Dopamine
Notes
Dopamine is a neuromodulator that activates or deactivates other cells (for example, neurons)
The dopamine system does not care about the specific goal or pursuit, it's about pursuit anything
Dopamine is not just released when we get the reward, it’s released in anticipation of getting the thing we want
When we pursue something, we’re always looking for clues to tell us whether we’re on the right path to achieve that thing
Dopamine subconsciously parses between wanting and getting: dopamine system doesn’t just regulate the height of the peak at the beginning, it’s also taking into account everything that’s happening in between and funneling into reward-prediction error
The hallmark of any addictive behavior is that it releases dopamine at high levels
Reset of dopamine system from unhealthy behavior involves 30 days of complete abstinence
Ways to increase the baseline dopamine are: sufficient quality sleep, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), nutrition (especially tyrosine), morning sunlight, exercise/movement daily or near-daily
Cold water exposure increases baseline levels of dopamine for 2-5 hours – try an ice bath, cold plunge, cold shower
We all have a dopamine setpoint: if we continue to participate in dopamine-stimulating activities, eventually we won’t experience the same joy from those behaviors
Reward-prediction error = actual amount of dopamine released in response to something – the amount expected
Understanding the reward-prediction error allows us to make better decisions about how far out in the future to place milestones and assess progress
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