Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik The 4 Chemicals Secretly Controlling Your Motivation and Mood
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Nov 10, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, neuroscientist TJ Power, author of The Dose Effect, reveals how four key brain chemicals—dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins—steer our motivation and mood. He explains how modern tech can drain these feel-good chemicals and shares practical habits to rebalance them. Strategies include boosting oxytocin through brief social interactions, harnessing sunlight for serotonin, and using movement to release endorphins. TJ also emphasizes setting boundaries with technology to enhance mental energy and motivation.
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The DOSE Framework Explains Mood Biology
- Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins each serve distinct roles shaping motivation, connection, mood, and stress resilience.
- Modern sedentary digital lifestyles are depleting these chemicals and harming daily experience.
Replace Scrolling With Flow Activities
- Do swap passive consumption for activities that can produce flow to boost natural dopamine.
- Try turning a watched hobby from your feed into a real-life practice to increase motivation and reward.
Boost Oxytocin With Fleeting Connections
- Do practice fleeting social interactions like smiling and asking a cashier how their day is to boost oxytocin.
- Try small daily local connections (dog walks, barista chats) to increase bonding chemicals.
