Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in neurons from tyrosine, which is first converted into L-Dopa and then into dopamine. Once formed, it is stored in vesicles at the synapse, ready to be released when needed. It plays a key role in motivation, reward, and pleasure—but too much instant dopamine can lead to fatigue and lack of focus.

What Is Dopamine?

The harder an action is to complete, the more dopamine it produces. On the other hand, easy actions simply consume dopamine without generating more.If the first thing we do in the morning is check our phone or scroll through TikTok, we deplete our dopamine reserve, making it harder to stay motivated throughout the day. However, if we start our morning with a “difficult” task, we naturally boost dopamine production﻿.

The Dopamine Law:

To set yourself up for a productive day, start with these simple actions:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Brush your teeth</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Splash your face with cold water</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make your bed</li></ul>

1. Phone FastingAvoid checking your phone for at least 30 minutes after waking up and 60 minutes before bed. This prevents dopamine depletion and increases focus.Additionally, allow yourself to feel boredom. Dopamine is naturally produced and stored during moments of boredom, ready to be used later.

4 Actions to Reset Your Dopamine

2. Find Your FlowThe first 15 minutes of any task are the hardest. But once you push through, you enter a flow state, where focus and productivity increase effortlessly.

3. Cold Water ImmersionCold exposure triggers a dopamine response similar to drugs, but with a crucial difference:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Drugs cause a spike followed by a crash within 90 minutes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Cold water exposure leads to a steady increase in dopamine levels, lasting up to 2 hours.</li></ul>A simple way to incorporate this is by ending your shower with 30 seconds of cold water.

4. Define Your PathHaving clear goals and a structured plan prevents your brain from wasting dopamine on distractions. A well-defined purpose makes it easier to stay focused and motivated.

Pain and pleasure exist on a scale. If we chase too much pleasure, we develop a tolerance, requiring bigger dopamine hits while experiencing stronger withdrawals.But if we start with pain or challenging stimuli (e.g., cold showers), the pleasure comes naturally and more consistently over time. With repeated exposure, the discomfort decreases, and the pleasure arrives more quickly.By balancing pain and pleasure intentionally, we can reset our dopamine system, increase motivation, and sustain long-term focus.

The Pain-Pleasure Balance

In a world full of instant gratification, our dopamine system is constantly overstimulated, leading to burnout, lack of motivation, and difficulty focusing. Inspired by Ali Abdaal's insights, this post explores practical ways to regulate dopamine, boost motivation, and improve productivity.

I interviewed neuroscientist TJ Power about the 4 most important brain chemicals: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins. This video is the first in a 4 part series where we explore each chemical in more depth, and how we can better understand it to improve our lives. Enjoy! xx

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🔗 OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO 
How to Figure Out What to Do With Your Life (Series): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BImOT2srcESGrQ4trEnjxpcmd1drTtb
Opal: https://go.aliabdaal.com/opal

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tjandgeorgia

WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m Ali, a doctor-turned-entrepreneur and I’ve somehow become the world’s most followed productivity expert. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing, I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you be more productive and build a life you love.

⌚️Timestamps:
0:00 - Why understanding dopamine is important
1:16 - The Law of Dopamine
7:17 - 4 Ways to Control Dopamine
7:30 - Phone Fasting
9:50 - Find Your Flow
12:56 - Cold Water Immersion

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📚 Check out my first book Feel-Good Productivity here: https://www.feelgoodproductivity.com/

Hey, I'm Ali, a doctor turned entrepreneur, and the world’s most followed productivity expert 😜 

On this channel, we explore evidence-based strategies and tools that can help us be more productive, and build a life that we love. 

If that sounds interesting, consider subscribing! See you in the next video x

How to Reset Your Dopamine (And Change Your Life)

Patricia Jumanca