We all want pleasure. Whenever we have a positive experience, we feel pleasure, making us want to repeat the experience. Dopamine is what connects experience with pleasure.

What is Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which governs many functions in the body, such as motivation, mood, memory, attention or sleep ^{1, 2, 3}.

Its role is to reward specific behaviour by producing a feeling of pleasure when it is released in large amounts ⁴. This is why dopamine is often refered to as the “feel-good” chemical.

It connects pleasurable experiences and actions to a drive to repeat them. When our brain produces dopamine in response to a positive behaviour, we feel good, which encourages us to repeat that action, which in turn releases more dopamine. By associating doing what makes you feel good (positive reinforcement), dopamine dictates our reward pathways ⁵. In contrast, low levels of dopamine are linked to apathy and a lack of motivation for normally enjoyable activities.

Dopamine is one of the 4 so-called “happiness hormones” : ⁶

• Endorphin: Provides pain relief and relaxation, often creating a “runner’s high.” It’s released during or after exercise and while laughing.
• Dopamine: Creates pleasure linked to specific actions and plays a key role in motivation within the brain’s reward system. It’s released when we complete a task or reach a goal.
• Serotonin: Acts as a mood stabiliser, promoting well-being and happiness. Produced in the gut, it’s triggered by eating certain foods, walking in nature, sunlight, or meditation.
• Oxytocin: Fosters feelings of bonding, love, and trust. It’s released during cuddles, hugs, sex, or playing with a pet.

Reward Mechanism

When we perceive a reward opportunity, whether real or imagined, the brain releases dopamine in the reward centre. This dopamine boost makes us feel alert, craving, and excited, pushing us to go after that reward. Until we get it, we feel anxious, restless, stressed, and dissatisfied. When we finally achieve the reward, dopamine levels drop, which feels like a relief perceived as pleasure or satisfaction.

This reward mechanism is hardcoded in us, this is what motivates us to get things done. However, this is also what makes us confuse pleasure and happiness.

Dopamine itself isn’t bad. It drives our motivation, willpower, focus and self-discipline. We need a healthy amount of dopamine to feel good and work toward our goals. The problem is how we seek dopamine. Activities that require hard work, time and perseverance to achieve the reward release dopamine progressively and over a long period of time, keeping you motivated and resourceful. However, activities producing a quick burst of dopamine with little effort drains your motivation and affect your mood negatively. This is the trap of instant gratification.

Dopamine Baseline

Dopamine is produced continuously and in small amounts in our system. The dopamine concentration in our system when no additional factors are stimulating its release determines our baseline level. This baseline is influenced by our actions, diet, other hormones, and even our thoughts. Keeping dopamine levels balanced is essential for sustaining willpower—too low or too high can disrupt this balance.

When we engage in pleasurable activities, dopamine levels spike above baseline, creating a surge of motivation and energy. These quick dopamine hits feel extremely good, but this state is short-lived and it can only offer temporary relief. Once the pleasant activity ends, dopamine is no longer released and we see a rapid drop in dopamine levels.

Unlike adrenaline, dopamine takes time to produce. Because so much dopamine is consumed after a peak, we don’t have enough left to maintain our baseline level. This temporary dopamine shortage persists until the body produces enough to return to normal levels ⁷. During this deficit, we experience a lack of motivation and energy, impacting our ability to tackle everyday tasks.

The intensity of the dopamine crash is proportional to the intensity of the peak. The higher the spike, the bigger the drop, and the more time is needed to return to a healthy baseline level.

The more we engage in a pleasurable activity, the less it boosts our dopamine level, the less enjoyable it feels over time. Constant over-exposure to dopamine makes us less sensitive. That’s why the tenth scoop of ice cream doesn’t taste as good as the first. That’s why smokers have the need to smoke more cigarettes overtime of to choose stronger cigarettes.

This loss in sensitivity is a defence mechanism to protect ourselves from overstimulation. However, by over-indulging in “cheap” dopamine-stimulating activities, we slowly condition ourselves to addiction ⁸.

Sources of “easy” or “cheap” dopamine include :

• engaging with social media and smartphone (in particular, receiving texts, likes and notifications, scrolling)
• watching series
• playing video games
• gambling
• sex and masturbation
• consuming addictive drugs (tobacco, recreational drugs, alcohol)
• consuming processed sugar (soda, sweets, etc…)

Engaging in these highly addictive activities is an unhealthy way to stimulate dopamine production. Each time we engage in these activities, we get a dopamine high, which then crashes below our initial baseline. By repeatedly producing these peaks and drops, we lower our baseline, making us feel constantly unmotivated and apathetic.

A healthier way to produce dopamine is through effort and hardwork. These healthy activities cause the dopamine concentration to increase slowly and progressively, and to be maintained high over a longer period of time.

Our consumerist society leverages this biological mechanism by luring us into the game of instant gratification. We can get anything we want almost instantly online : a physical product, a movie, a romantic date.

We are constantly surrounded by instant sources of dopamine : food, sex, social media, entertainment, etc… Every time we get a “like” on social media, watch a funny video, play an addictive game, feel sexually aroused, or eat a chocolate cake, our brain gets a quick and temporary hit of dopamine. It doesn’t require much effort and seems harmless, but it can easily become an addictive habit.

In fact, everything around us is designed to distract us, and to tempt us to indulge in quick and easy sources of pleasure. From shopping malls to social media and practically every app on our phones, we’re being conditioned to crave easy dopamine, which happens to be highly profitable for many companies.

In today’s society, only a few rewards—like job satisfaction and deep, meaningful relationships—can be achieved through effort and perseverance. As a result, fewer and fewer people manage to gain access to them.

The Consequences of Dopamine Imbalance

Too little or too much dopamine can cause many problems. Dopamine levels are normally automatically regulated by the nervous system. However, these levels can get dysregulated due to various reasons, which may cause a number of mental disorders.

Low Dopamine Levels Disorders

A lack of dopamine can cause the following symptoms :

• Low energy, moodiness, lack of motivation, listlessness, boredom, apathy, decreased desire for enjoyable activities ⁹
• Reduced appetite
• Cravings for fatty and/or sweet foods
• Trouble of concentration, shortness of attention, increased distractibility, inability to get things done
• Low libido
• Insomnia
• Dependance to addictive substances or behaviours
• Anxiety

Dopamine deficiency is responsible for many psychological illnesses: ¹⁰

• Depression ^{11, 12}
• Parkinson’s disease
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ¹³
• Addiction and substance abuse
• Anxiety disorder

High Dopamine Levels Disorders

Too much dopamine may feel extremely good, but it can also have negative effects. The following symptoms may be caused by abnormally high dopamine levels :

• Aggressivity
• Excitation
• Euphoria
• Excessive impulsivity
• Increased interest in sex
• Insomnia
• Stress

High dopamine levels is linked to these mental disorders :

• Psychotic episodes
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia

Additionally, consuming various substances may produce a dopamine peak that causes feelings of detachment and dissociation. Excess dopamine produced by consuming these substances is linked to “bad trips” and can trigger transient or permanent psychotic disorders.

How to Increase Dopamine Levels — the Right Way

Dopamine levels are difficult to measure since they occur in the brain, but we can usually clearly experience the symptoms caused by a lack or a high of dopamine.

Some medications can be used to help balance dopamine levels, such as dopamine agonist or antagonist. For example, antidepressants and antipsychotic medicine operate by binding to dopamine receptors in the brain.

It is imperative to consult a professional before taking these treatments. Fortunately, there are natural ways to balance your dopamine levels without medication.

A natural way to increase dopamine levels is to partake in healthy habits ¹⁴, which help maintain the dopamine at stable levels ¹⁵.

Avoiding highly addictive dopamine-producing activities

As mentioned above, we should avoid engaging too much in “easy” sources of dopamine, i.e. activities releasing a large amount of dopamine in a short time with little to no effort in achieving the reward. These activities include :

• consuming social media
• watching series
• playing video games
• gambling
• sex and masturbation
• consuming addictive drugs
• consuming processed sugar

Getting enough quality sleep

Dopamine is released in large amounts in the morning when it’s time to wake up and that levels naturally fall in the evening when it’s time to sleep ¹⁶. However, lack of sleep or low quality sleep disrupt these natural rhythms ¹⁷.

Sleep quality ¹⁸ may be improved by :

• going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day
• sleeping in a “suitable” environment : clean, ventilated, completely dark, silent, slightly cold bedroom
• avoiding blue light exposure in the evening (from smartphones and computers)
• avoiding caffeine in the evening
• avoiding alcohol
• avoiding late dinners
• not taking a long nap during the day
• exercising during the day (but not before sleeping)
• avoiding melatonin supplements (which may disrupt sleeping cycles and reduce natural production)

Consuming nutritious and healthy food

Dopamine is synthesised in the body from tyrosine and phenylalanine, two amino acids that can be found in protein-rich foods ^{19, 20}. These includes :

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Fish
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Lean meats (chicken, turkey)
• Plant-based proteins : legumes, soy, beans, whole grains, almonds, pumpkin and sesame seeds, almonds.

Other foods that can increase dopamine production are:

• Fruits and vegetables, especially bananas
• Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids: salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, oysters, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts.
• Natural probiotics supporting a healthy gut microbiome : kefir and yogurt ²¹.
• Some vitamins and minerals are required to produce dopamine : iron, folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B6 (leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, avocado, poultry) ²².

Research has shown that drinking a moderate amount of coffee or tea increases the availability of dopamine receptors in the brain ²³.

As mentioned previously, we should limit our consumption of processed sugars as it produces a fast dopamine rush.

We should also eat less saturated fat (animal fat, butter, full-fat dairy, palm oil, and coconut oil), which disrupt dopamine levels when consumed in large amounts ²⁴.

Exercising regularly

Regular exercise boosts endorphin levels but it can also help increase the production of dopamine ^{25, 26}. Physical activity improves the mood and helps with anxiety and depression.

Listening to music

Listening to music can boost dopamine levels in the brain ^{27, 28}.

Social connections

Engaging in social activities such as meeting friends and family may help with maintaining stable dopamine levels ²⁹.

Meditation

Meditation can increase dopamine levels ^{30, 31}.

Exposure to natural sunlight

Sunlight exposure can boost dopamine levels ³².

Cold exposure

Immersion in cold water increases dopamine concentration by 250% ^{33, 34}.

Physical contact

Massage, kissing, cuddling, stroking, tickling, hugging and sex increases oxytocin levels, but also dopamine concentration ³⁵.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting increases levels of dopamine ^{36, 37}.

How to Balance Dopamine Peaks

We should not only seek to increase our dopamine levels in a healthy way, we should also make sure to manage the dopamine peaks so that the crashes don’t affect us too much.

Intermittent Dopamine Release

It consists in limiting how often and predictably you indulge in dopamine-inducing activities. It involves celebrating wins selectively rather than every time. When you achieve a goal, sometimes enjoy and celebrate the success, and other times (at random), just keep going. Even better, associate “winning” with the effort process itself. This strategy—called “Random Intermittent Reward Timing” (RIRT)—is used by casinos to keep people engaged…

Avoid Combining Too Many Sources of Dopamine

Layering many dopamine triggers—such as combining energy drinks, music, and physical workout can help motivate us to work towards a goal. However, it can numb our dopamine response, ultimately undermining our long-term motivation.

Dopamine is said to have a “history” : the level of dopamine in our system now depends on past peaks and baseline levels. Experiencing multiple dopamine peaks consecutively can affect our response negatively. For example, after riding a roller coaster followed by watching a movie, the peak from the roller coaster would likely be considerable, and the movie that follows would seem boring as a result.

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