Ever get that little rush of excitement when someone likes your post or follows you on social media? That’s dopamine kicking into action. Dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter that involves motivation and reward. Each time you feel that little speck of pleasure when you do something, you’re motivated to keep doing it. That’s why it’s so easy to keep scrolling or refreshing your feed. Dopamine encourages you to keep chasing that reward.
When your brain isn’t producing enough dopamine, you might feel unmotivated, absent-minded, or anxious from low levels of dopamine. In more serious cases like Parkinson’s disease, dopamine levels drop significantly because of nerve cell loss in the brain. Drugs like cocaine can cause a surge in dopamine, but they also damage your brain’s dopamine receptors. That’s why long-term users need more of the drug just to feel the same effect.
Even if you’re not dealing with a condition like Parkinson’s or substance use, your lifestyle can also impact your dopamine levels. A diet high in saturated fat, chronic sleep deprivation, and stress have all been linked to lower dopamine production.
How your lifestyle affects dopamine levels
You’ve probably already heard that using your phone or tablet before bed can mess with your sleep. Those little dopamine hits you get from scrolling or watching videos can keep your brain wired. If you’re already running low on sleep, things can get even trickier. A 2012 study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that sleep deprivation affects your brain by reducing the number of dopamine receptors. That means you might feel more sluggish and less alert the next day.
Dopamine also plays a big role in how you handle stress, depending on whether you feel like you can do something about it. A 2012 review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews said that your dopamine levels shift depending on how manageable your stress feels. If the situation seems overwhelming, dopamine might spike at first to help you cope, but then it crashes and stays low. That dip can leave you feeling drained and unmotivated to improve things.
When you’re feeling low, you may reach for certain comfort foods. According to a 2012 review in the International Journal of Obesity Supplements, a high-fat diet can actually keep your dopamine levels low. Animal studies show that when pregnant mothers eat a high-fat diet, their offspring end up with changes in dopamine and serotonin levels, leading them to crave more fatty and sugary foods. In both animals and humans, eating a lot of high-fat foods over time can dull the brain’s reward system, making it harder to feel pleasure from eating.
How to handle low levels of dopamine
If you’re experiencing low levels of dopamine, turning to behaviors such as eating junk food, binge-watching Hulu, or using drugs or alcohol can keep you on a cycle of dopamine highs and lows. Grabbing your phone for a little bit of social media stimulation can also result in problems with your dopamine signaling, according to a 2023 review in the World Journal of Psychiatry. You may also experience low dopamine levels if you spend a lot of time playing video games.
You can naturally increase your dopamine levels in a few ways. Look for magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, bananas, and avocados to help your body produce more dopamine. You can also include a little dark chocolate as well. High-protein foods that are rich in the amino acid tyrosine can be broken down and converted into dopamine. Think roasted chicken, salmon, steak, and turkey for the most tyrosine. The amino acid L-theanine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins D, B5, and B6 can also help your body naturally produce more dopamine. Your gut microbiome produces dopamine and other neurotransmitters in your gut, so supplementing with probiotics may help boost dopamine production.
Rather than lying on the couch, get up and move to stimulate dopamine production. You don’t have to run a marathon to get that exercise high. Any movement that gets your muscles and blood circulating will also activate dopamine. If exercise isn’t possible, try listening to music that triggers happy memories and feelings.
