You may have noticed that certain activities – such as listening to your favourite song, enjoying a delicious meal, or completing a challenging task – often leave you feeling satisfied and uplifted. This sense of pleasure and motivation is partly thanks to dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s often referred to as the brain’s “feel-good chemical”, and it plays a vital role in regulating your mood, motivation, focus, and even cognitive function.
Research from University College London suggests that dopamine levels seem to decline naturally as you age – potentially as much as 10% each decade.
Since it’s so important in maintaining both your mental sharpness and emotional wellbeing, finding ways to boost dopamine levels is especially valuable as you get older.
Thankfully, there are natural ways to encourage dopamine production and enhance your overall mood – continue reading to discover 10 simple habits that could help.
1. Get plenty of exercise
It might come as no surprise that physical activity is one of the more effective ways to boost dopamine levels.
According to the University of Portsmouth, when study participants cycled lying down in a positron emission tomography (PET) scan machine, their brains increased the amount of dopamine released.
This suggests that exercise doesn’t just benefit your body, but also supports your brain’s reward system.
The NHS recommends that adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week.
This could include walking, swimming, cycling, or team sports like football.
2. Stick to a balanced diet
The foods you eat each day also have a significant effect on dopamine production in the brain.
Interestingly, BBC Good Food reports that there is a link between obesity and disruptions in dopamine signalling.
This could be due to the fact that high-sugar and high-fat foods tend to blunt the brain’s reward system, leading to excessive consumption in an attempt to regain the same pleasure response.
To help support dopamine levels, it might be worth incorporating more dairy products, unprocessed meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts into your diet.
3. Eat plenty of protein
As well as a balanced diet, prioritising your protein intake could further enhance dopamine production.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine suggests that two amino acids – tyrosine and phenylalanine – are especially important for dopamine levels.
These vital compounds have been linked to improved cognitive function, deeper thinking, and better memory retention.
Foods rich in protein, such as turkey, beef, eggs, soy, and legumes, could provide your body with these necessary “building blocks of life” to maintain steady dopamine levels.
4. Listen to music on a regular basis
Music also has an incredible effect on the brain’s reward system. The British Academy of Audiology states that, while music seems to have no biological benefit to us, the release of dopamine and of the reward system in processing musical pleasure suggests “an ancestral function for music”.
So, spending some time each day listening to a nostalgic tune or your favourite song on the radio could provide an instant dopamine boost.
You may even want to make music a part of your daily routine, perhaps while you’re exercising or even when working.
5. Practise mindfulness
Mindfulness – which involves being present in the moment without any judgement or thought – can also increase dopamine levels.
There are several meditation and mindful exercises that could enhance your brain function, reduce stress, or even improve your overall wellbeing.
You don’t have to spend hours meditating each morning to benefit, either. Simply taking a few minutes each day to practise deep breathing might support mental clarity.
6. Spend time with your four-legged friends
If you have a pet, you might already know just how much joy they can bring. This is because spending time with animals, especially cats and dogs, can increase dopamine levels while also reducing cortisol, the brain’s stress hormone.
Even simple activities such as playing with or petting your four-legged friend can elevate your mood. Or, if you don’t have a pet, you could always spend more time in the park and say hello to a friendly pooch out for a walk.
You could also volunteer with a charity that gives you plenty of opportunities to work with animals, such as the RSPCA or a local animal shelter.
7. Work on your sleep hygiene
Poor sleep can often lead to decreased levels of dopamine, resulting in reduced motivation, concentration, and mood.
Conversely, good quality sleep is often essential for dopamine regulation, so you may want to take time to work on your sleep hygiene.
To do so, you could establish a consistent bedtime routine, limit screen time before bed, and create a relaxed environment for sleeping.
8. Spend more time in sunlight
Sunlight is essential for regulating your body’s internal clock and supports the production of neurotransmitters that affect your mood and energy levels.
As such, spending more time outdoors, particularly in the morning, could boost your dopamine production.
Better yet, you might also increase your vitamin D levels, which have been linked to improved mood and brain health.
9. Make time for your friends and family
Any positive interaction you have with your friends and family tends to trigger the brain’s reward system, resulting in a helpful boost of dopamine.
This doesn’t even mean you have to take hours out of your busy schedule to benefit – even having a regular catch-up with loved ones over the phone could be a rewarding way to improve your mood.
Your family and friends will even appreciate the effort, too, making it especially beneficial.
10. Identify life’s stressors, and think about ways to cope with them more easily
When stress in your life becomes especially overwhelming, this could interfere with your brain’s ability to produce and regulate neurotransmitters, leading to feelings of exhaustion and low mood.
As such, it may be prudent to identify any sources of stress and then find ways to minimise or eliminate them entirely.
While some stressful aspects of your life might be difficult to cut out, such as your career, you may want to find healthy ways to deal with them. This could include setting boundaries, seeking mental health support, or practising the aforementioned mindfulness techniques.
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Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
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