We all deserve little rewards in life, and that’s what dopamine exists for. Here’s how to give your mind and body a boost, with this helpful hormone.

There’s a lot of talk about dopamine and how modern habits deliver regular, fast hits of this. Instead of getting dopamine from challenging, physical activities like searching for food and shelter as we once would have, we now get bursts from things like online shopping, social media, alcohol and processed foods, all of which give us a brief feeling of satisfaction before leaving us grappling for more.

Dopamine is a reward chemical, and you get it by completing tasks that require effort and give a sense of progress and achievement. However, it doesn’t have to be exceptionally challenging.

Boost dopamine naturally

Move your body As often as possible.

Complete those niggling jobs Whether in your home and/or garden.

Have a goal And work towards it.

Read books

Prioritise sleep and rest No midnight or mindless scrolling.

Limit screen time

Embrace discomfort Such as have a cold shower, do a hard physical challenge.

The advice above is taken from our October feature, ‘Lessons in Chemistry’, which looks at our bodies’ hormones and how we can work with them to improve our wellbeing. The feature is by Rebecca Frank and the illustration by Sam Falconer.

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