Ditch bad habits and increase your joy with five simple lifestyle swaps
How often do we find ourselves repeatedly scrolling on our phones for no reason or eating yet another chocolate bar that we don’t really need?
Why do we do it? And, more importantly, why can’t we stop?
Dr Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, believes dopamine, the neurotransmitter in the brain linked to pleasure, reward and the development of addiction, may hold the key.
She explains: ‘When we engage in pleasurable or rewarding behaviours, our dopamine firing increases above a baseline level, reinforcing that behaviour. This is great if we’re doing something healthy, like exercise. But if our behaviour is less helpful, for example, constantly refreshing news feeds, drinking too much alcohol, or continuously snacking on crisps, this can create a difficult cycle.’
This is because when we repeatedly expose our brains to anything that’s reinforcing, it eventually adapts by downregulating dopamine transmission, creating a dopamine deficit state which makes us crave the behaviour or ‘drug of choice’ even more.
So, what measures can we take to get our dopamine levels back on track?
Dr Lembke says: ‘Firstly, we must abstain from our “drug of choice”, be it chocolate or video games, for four weeks. This is the average amount of time it takes to reset reward pathways, after which we’re likely to experience significantly improved levels of mood and anxiety.
‘Next, if we decide to return to that behaviour in moderation, then we need to set a very specific plan about how we’re going to maintain it. This includes using strategies where we create barriers between ourselves and our drug of choice, for example deleting an app, removing certain foods from the house, or only using screens at certain times of day.
‘Finally, we need to seek out behaviours that usually involve a level of pain before gain, such as exercise or chores, where we “pay” for our dopamine upfront. These activities offer elevated dopamine levels without having to go into a dopamine deficit state, helping us to find better balance.’
Here we explore some of the natural ways you can give your levels a boost.
Exercise
Not only does regular exercise help to regulate dopamine levels in the brain, but research suggests that over time it may also lead to us having more available dopamine receptors.
Dr Lembke says: ‘Exercise is immediately toxic to cells so when we exercise, the body senses injury and starts to upregulate our own feel-good transmitters, including dopamine. This makes us feel good, and by doing the painful part first and paying for our dopamine upfront, we don’t get the comedown afterwards.’
Cold showers
Some studies suggest that a quick blast of icy water may be good for us.
Dr Lembke says: ‘The body responds to ice-cold water plunges by upregulating our feel-good transmitters like dopamine. Again, by paying for our dopamine upfront, we’re able to get elevated dopamine levels without having to go into a dopamine deficit state.’
Music
Ever wondered why you feel better after listening to music? Several studies have found that listening to music may help increase activity in the areas of the brain which are rich with dopamine receptors.
Dr Lembke explains: ‘Music increases dopamine in our reward pathways. However, try to listen at separate times during the day, as being plugged in constantly will diminish the reinforcing effects.’
Sleep
Dr Lembke says: ‘Regular sleep and steady natural biorhythms are really important for good brain health and for keeping the compulsive tendencies associated with dopamine deficit at bay.’
Studies also suggest sleep deprivation can lead to a downregulation of dopamine levels.
Food choices
Dr Lembke says: ‘While there’s no evidence a specific type of diet boosts dopamine levels, eating a healthy and varied diet is important for good brain health, including dopamine regulation. Where possible, try to avoid foods rich in salt, sugar and saturated fats, and try not to give into unhealthy cravings. Our brains are hardwired through evolution to consume as much as we possibly can, but these reward systems were evolved for a world of scarcity, not the world we live in now.’
• For more information, please visit annalembke.com