There are many ways to get a temporary satisfying dose of dopamine, but not all of them are considered healthy. Consider this. When you eat something super sugary, such as a doughnut, your blood sugar levels spike quickly and then crash. Activities can act as the dopamine equivalent of eating a doughnut by causing the hormone to rapidly increase and then plummet just as quickly. Repeatedly experiencing these highs and lows can lead to addiction, depression, and anxiety.
Of course, there’s a time and place for some dopamine indulgences, but it’s important to focus on healthy hits of the hormone. These highs come from doing things that cause dopamine to rise slowly and remain elevated for a period of time. What do these include? Below we highlight a few of our favorite ways to boost dopamine levels…in a healthy way.
- Eat foods high in dopamine building blocks, like chicken and avocados
- Listen to your favorite music
- Get some sunshine (make sure to wear SPF!)
- Take a cold shower, or do a cold plunge
- Exercise (this can even protect our dopamine receptors as we age)
- Check something off a list
- Play your with your dog
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