Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction

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Sep 27, 2021

Dive into the fascinating world of dopamine, the brain's motivation booster. Discover how cold water exposure can enhance your clarity and drive. Learn about the powerful relationship between dopamine levels and mental health, and why balancing these levels is critical. Uncover practical tools to manage dopamine for improved focus and satisfaction. Explore the risks of synthetic opioids versus healthier alternatives, and hear personal anecdotes that illustrate the profound effects of dopamine on our lives.

02:13:40

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ADVICE

Cold Water for Dopamine

Use cold exposure to increase dopamine levels.
Cold water submersion increases dopamine up to 250% above baseline, promoting alertness and calm.

insights

INSIGHT

Dopamine Peaks and Baselines

Dopamine levels fluctuate between a baseline and peaks, not just hits.
After a dopamine peak, your baseline drops, impacting motivation.

insights

INSIGHT

Dopamine's Broad Influence

Dopamine, a neuromodulator, influences communication across many neurons.
It changes neural circuit activity probability, impacting energy and mindset.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Impact of Cold Water Exposure on Dopamine Release and Well-Being

04:01 • 2min

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Unleashing Dopamine: Boosting Motivation and Focus

06:09 • 26min

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The Profound Impact of Dopamine on Motivation and Experience

32:24 • 19min

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The Dynamics of Dopamine: Motivation and Baseline Balancing

51:11 • 38min

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Understanding Dopamine: Healthy Practices and Motivation

01:28:54 • 29min

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Understanding Dopamine: Compounds, Behaviors and Their Effects

01:58:03 • 19min

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The Molecule of More

How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race

Daniel Z. Lieberman

Michael E. Long

The Molecule of More delves into the role of dopamine in human behavior, revealing how this neurotransmitter drives our desires, fuels creativity, and influences various aspects of life including love, business, addiction, and politics. The authors argue that dopamine is not just a 'pleasure molecule' but a chemical of anticipation and possibility, which explains why we often crave what we don’t have and why we are driven to pursue new and unexpected things. The book uses insights from psychology, neuroscience, and social studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of dopamine’s impact on the human condition.

Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anna Lembke, MD

In 'Dopamine Nation,' Dr. Anna Lembke delves into the scientific discoveries that explain why overindulgence in high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli leads to pain. The book combines personal narratives from her clinical practice with the latest psychology research to illustrate how to find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check. Lembke discusses the impact of modern addictions, such as those related to smartphones, food, and other behaviors, and provides strategies for managing consumption and transforming lives. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery[1][3][5].

This episode serves as a sort of “Dopamine Masterclass”. I discuss the immensely powerful chemical that we all make in our brain and body: dopamine. I describe what it does and the neural circuits involved. I explain dopamine peaks and baselines, and the cell biology of dopamine depletion. I include 14 tools for how to control your dopamine release for sake of motivation, focus, avoiding and combating addiction and depression, and I explain why dopamine stacking with chemicals and behaviors inevitably leads to states of underwhelm and poor performance. I explain how to achieve sustained increases in baseline dopamine, compounds that injure and protect dopamine neurons including caffeine from specific sources. I describe non-prescription supplements for increasing dopamine—both their benefits and risks—and synergy of pro-dopamine supplements with those that increase acetylcholine.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction & Tool 1 to Induce Lasting Dopamine

00:05:04 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:09:10 Upcoming (Zero-Cost) Neuroplasticity Seminar for Educators

00:09:58 What Dopamine (Really) Does

00:15:30 Two Main Neural Circuits for Dopamine

00:18:14 How Dopamine Is Released: Locally and Broadly

00:22:03 Fast and Slow Effects of Dopamine

00:25:03 Dopamine Neurons Co-Release Glutamate

00:28:00 Your Dopamine History Really Matters

00:30:30 Parkinson’s & Drugs That Kill Dopamine Neurons. My Dopamine Experience

00:36:58 Tool 3 Controlling Dopamine Peaks & Baselines

00:40:06 Chocolate, Sex (Pursuit & Behavior), Nicotine, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Exercise

00:46:46 Tool 4 Caffeine Increases Dopamine Receptors

00:49:54 Pursuit, Excitement & Your “Dopamine Setpoint”

00:56:46 Your Pleasure-Pain Balance & Defining “Pain”

01:00:00 Addiction, Dopamine Depletion, & Replenishing Dopamine

01:07:50 Tool 5 Ensure Your Best (Healthy) Dopamine Release

01:15:28 Smart Phones: How They Alter Our Dopamine Circuits

01:19:45 Stimulants & Spiking Dopamine: Counterproductive for Work, Exercise & Attention

01:22:20 Caffeine Sources Matter: Yerba Mate & Dopamine Neuron Protection

01:24:20 Caffeine & Neurotoxicity of MDMA

01:26:15 Amphetamine, Cocaine & Detrimental Rewiring of Dopamine Circuits

01:27:57 Ritalin, Adderall, (Ar)Modafinil: ADHD versus non-Prescription Uses

01:28:45 Tool 6 Stimulating Long-Lasting Increases in Baseline Dopamine

01:37:55 Tool 7 Tuning Your Dopamine for Ongoing Motivation

01:47:40 Tool 8 Intermittent Fasting: Effects on Dopamine

01:53:09 Validation of Your Pre-Existing Beliefs Increases Dopamine

01:53:50 Tool 9 Quitting Sugar & Highly Palatable Foods: 48 Hours

01:55:36 Pornography

01:56:50 Wellbutrin & Depression & Anxiety

01:58:30 Tool 10 Mucuna Pruriens, Prolactin, Sperm, Crash Warning

02:01:45 Tool 11 L-Tyrosine: Dosages, Duration of Effects & Specificity

02:05:20 Tool 12 Avoiding Melatonin Supplementation, & Avoiding Light 10pm-4am

02:07:00 Tool 13 Phenylethylamine (with Alpha-GPC) For Dopamine Focus/Energy

02:08:20 Tool 14 Huperzine A

02:10:02 Social Connections, Oxytocin & Dopamine Release

02:12:20 Direct & Indirect Effects: e.g., Maca; Synthesis & Application

02:14:22 Zero-Cost & Other Ways To Support Podcast & Research

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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