Do you find yourself yawning an awful lot and anxious or depressed most of the time? Do you grind your teeth or have a short fuse?
Do you keep reaching for caffeine just to get you through the day? Is your life full of stress and never-ending dread? Do you feel sad or anxious most of the time?
You may need more DOPAMINE!
Way before I knew anything about dopamine or how my body worked, I was a wreck.
Picture this: I’m in my mid-20s, a single Mom of 4, and a whole chaotic world of stress. I remember thinking I could take on everything and just punch back a maximum-sized coffee without eating and I would be fine. I got through everything I needed to accomplish every day but I was a mess inside and out. Not to mention the jitters! And the racing heart! Why did I do that to myself?
At the time I was going to college full-time, working 2-3 jobs, and somehow managing to be present for all of my kids. There were a gazillion appointments and things to keep up with and I did not have any help. I told myself it was best for them if I took on the entire world. Life was so insane and chaotic. I was beyond stressed out every single day. My way of coping was going for a run or lifting heavy weights. All I was doing was adding more and more mess to my body. I barely ate or slept. I know for a fact I didn’t drink enough water and I was depressed beyond belief. I weighed in at 102lbs and my body was absolutely screaming for help.
It wasn’t until I suddenly gained 30lbs out of nowhere, stopped sleeping entirely, had skin problems, mood problems, period problems and not a gallon of coffee could wake me up anymore. Not to mention I started getting kidney stones and my bowels were a mess. Coffee made me sick every time I drank it and I had frequent issues with heartburn and indigestion.
I knew I had to do something to wake me up so I could get through the day without the coffee. I never realized it wasn’t just the coffee habit I needed to change. Turns out my whole body needed help! That’s when I learned about taking care of my body as a whole. Once I started nourishing my body and slowing down, everything changed for me.
Now I have way more energy than I ever had and I sleep perfectly every single night.
Do you want this change too? Do you recognize that person in the story as yourself? My list can help you! What do you have to lose by trying it?
What do you mean by needing more dopamine? Is that a pill to take? Where do I get more dopamine?
What is Dopamine and why do I need it?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and plays an extremely important role in the mood of your brain. It is in charge of mood, memory, motivation, attention, and body movements. Essentially, dopamine is the “reward center” in your brain. Without an appropriate amount of dopamine, you can be struggling to focus, function, keep your emotions in check, and stay awake!
You may not need more caffeine, you may need a dopamine boost! So how do you get that boost you’re searching for? Here are 10 easy ways I learned how to increase my dopamine and start feeling better:
10 Ways To Boost Your Mood and Increase Your Daily Dopamine
1. Lazy Bed Exercises
Believe it or not, relaxing exercises are ideal when you’re dealing with an overworked and over-stressed body. One fantastic way to get your Dopamine pumping first thing in the morning is by moving your body and exercising. The BEST way to do this is by keeping things consistent every day. By doing “lazy bed exercises”, you increase your ability to stick to a routine that’s easy and predictable. If it’s easy, you’ll stick to it. You need to trick your brain into getting that reward. If you dread exercise or it’s too hard, it won’t work.
You’ll also feel WAY better and have more energy by moving your body first thing in the morning. How easy is it to do some exercises and not have to change out of your bedclothes or even leave your bed?
Pretty amazing right?
Start with a few leg raises on each side. Make sure you tuck in your stomach for stability. Even with simple exercises, keeping your core engaged is vitally important. Also, remember that you can keep your knees bent if the leg raises are too hard in the beginning. You don’t want to hurt yourself. Repeat reps of 10-15 on each leg if you can.
Next, do some arm raises. Suck in that stomach! Do the same 10-15 repetitions for each arm. Work up each week as much as you’d like. REMEMBER, this is to boost your dopamine and give you energy first thing in the morning. Any movement is better than no movement at all. Get that blood pumping through your body.
If you’d like to work out more later in the day you absolutely can! These exercises are just aimed at giving your body a quick relaxing boost. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel before your feet even hit the ground.
2. Drink Some Green Tea
Green Tea is an excellent source of energy and has much more benefits than coffee.
Green tea typically doesn’t bother your stomach as much as coffee either. You won’t have to worry about heartburn or taking a run to the bathroom after that first cup.
When I drink Green Tea, I don’t get the crash or stomach issues like I do with coffee. Green Tea is loaded with antioxidants too! This can help with several different problems like cancer prevention, cell damage prevention, fat burning, metabolism, cognitive function, better oral health, and much more! I bet you can’t say that your morning cup of coffee can do all of that.
If you don’t like it plain, you can add milk, sugar, or flavoring as well.
It’s great iced or hot.
3. Get a Vitamin Boost!
A massive amount of Americans are missing vital nutrients and vitamins in their diet. These vitamins play a key role in our everyday life! Everything from depression to skin problems can be traced back to vitamin deficiencies. Your mood and energy levels are no different.
Make sure you are getting your daily vitamins like:
Magnesium. Magnesium is excellent for sleep, anxiety, depression, cognitive function, and more! Take Magnesium Glycinate at night for a wonderful restful sleep. Aim for 250mg to start. If you are taking too much magnesium, you’ll start to get diarrhea. If you do, just back off the amount that you’re taking.
Fish oil. Fish oil is terrific for brain function, hormonal imbalances, and depression.
Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is great for energy levels. The easiest way to get Vitamin D is to get outside as much as possible and as soon as you wake up! This helps your circadian rhythm cycle. You need this cycle to be in rhythm for hormonal balancing and mood adjustments. Vitamin D3 works great with energy and boosting your mood.
B12. B12 is another vitamin that is great for energy. Make sure you take a trip to your Dr. and have him test this level for you. Many people are low in vitamin B12. Simply adding this to your diet can create a real difference in energy levels.
4. H2O
One of the number ONE causes of exhaustion and a sluggish brain is dehydration. You’d be surprised how dehydrated you just might be! If your urine is dark yellow or has an odor to it, you’re dehydrated.
Make sure you are getting at least 40-60oz of water every day!
Also, make sure you are sipping and not chugging. Chugging water can be hard on your kidneys. Sipping water all day long will keep your body flushed out, nice, and hydrated and keep your kidneys from getting overworked and overwhelmed.
Once you keep up with hydration, you’ll be so surprised how much better and more awake you feel!
5. Get Those Steps In
When you exercise, you are giving your brain a jolt of that wonderful “reward” chemical dopamine. Over time, your brain will be rewired to give you more and more doses of dopamine at higher levels. Just simply getting your steps in and making sure you walk helps more than you’d think!
Simple ways to get steps in could include parking your car further away and speed-walking into the grocery store. It could also be as easy as taking a walk to the park or walking around the block quickly after dinner.
6. Buns of Steel
Get those squats in! Squats are a high-intensity, muscle-building exercise. These types of exercises increase dopamine and regulate hormones. And it’s easier than you think. You can do your squats while you’re curling your hair, waiting for your coffee to brew, or while you’re catching the morning news.
Like always, aim low at first. Your goal is just to get your body moving and your brain ready for constant repetition every day. This prevents giving up and creates a lasting routine.
When first starting, aim for 10 squats while curling your hair or making breakfast in the morning. Over time, you’ll get plenty of squats in just by doing them at the same time as your mundane chores. It really adds up quickly!
7. Get Outside!
One of the best and easiest things you can do for your hormones and dopamine levels is to get outside. Get outside as much as possible. Getting outside, especially as soon as you wake up is a perfect way to set your circadian rhythm cycle and balance those hormones. Simply sitting outside to enjoy your morning coffee can help set you straight for the rest of the day. This is the easiest way to set your cortisol levels on the right track as well.
8. Leg Lifts
Leg lifts are another one of my favorite Go-To exercises. They are easy and simple. You can do them at any time of the day. Like the other exercises I mentioned above, start slow and gradually work up to more. Start with all fours on the ground, tighten your belly, and simply lift your leg slowly. Lower your leg slowly back down. This seems very simple until you try it! The key is to go slow and steady while keeping that core engaged.
Keep your goal of consistency to rewire your brain for optimal dopamine production.
9. Lift Weights
Lifting weights is an excellent way to balance your hormones and increase dopamine production. Just after a few days of consistently lifting weights, I guarantee you’ll be able to notice you have more energy. And if you don’t have weights, don’t worry! You can use empty milk jugs filled halfway with water. The handles make a great first-time weight! Simply set a small goal for each arm and then both arms together. You can even add in your squats at the same time if you feel up to it.
10. Get Your Thyroid Checked
Last but not least, if you have tried all of the above and are still exhausted, you may have a low thyroid. Go get tested at your Doctor’s office and discuss this with them. Make sure to get tested if you are feeling even MORE tired after you work out. That can be a clear indicator that there is a problem brewing. You’ll need to focus on your thyroid and getting your body back in check if that’s what it is. Exercise can be worse and make you feel so much more sluggish if you have a slow thyroid too.
I hope you liked this list and found it easy to follow. I would love for you to start loving your body like I learned to. Your body as a whole needs to be nourished and loved so that it can work together and treat you well.
Don’t forget, you can’t love everyone else unless you first love yourself. Love your family by loving you!
Ditch your caffeine habit and your body will love you!