Difficult concentration, reduced motivation... These feelings can be a sign of a drop in dopamine levels in the brain.
Also called the “immediate pleasure hormone”, it is a neurotransmitter essential to the functioning of our nervous system.
More precisely, it plays a central role in the reward system and influences the ability to motivate oneself, initiate action and show attention.
It is possible to naturally boost the secretion of this hormone.
In an Instagram post from February 26, British neuroscientist TJ Power gives four natural ways to work on it on a daily basis.
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Expose yourself to the light of day
And do this for at least 10 minutes every morning, he advises.
“Daylight stimulates the dopamine system, stabilizes our mood and increases our motivation for the day ahead,” explains the neuroscientist.
The effects are also felt if the weather is gray, because the sun's rays pass through the clouds.
And if you can't go outside, it is always possible to use light therapy.
When you wake up, wait a little before drinking your coffee
In the morning, some people don't open their eyes before their first sip of coffee.
But drinking the substance as soon as you get up is useless, as the body produces the energy necessary to emerge on its own.
This is what we already learned from the work of Steven Miller, a neuroscientist from the University of Maryland (United States), in a previous article.
The drink “wakes us up” because the caffeine it contains stimulates the nervous system and interacts with cortisol, known as the “stress hormone”.
However, its rate fluctuates throughout the day and is at its highest level between 8 and 9 a.m.
The body would therefore not need to be stimulated at that time.
In his post, TJ Power therefore invites you to delay drinking coffee for around 1h30 after getting up, when the cortisol level decreases.
We thus follow our “circadian rhythm” and this allows us to “feel more constant levels of motivation” throughout the day.
Take a cold shower
Ending your shower with a minute of cold spray boosts your morale almost immediately.
And for good reason: “it has been shown that immersion in cold water increases dopamine levels by up to 250%,” says the scientist.
This is what general practitioner Guillaume Barucq already confirmed to us in a previous article.
The slight thermal shock caused by swimming at low temperatures allows the synthesis of different neurotransmitters, he explained: “This process releases endorphins, also known as pleasure hormones, but also serotonin and dopamine, two hormones essential to the regulation of our emotions and energy.”
Also read Do you have trouble waking up every morning?
It's normal
45 minutes of intense sport
“Sport is an essential dopamine stimulant that we should all include in our lifestyle,” continues the Briton.
Physical effort stimulates the secretion of hormones in the brain, notably dopamine, which generates a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
To feel all the benefits, neuroscientist TJ Power recommends doing a 45-minute session.
In order to motivate yourself, it’s up to everyone to find the sporting activity that they like.