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Dopamine is a key feel-good hormone that drives motivation, focus, and energy. Low levels can affect your mood and daily functioning. While medication is an option, there are effective, natural ways to boost dopamine sustainably.

Below are practical tips to increase dopamine through diet, exercise, sleep, sunlight, and positive habits—no pills required. Learn how to support your brain chemistry and feel more energized, motivated, and emotionally balanced every day.

Signs you have low dopamine.

If you have been low on energy, numb, or depressed all the time, without any change in routine like sleeping, eating, or resting, there is a high possibility that you are just low on dopamine.

You spend most of your time socializing but don’t feel enough empathy. You are in the crowd but feel indifferent. You simply want to be left alone. It has come to the extent that you would rather stay in bed than go out.

There are high chances that you are low on dopamine and below are some changes you can make to change that.

Also Read: Do you feel lazy or demotivated? You can be dopamine deficient.

Reduce screen time.

Have you heard about dopamine detox? If your screen time is more than 5 hours, your brain is addicted to cheap dopamine. And you are in desperate need of dopamine detox. Your best alternative is to reduce your screen time substantially.

Make sure you reduce your time spent on social media. Either delete the apps or log out of them. So, you don’t start scrolling through the feed out of habit. Also, make sure that you don’t use your phone first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to sleep.

Once you start minimizing your screen time, you will feel a dramatic change in your lifestyle and energy. Be aware that you need dopamine to keep you motivated for long-term goals. You do not need to be dependent on cheap dopamine that eats away at your goals and happiness.

Also Read: A strategic plan to cure brain rot.

Increase “me” time.

What are you going to do with all the time now when you are not hovering over your screen? You utilize it to spend it with yourself. Spend some time in the morning without a screen. Make a cup of coffee or drink for yourself, or fix a breakfast.

Try to journal about how you are planning to spend your day. Clean your room or wardrobe with some music on but avoid the temptation to scroll on any online platform. Visit the café or restaurant that has recently opened.

Take yourself on a museum or exhibition date. Visit the neighboring park and have an afternoon picnic. Read the book that you have been planning to read for a while. Or simply buy a bouquet to place it in the vase at your headstand.

Also Read: How to plan your day to avoid doomscrolling?

Spend more time in Nature.

One thing that can drastically save you from cheap dopamine and fill you with freshness and life is spending some time in nature. No matter how small that time is, no matter whether it is alone or with some friends make sure you touch the grass every once in a while.

Feeling the cold breeze against your skin when you look at the sky will make you feel alive again. Many people choose to listen to nature sounds as ASMR but that is not enough. You will get a sustainable supply of dopamine only if you spend some time in nature.

Plan a hiking trip, or visit the nearest nature reservoir. Japanese tea Garden located in every major city across America is also not a bad idea. For the people who have been around western regions of the country, you can go for star gazing at the Grand Canyon. All of this will bring you close to nature and closer to yourself.

Indulge in creative activities.

When was the last time you tried coloring? Maybe, your fingers have not wrapped around a coloring pencil after school. Do you want to try it? There are a lot of books for adults available at multiple online stores.

These books can trigger the regions of your brain that require creative output. Many studies suggest that coloring can bring back the lost joy in life. Similarly, you can try writing a poem, a song, or any musical instrument that suits your liking.

Any brain rot, boredom, or mundanity accumulated from 9to5 can be cured by creative activities. All you need to do is choose one that suits your liking and get on with it. Don’t associate a whole career or goals with it. Do it for fun and you will feel alive once again.

Also Read: How to live an interesting life?

Move physically.

Have you ever danced alone in a room? Just put on some music in your earbuds and dance your ass off to your favorite song. If you have never tried, I urge you to stop reading and do it right away. Come back and tell us how you feel about it.

This one act can change your energy completely. Not only how you are feeling in the moment but also the energy of your day. Most people underestimate the contribution of physical activities. Going to the gym or morning walks is not meant for discipline only.

They are meant to generate as much dopamine as your body can. Instead of feeling the stagnating energy your body and mind are stuck at. You can choose to move your body and feel the ripples you made in your energy and your mood.

Cater to your inner child’s needs.

Sometimes, your dopamine depletion is not because your current needs are not being met. But because your old wounds are still festering. You are still feeling and simmering through the pain that impacted your mind, feelings, and emotions a long time ago.

The best way to come out of the rut is to be kind to yourself. Understand your inner child and cater to their needs. It may manifest in the form of catering to the needs of other people but not showing that kindness to yourself.

It may also manifest in depleting your energy by people-pleasing everyone around you when you have nothing left for yourself at the end of the day. This will deplete your dopamine irrevocably. And there are chances that it will create resentment towards everyone.

So, make sure you understand your emotional and personal needs to always fill your cup first.

Also Read: How to re-parent yourself to heal your inner child?

Try something new.

When was the last time you did something you have never done before? If you are feeling that you have been living a boring life. You need to immediately get up and make a list of things you want to try at least once in your life.

It may involve adventure sports, asking the girl of your dreams on a date, or visiting the other part of the world to see the northern lights. This was a major change, you can make minor changes as well.

Try to revamp your wardrobe, join the class for metaphysical philosophy to understand the mysteries of the universe, or anything that you think you want to do at least once in life.

Your life starts when you realize you have so little time left to live it and there is so much you can do.

Have a good diet.

When it comes to lack of dopamine, many people underestimate the unhealthy diets they have been having for some time. Eating processed food not only affects your body but it also affects your brain. And most people don’t pay any attention to that. Consuming more sugar can give you an instant dopamine boost but it is not sustainable.

Change your diet for at least a week and see the change happen. Make sure you eat less calories and more protein. You are what you eat. Do not be dependent on an animal-based diet. Switch to a plant-based diet and see the change happening to your mood and energy.

Scientists from UCLA have reported a dramatic shift in the mood and happiness levels of people on a plant diet. You do not need to go complete began. Because that may harm your health based on the profession and lifestyle. But increase the plant intake for some time and see if that can make a change.

Celebrate your smaller wins.

Have you been often told that you are too hard on yourself? Even though, you work hard you barely take any credit. You think you have to work harder to deserve happiness. But that is far from the truth.

If you keep on celebrating your smaller wins, it will give you a boost to keep moving forward in life. Most importantly, do not be dependent on external factors to validate your wins or achievements.

Have your own goals and achieve them. Do not forget yourself in the journey and keep celebrating how far you have come from where you begin. Immediately, make a list of all the smaller and bigger achievements you have had in your life and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.

Catch up with your old mates.

There is nothing like reminiscing times. If you are fond of your memories or simply hated the time you spent during high school, it is still good to catch up.

Now, when you are all grown up, you can listen to others’ perspectives and see how they looked in those days. Trust me, they will not only appreciate your efforts to catch up but they will love to re-live those days again.

Get off your screen and organize an event to meet with everyone you once used to sit in one room with, and yet suddenly you become strangers. Thank us later.

Also Read: Why don’t you feel fulfilled in life?

Also Read: How to get out of life-rut?

Also Read: 10 best ways to romanticize your life.