The Lazy Person’s Guide to Increasing Dopamine

6 Low-Effort, Easy Ways to Boost Your Dopamine

Maybe lately, you’ve been feeling burnt out and unmotivated. You want to find ways to increase your dopamine and restore your former zest of life. Yet every article you read says, “To increase dopamine just run 5 miles a day!” Meanwhile, every morning you listen to your overachieving coworker brag about how ice baths have changed their life, while you can’t even muster enough energy to play your favorite video game.

You’re not alone my friend. Everyone goes through lulls where they need that extra boost of energy. And while we are guilty of focusing on articles on more extreme ways to detox from Dopamine, we realize that sometimes you need to crawl before you can walk. And when you’re feeling sluggish and unmotivated, sometimes you have just enough energy to reach that lowest-hanging branch.

While there are numerous ways to naturally increase dopamine levels, not all of them require extensive effort. Read on to see how you can increase dopamine to boost your pleasure, reward, and motivation, all without breaking a sweat.

1. Listen to Music

Music has been shown to evoke emotions and trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. In fact, Dopamine is not only released at peak moments in a song we love but even just from our anticipation of those moments. When your brain is expecting a catchy chorus or chill-inducing guitar solo, your brain is already flooding your brain with rewarding feel-good neurotransmitters.

“Research has consistently shown that music-evoked pleasure is accompanied by physiological changes in the autonomous nervous system, as well as modulation of the mesolimbic reward pathway” which is similar to responses stemming from primary rewards, such as sex or food, as well as secondary rewards, such as getting a paycheck.

So create a playlist of your favorite songs, and listen to them whenever you need a quick mood lift. Upbeat and energetic tunes tend to work well, but ultimately, choose music that resonates with you and evokes an emotional response.

2. Enjoy Dark Chocolate

According to a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, dark chocolate has been shown to increase dopamine in the brain by up to 26%! The researchers posited this was due to a type of antioxidant called Flavnoids which is found in dark chocolate. Note: To get the full effect, not any chocolate will do. Milk chocolate, while delicious, does not carry the same dopaminergic benefits. Dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao is the specific variant you will need to eat in order to get the full effect. As an added bonus, people with higher cocoa intake were also shown to benefit from higher memory retention!

If you’ve never had dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao, I must warn you, the taste can be bitter and unpleasant to some people. However, I do have some friends who prefer the taste even over milk chocolate. If you belong to this lucky subset, this is a great, delicious, and effort-free way to increase your dopamine production!

3. Practice Gratitude

Taking a moment each day to reflect on the things you’re grateful for can have a positive impact on your dopamine levels. When you acknowledge the good things in your life, your brain releases dopamine, contributing to a sense of contentment and happiness. Consider keeping a gratitude journal to jot down a few things you’re thankful for every day.

I’ll share a trick I use when running through my gratitude exercise. I’ll start with my eyes and think about how grateful I am to be able to see. To watch movies, to look at my family’s faces, to watch tree branches move in the wind. I think about what it would be like to lose my vision and how I would pay every penny I own to get it back. Then I will wonder how I could ever take my eyes for granted!

Next, I will move to my ears and ability to hear music and voices, my nose and my ability to smell, my mouth and my ability to taste incredible food, my legs and my ability to walk effortlessly where I need to go. You get the idea 😉 even if life is feeling tough, your body is always a good place to start!

4. Get a Massage

Studies have shown numerous positive effects of massage therapy on biochemistry. Not only has massage been shown to decrease Cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone, but also increase dopamine by an average of 31%! So while massages feel great and increase relaxation, now you have even more of a reason to indulge. If you are ever feeling low and unmotivated, try treating yourself to a nice long massage. This is an effort-free way to increase dopamine and set you back on the right track.

5. Spend Time in Nature

According to a study published in American Scientist, “natural scenes triggered an increase in the interactions of the pleasure receptors of the brain’s visual cortex.” Spending time outdoors and connecting with nature has been shown to have positive effects on mental well-being. The calming and rejuvenating effects of nature can stimulate the release of dopamine and endorphins and reduce stress.

A lot of people assume you need to go deep into nature and spend an extended amount of time there to experience the benefits. But that’s not the case at all! Even a short walk in a nearby park or a moment of appreciating a sunset can make a difference.

6. Laugh and Connect

Laughter truly is a wonderful medicine. Engaging in activities that make you laugh, such as watching a funny movie or spending time with friends who have a great sense of humor, can trigger the release of dopamine. Social interactions, especially positive ones, also play a role in boosting dopamine levels. So go ahead and watch Dumb and Dumber for the 211th time. If anyone asks say you are engaging in a very important exercise to boost your Dopamine.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, it doesn’t take a ton of effort to increase your dopamine. In fact 5/6 of our suggestions in this article can be achieved from your couch! By incorporating these low-effort, easy ways to boost dopamine into your routine, you can significantly improve your mood, motivation, and overall well-being. Remember that everyone’s journey is unique, so feel free to experiment with different activities and find what works best for you! Whether it’s indulging in a piece of dark chocolate, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or enjoying a good laugh with friends, these simple practices can make a huge difference in your day to day.

Interested in taking your dopamine levels to well.. the next level? Once you are able to boost your dopamine to the point of regaining motivation, you might be ready to attempt some additional methods. While these are higher effort than the suggestions in this article, they will continue to elevate your brain’s dopamine production. If you are interested in taking the next step, check out our article on Dopamine Detoxes:

If you need to maximize dopamine production to accomplish a major project or life goal, then I would recommend checking out our article on how to unlock Monk Mode:

We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any other suggestions feel free to leave us a comment in the comments section!

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