4 Daily Practices for Increasing Baseline Dopamine

When it comes to increasing baseline dopamine levels, there are at least 4 proven practices to increase this important neurochemical, dopamine, without pharmaceutical intervention. The 4 daily practices are: sufficient quality sleep, nutrition, sun exposure, and movement. Heightening your baseline dopamine has multiple positive effects like increasing motivation, enhancing cognitive function, and giving you a sense of purpose and contentment.

Baseline Dopamine: What it does for you

Dopamine levels are very important for us to feel motivated and inspired to take the required action to pursue a goal. Baseline dopamine can be thought of as water in a wave pool; in order to create waves, we need to have some water in the wave pool. These waves are felt as motivation and pursuit of a goal, as well as the reward for achieving those goals. Some of us have higher baseline dopamine levels, leading to those people having high levels of motivation to pursue activities like entrepreneurship and elite athleticism. While others have lower baseline levels of dopamine, needing a stronger stimulus to pursue and achieve goals.

Regardless of your experience with motivation, these daily practices should be considered part of your toolbox for maintaining healthy motivation levels and contentment. Quality sleep, nutrition, sunlight exposure, and movement should be used as daily practices to keep dopamine levels sufficient and elevate mood. Ice baths can be used as either a daily practice or as needed for a long lasting boost.

The 4 daily practices to increase baseline dopamine levels

Sufficient quality sleep

This one is a no-brainer. The positive effects of sufficient quality sleep are so important for many neurological processes, dopamine use included. Quality sleep will literally restore your dopamine levels, giving you sufficient drive to complete your daily tasks. Sleep deprivation has been shown to lead to a decrease in dopamine receptor availability, meaning that even when dopamine is readily available, less is picked up. Sleep defends your dopamine receptors and allows your brain to continue to fully uptake available dopamine, requiring less to be released in the first place. Sleep also has many other positive effects including regulating our metabolic rates, increasing our awareness, and contributing to our overall well-being.

Nutrition

It’s no secret that healthy nutrition has a host of positive impacts on the body and brain. When it comes to dopamine-related systems, L-Tyrosine is the most important amino acid. L-Tyrosine impacts the rate at which dopamine is released in the brain, creating the conditions for better dopamine management.

Some foods that are high in L-Tyrosine include:

Soy products Chicken

Turkey Fish

Peanuts Almonds

Avocados Bananas

Dairy products Lima beans

Pumpkin seeds Sesame seeds

If you are using L-Tyrosine supplements, please consult your doctor on the recommended doses required for health benefits. Over consumption can cause a host of side effects.

Sun exposure

Morning sunlight in particular is important for well-being and proper neurochemical balance. You will want to view sunlight early in the day for a minimum 10-30 minutes depending on light availability (whether it is sunny, cloudy, or overcast). This is best done without sunglasses, facing east toward the rising sun. Please do not stare directly at the sun. Morning sun exposure stimulates the cells in your eyes and signals the hypothalamus to start a dopamine related cascade of wellness chemicals in the brain.

Movement

Benefits of exercise on brain health are well-researched. These include increasing memory, elevating mood, decreased anxiety, and improved motor performance. The circuits in the brain and body that generate movement are dopamine-driven circuits. Engaging in regular movement increases our baseline dopamine and gives us the ability to continue movement toward our goals.

Note: When we talk about movement here, we are not talking about dopamine related peaks, which can be done by setting a personal record, learning a new movement, and other novel activities. This is about the consistent practice of moving and exercising having positive effects on baseline dopamine levels.

A word on meditation

Meditation has a host of positive effects and is certainly a practice well worth pursuing for those who wish to increase focus and develop spirituality. Current research has shown that meditation has very little evidence to support dopamine levels, making it a practice that is primarily for developing focus. There is a place for meditation in wellness practices although it does not have a significant impact on dopamine levels.

A practice similar to meditation called Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or Yoga Nidra has been shown to have a positive effect on dopamine levels. This practice is a conscious relaxation practice that includes body scanning and can be completed in as little as ten minutes, more commonly done in 20-30 minute sessions. NSDR can be practiced at any time during the day to give you a boost in motivation and contentment.

Habit forming for increasing baseline dopamine

Mito Coaching has worked with multiple clients to learn, develop, and consistently practice activities to improve baseline dopamine levels. Our highly trained professional coaches use a proven process to coach clients through their vision, goals, and pathways to achieve them. Our dopamine coaches are highly skilled, reliable, and know what it takes to form new habits. Working from personal experience, leading knowledge, and professional training, Mito Coaching is ready to empower you to be the powerhouse of your life.