Dopamine, generally known as the chemical of pleasure, has many important functions in our body. It’s heavily involved in various neurological and physiological functions including motor control, motivation, memory, focus, emotions, and stress response.
Under normal conditions, our bodies are capable of effectively producing dopamine, but various lifestyle choices and medical conditions can cause dopamine levels to plummet. It causes dopamine deficiency which is linked to various health problems including depression, Parkinson's disease, ADHD, and restless legs syndrome.
Thus it’s essential to maintain enough (not too much) level of dopamine in our bodies for a healthy life. To help you do that, below we have discussed 5 ways in which you can increase dopamine naturally:
1. Eat Healthy
What you eat influences your hormones, blood sugar levels, and many other body functions. So it’s important that you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. Try to incorporate foods that are rich in tyrosine which is an amino acid that gets converted to dopamine. Food items like peanuts, almonds, banana, chicken, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds all contain a good amount of tyrosine.
Also, avoid eating a lot of saturated fats as they can disrupt dopamine signaling in the brain.
2. Exercise
Regular exercise can help improve your physical and mental health. It reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood by triggering the release of dopamine and serotonin. Even a 30-minute walk can significantly benefit your mind and body.
But remember consistency is better than intensity. Small daily progress with low-intensity workouts is always better than running on a treadmill for 1 hour once a month.
3. Sleep
Dopamine is known to create a feeling of alertness and wakefulness. It’s generally released in large amounts in the morning and the level falls in the evening. This is a natural rhythm that tells your body when it’s time to wake up and get going or when it's time to sleep and get some rest.
But with lack of sleep or irregular sleeping patterns, this rhythm gets disrupted and as a result, you may experience lack of concentration and poor coordination.
To avoid this situation and keep your dopamine levels balanced, you should establish a regular sleeping pattern with 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
If you struggle to get a good night's sleep, try to put away all your electronic devices, create a restful environment, and avoid caffeine in the evening.
4. Find a Hobby
Our same day-to-day routine can be stressful and hobbies are a good distraction. When you engage in activities that make you feel happy and relaxed, your body naturally increases dopamine production.
You can listen to music, read a book, draw, dance, cook, or do yoga. The hobby you choose doesn’t have to be complicated. Even regular meditation can count as a hobby and as per studies, it will increase dopamine levels in your body by 65%.
5. Visit a Wellness Retreat
Another way to take a break from your daily routine is to visit a wellness retreat. A health-focused vacation will give you time to rest, relax and reconnect with yourself. You’ll also get a chance to try healthy dining options and experience the best yoga and healing spa services.
Get started by joining our yearly heal wellness retreat and check out our website to get more details!