A lot of people across the world struggle with their dopamine levels and most of them are not even aware of it. If you’ve been feeling down-and-out then increasing your dopamine levels might help.
Dopamine is very important because it plays roles in so many of the things we do. Dopamine is something many think just ‘makes us happy’ but it does a lot more than just that. It helps transmit lots of signals within the brain. Whenever you do something good and get a reward or positive feedback from it though, that feeling you get is dopamine at work.
Below I am going to go over some small things that you and well, anyone can do to help increase your dopamine levels as a whole. While some people are lacking more than others, it never hurts to put a little effort into feeling and being better overall. These things really make things easier on me overall.
5 Simple Ways To Help Increase Your Dopamine Levels:
1. Exercise more often.
Exercise in itself can and will boost endorphin levels and help you to improve your mood as a whole. Research on animals has in the past suggested that exercise as a whole can help boost dopamine levels in animals which means it could be true for humans as well. While we’re not 100 percent sure on that, it does seem to be true that exercise has tons of positive effects on us.
2. Listen to your favorite music.
If you love music try listening to some of your favorite upbeat songs when you’re feeling low. This will increase activity in the reward area of the brain which is related to dopamine in a big way. While it might not make a big difference right off the bat, the more you do it the better you may end up feeling.
3. Knock a few things off of your ‘to-do list.’
When we’re stressed and upset getting things done makes us feel better in some ways. This is because we’re getting things done and being productive. While starting small might not be ideal, it makes a difference.
4. Meditate a bit and try to be more mindful.
Meditating is something I try to do every single day. This will allow you to clear your mind and really work through the things bringing you down. Through this, you will relax and thus end up potentially increasing your dopamine levels at the same time.
5. Spend a little more time in the sun.
We all need sunlight whether we want to admit it or not. Exposure to the sun when done right can help make a person feel a lot better as a whole. One study actually found that those who were exposed to the most sunlight within their research had the highest density of dopamine receptors which in many ways is quite huge. That having been said, always be safe when out in the sun.
For more information on what dopamine is and what it does check out the video below. This in itself is something we should all work at, after all, who doesn’t want to be more content? They’re pretty simple and will make a huge difference in your life so why not give them a go?