Ten Ways to Boost Dopamine and Mood

 Winter is hard.

 At least it is for many people, myself included, though less hard than it used to be. I’ve been working on my relationship with winter. For a while, I thought I was destined to stay in a crummy relationship with it. The tide is shifting favorably now, but lest you think I’m one of those people who love winter, I assure you, it’s still the bottom of the pile. Winter is a time of lower mood and lower energy, so it’s important to be especially mindful of taking care of mental health. 

I got into health promotion over thirty years ago because of a fascination with and commitment to how health behaviors impact mental health.  As an undergrad Psychology major, I thought I’d be a therapist. Through courses with impressive names like “psychopharmacology,” I learned about neurotransmitters and how they affect mood.  Medicines impact neurotransmitters, as do health behaviors….. and there it was (lightning bolts!⚡) my first career shift.  I borrowed a dime from a frustrated Psych professor, called my parents, and told them I was not going to be a therapist.

Most of us have some knowledge of neurotransmitters, particularly because of the commonly used class of medications called SSRIs, which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.  They help boost serotonin in the brain.  Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that is especially important for mood.  Dopamine is one of the pleasure chemicals in the brain.  It gets released when we do something we love, like eating chocolate cake or buying an awesome pair of black boots.  But neither our closets nor our blue jeans can afford the space necessary for these things regularly, so finding a lengthy list of healthier ways to boost dopamine is helpful. 

Any web search for how to boost dopamine will turn up ad after ad for supplements to buy.  That’s not my jam. They might be effective but I’m most interested in behavioral health.  So, I waded through the ads to get to the research of boosting dopamine naturally.   Here are 10 ideas in random order that are the most appealing, appropriate, and effective.   These are all science-based reminders of natural ways to boost mood and quality of life.

1.     Exercise. Preferably outdoors.  Preferably with friends. Get sunlight.  🔆

2.     Plan fun things.  The planning of something fun can give you as much dopamine as actually doing the fun thing. Seriously.  This is in the research.

3.     Identify and manage stress.  I know. This is huge.   Life can be hard.  Yoga and meditation help a ton.

4.     Learn things that interest you. This gets into neuroplasticity and brain health and is wicked cool.  Take a class on something you’ve always wanted to do.

5.     Get adequate sleep. Yup, another one where you might think, “oh right, and find a unicorn!” 🦄 But most of us know we can get to bed earlier, get off screens, and meditate. This all helps!

6.     Listen to music that lifts your energy. Dance with gusto.

7.     Eat a huge variety of unprocessed, whole foods for a wide array of nutrients.  Most dopamine is made in the brain, but most serotonin, dopamine’s partner in crime (I mean mood!), is primarily made in the gut.

8.     Minimize, or better yet, eliminate processed sugar in ALL its forms.  There are 56 common forms of sugar and they add up.  Sugar drives inflammation and ruins good gut bacteria. 

9.     Intentionally create PERMA: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.   At the risk of oversimplifying this amazing concept that’s a foundation of Positive Psychology, meaningful relationships in the accomplished service to others is one of the best mood-boosters.

10.  Cold showers.  This is not intuitive but fits with the increasing popularity of cold-water swimming which has documented benefits to mood and general well-being. 

This is far from an exhaustive list and there are many nutritional biochemistry recommendations that are consistently recommended for mood benefits such as Vitamins B6, B 9, B12, D and folic acid.  Fatty fish, protein, and magnesium as well as turmeric and curcumin are consistently recommended as well. 

I wish you all the best.  If you’re struggling with mood, please reach out to someone.  We (the royal “we”) are taking the cloak off mental health challenges and have far to go.  Sometimes medicines are the route to go when things feel especially tough.  Everyone is different.  One thing I believe with every ounce of myself personally and professionally is that a multi-pronged approach is probably best.  Try a variety of strategies and keep trying.  Call me if there’s anything I can do to support your behavioral health. I am cheering for you.