A note on dopamine


1. Dopamine which is a neurotransmitter is necessary for drive or motivation. Low levels of dopamine will mean less interest in life.
2. It leads us to goal directed activities. Like going to gym is a goal. Making an effort to hit the gym and exercising will mean a dopamine high.
3. Habit forming and dopamine is closely related as dopamine is related to reward system. A habit means rewiring of brains. This also means addiction (elder brother of habit) has a bad effect on brain circuitry – here, there will be no further increase in dopamine. E.g., porn addiction. In case of addiction, the reward system of brain goes into overdrive and messes up dopamine production.
4. How to increase dopamine? Make small goals and achieve them. Keep this a regular thing. A goal can be a morning without Facebook. An evening of gym. A night of reading. Meditation. Intermittent fasting.