is a precursor to dopamine and present in eggs, lean meats, fish, nuts, seeds and legumes. Magnesium is found in dark chocolate, spinach and avocados. Zinc is found in oysters and pumpkin seeds.
Antioxidant rich foods can protect dopamine-producing neurons, for example berries, green tea and leafy greens. And omega-3 fatty acids, found it fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), walnuts and chia seeds are also beneficial in stimulating dopamine. In addition, maintaining stable blood sugar levels help support consistent energy and mental clarity.
Regular exercise can also increase dopamine release and receptor sensitivity. Strength training promotes endorphins and dopamine release, improving mood and focus. Also, trying new sports or exercises stimulates the brain’s reward system.
Dopamine levels naturally rise during the day and decline at night. Thus, it’s important to create a consistent sleep schedule, minimize screen time before bed, and for most people get 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep.
Meditation increases dopamine levels and improves focus. Visualizing success primes the brain to anticipate rewards, stimulating dopamine pathways. Positive affirmations and self-talk, associated with self-belief and motivation, are beneficial.
Of course, chronic stress depletes dopamine, so we can practice deep breathing exercises and yoga to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Getting plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and even something as simple as listening to your favorite music can boost dopamine levels and mood. Finally, journaling might help you reflect on achievements and keep you focused as well.
As you see, almost everything is connected to each other. Whether you want to lose weight, be happier, more positive, or you want to change some specific habit, everything is related. When you’re healthy, mentally and physically, boosted dopamine levels will help you drive motivation and eventually you will get what you wish for!
References
w National Library of Medicine. “Neuroanatomy, Prefrontal Cortex”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499919/
w HealthDirect. “Dopamine”. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine
w Northwestern Medicine. “The Role of Dopamine in Habit Formation and Compulsive Behavior with Talia Lerner, PhD”. https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/research/podcast/2022/role-of-dopamine-habit-formation-talia-lerner .html
w Robbins, T. W., & Everitt, B. J. (2002). “Dopamine and motivation.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
w Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
w Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
w McEwen, B. S., & Gianaros, P. J. (2011). “Stress- and allostasis-induced brain plasticity.” Annual Review of Medicine.
w Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer.
w Hagger, M. S., et al. (2010). “Self-regulation and behavior.” Health Psychology Review.
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Ayda Ersoy is a nutritionist (Dip.C.N., Dip.S.N.); master trainer (CPT ACE, NCSF, CanfitPro); registered yoga teacher; founder, Health Angel Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness; and founder, SMS (Stability, Mobility Strength) Intuitive Training System.