On social media, dopamine is being treated like something you can (and should) dial up on demand. Scroll TikTok or Instagram, and you’ll see things like “dopamine dressing,” dopamine menus, dopamine fasting, and advice on how to hack or reset your dopamine levels framed as quick fixes for burnout, bad moods, and low motivation. The neurotransmitter seems to have become a catch-all explanation for everything from motivation to mood.
While users may have a lot to say about the feel-good chemical, experts find their framing often misses the mark. “The popular dopamine conversation treats dopamine as a simple ‘pleasure chemical’ you can manipulate like a thermostat dial, when in reality dopamine acts more like a learning signal,” says Sunjya Schweig, M.D., integrative family physician and founder at California Center for Functional Medicine. “Dopamine isn’t something you want to constantly boost—and it’s not something you can reset overnight.” Instead, he explains that healthy dopamine function is more about keeping the system balanced over time rather than chasing quick spikes or extreme fixes.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Josh Sunjya Schweig, M.D., is an integrative family physician and founder of California Center for Functional Medicine. Jenna Volpe, R.D.N., L.D., C.L.T., is a functional dietitian. Rebekah Blakely, R.D.N., is a registered dietitian and nutritionist with The Vitamin Shoppe.
What Dopamine Really Does (Hint: It’s Not Just a “Pleasure Chemical”)
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain often described as the pleasure chemical. That label, however, misses the bigger picture, according to Schweig. “In reality, dopamine acts more like a learning signal, increasing most when a reward is better than expected, especially during anticipation, rather than during the feeling of pleasure itself,” he explains. “This is why slot machines create such powerful behavioral patterns: the unpredictability generates dopamine surges even when actual outcomes are modest.”
In everyday life, dopamine plays a key role in motivation, learning, and helping the brain decide what’s worth paying attention to and which actions are worth repeating over time.
How the neurotransmitter functions is also misunderstood. “You have baseline dopamine (the steady level that supports everyday motivation and focus), and then short-lived spikes that happen in response to things like notifications, scrolling, or highly stimulating foods,” Schweig explains.
Why “Boosting” Dopamine Isn’t the Goal
Most viral “dopamine hacks” focus on addressing these quick spikes. The reason: Healthy dopamine function depends on maintaining a strong, steady baseline, according to Schweig. In fact, chasing constant highs can do more harm than good. “When the brain is repeatedly flooded with intense stimulation, dopamine receptors can become less responsive over time, which means everyday activities start to feel less satisfying, and it takes more stimulation to feel motivated or rewarded at all,” he explains.
More dopamine isn’t always better, agrees functional dietitian Jenna Volpe, R.D.N., L.D., C.L.T. In reality, too much dopamine stimulation can be just as problematic as too little.
This is why experts increasingly emphasize dopamine regulation rather than dopamine elevation. Think of it like your blood pressure: You want to keep it regulated within a healthy range—not too high or low, Schweig suggests.
How Modern Life Disrupts Dopamine Balance
If you’re a history buff, you know already that the human dopamine system didn’t evolve for the world we live in today. It developed in an environment where rewards required significant effort, movement, patience, and time (think hunting for food, learning new skills, or building social bonds face-to-face), research explains. Dopamine helped reinforce those behaviors by motivating us to pursue whatever supported survival and long-term well-being.
By contrast, modern life looks very different. “Today, stimulation is constant, immediate, and often requires very little effort. For example, texts or emails often replace any need for a call or in-person meeting,” says Schweig. “Social media has that slot-machine effect and ultra-processed foods combine sugar, fat, and salt in ratios never found in nature, eliciting dopamine responses comparable to those of specific addictive substances.”
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That mismatch, something he refers to as a “dopaminergic mismatch,” can put chronic strain on the brain’s reward system. “When dopamine pathways are constantly overstimulated, be it from nonstop novelty, processed foods, or technology, the brain can become less responsive over time,” expands Volpe. “In other words, it takes more stimulation to feel the same sense of motivation or reward.” Over time, activities that once felt motivating or enjoyable start to feel less satisfying.
Chronic stress adds another layer to the problem. “While short-term stress can temporarily raise dopamine to help us respond, ongoing stress tends to have the opposite effect,” says Volpe. “Elevated cortisol can interfere with dopamine production, disrupt how the body turns nutrients into dopamine, and reduce dopamine receptors in areas of the brain involved in focus and decision-making.” It’s another recipe for feeling flat and unmotivated.
The Downsides of Dopamine Overstimulation
To stay healthy and happy, we want to release a certain amount of dopamine regularly. Continuously releasing too much dopamine starts to dull its effects, leading us to feel less pleasure in situations that previously made us happy and excited, explains registered dietitian Rebekah Blakely, R.D.N., a nutritionist with The Vitamin Shoppe. What’s more, too much dopamine is linked to having poor impulse control, aggressive behavior, and more.
Here’s how it works: If you eat junk food for two weeks straight, it initially tastes great and brings you joy, shares Blakely. But then, as you get accustomed to it, the junk food loses its appeal and no longer brings you a sense of pleasure. This means that you need to eat more of it to get the same dopamine boost, or you must seek out other ways to achieve that pleasurable feeling.
The same concept can be applied to habits such as social media use, alcohol, buying things like new clothes or jewelry, and so on, suggests the National Institutes of Health. In small amounts, these habits can add excitement to our lives, but when overdone, they do little to make us happier and actually start to take a toll on our mindset and outlook—and can even snowball into unhealthy addictions. “Our brain is hardwired to seek out more of that thing that brought on the pleasurable feelings,” says Blakely. Even if a behavior you engage in ultimately has a negative impact, if it triggers that dopamine release, you’re more likely to repeat it.
How to Support Healthy Dopamine Regulation
Rather than chasing dopamine spikes, experts recommend focusing on habits and nutrients that support dopamine production, receptor function, and long-term balance.
1. Practice Mindfulness
Meditation isn’t just about feeling calmer in the moment; it can actually change how the brain’s reward system functions. Research suggests that regular meditation can change regions in the brain, including the mesolimbic system, which increases dopamine release in response to learning.
Beyond dopamine specifically, mindfulness-based practices like meditation, breathwork, and yoga are consistently linked to better mental health. “When you’re better able to notice stress, cravings, or emotional triggers as they arise, you’re more likely to pause and respond intentionally instead of defaulting to distraction, scrolling, or other quick hits of stimulation,” says Volpe. This has positive downstream effects on your dopamine regulation.
The best part is that you don’t have to carve out an hour out of your day to start seeing benefits. In fact, one study found that just 13 minutes of meditation a day for eight weeks improved mood, reduced anxiety, strengthened attention and memory, and helped people respond more calmly to stress (even if they’d never meditated before).
2. Exercise Regularly
You don’t have to be an avid exerciser or an athlete to know that exercise gives you a mood boost—and its benefits for dopamine balance are even more sophisticated. “Physical activity helps the brain release dopamine during movement,” Schweig says. “Over time, it also strengthens the brain’s ability to use dopamine more effectively.”
Research suggests that moderate aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming, may be especially helpful. One landmark study found that after about 10 weeks of regular, moderate-intensity exercise, dopamine receptor activity in the brain’s reward center increased by nearly 10 percent. Put simply: the brain became better at responding to dopamine, not just producing it.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet High In Protein
Dopamine doesn’t just appear out of nowhere—your brain has to build it. And to do that, it relies on amino acids, the building blocks of protein. One in particular, l-tyrosine, plays a key role in dopamine production. Research published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that diets higher in protein (and tyrosine specifically) may help your brain make more dopamine.
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It’s not just what you eat; it’s also when. “Dopamine follows a natural daily rhythm, rising during waking hours to support focus, motivation, and alertness,” Schweig says. “Eating a protein-rich meal earlier in the day helps provide the raw materials your brain needs right when dopamine production should be ramping up.”
He recommends eating breakfast within one to two hours of waking and including about 30 to 40 grams of protein in your morning meal. Animal proteins, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and beans and legumes are all naturally high in tyrosine.
4. Get Morning Sunlight
One of the most underrated ways to support healthy dopamine function? Getting some sun on your skin, especially in the morning. “When light hits the eyes first thing in the morning, it sends signals to parts of the brain involved in dopamine activity and helps synchronize your circadian rhythm,” says Schweig. This reinforces a healthy dopamine arc, with levels rising during the day to support motivation and tapering off at night to allow for rest.
“Without enough early-day light, dopamine signals can become delayed, causing grogginess, sluggish motivation, and a harder time getting going—even after a full night’s sleep,” says Volpe. Research on bright-light therapy shows that morning light exposure makes dopamine more available in the brain’s reward circuits, supporting mood and motivation over time.
“Indoor lighting typically provides only 300 to 500 lux, while outdoor light provides 10,000 lux or more, even on overcast days,” says Schweig. He recommends 10 to 30 minutes outside within one hour of waking.
5. Set Tech Boundaries (Especially Around Scrolling)
If you find yourself checking your phone without thinking, you’re in good company. Many of the apps we use daily are designed to keep us engaged through variable rewards, a system that delivers unpredictable hits of novelty, explains Volpe. “From a brain perspective, that unpredictability is powerful—and it’s one of the fastest ways to overstimulate dopamine pathways,” she adds.
Social media feeds, notifications, infinite scrolling, and “pull to refresh” features work a lot like slot machines, explains Schweig. “You never know what’s coming next, which keeps the brain seeking more, and over time, this constant stimulation can make dopamine signaling less responsive.” In other words, it takes more input to feel focused, motivated, or satisfied.
No, you don’t mean you need to swear off technology altogether, but creating some tech boundaries can help protect dopamine balance. For starters, Schweig recommends turning off non-essential notifications, especially for email and social media, to reduce interruptions and dopamine spikes. “Limit scrolling sessions by setting a timer—even 10 to 15 minutes can help prevent mindless overuse,” he says. “Support sleep by managing screen exposure at night, whether that’s dimming screens, limiting late-night scrolling, or using blue light–blocking glasses.”
6. Prioritize Consistent Sleep
Getting enough sleep (and keeping a consistent sleep schedule) plays a big role in how well dopamine works in the brain. When sleep is short or inconsistent, dopamine signaling takes a hit. In fact, research shows that even one night of poor sleep can reduce motivation, dull reward responses, and increase impulsivity, according to Schweig.
What’s more: Sleep timing matters just as much as sleep duration. “Dopamine follows a daily rhythm tied closely to your circadian clock,” Schweig says. “Irregular sleep-wake schedules, like sleeping in on weekends after early weekdays, can disrupt that rhythm, a phenomenon often called ‘social jet lag.’”
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Interestingly, the relationship between sleep and dopamine works both ways. “Dopamine helps regulate wakefulness, and when you’re sleep-deprived, the brain may temporarily boost dopamine to keep you alert,” says Volpe. “That short-term lift can feel like a second wind, but over time, the system compensates by becoming less sensitive, making it harder to feel energized or motivated without more stimulation.”
Schweig recommends starting with a consistent wake-up time, even on weekends. “Most adults do best with seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep, though real life (especially parenting) can affect what’s realistic,” he says.
7. Take Cold Showers or Plunges
There’s reason to believe that cold showers affect the sympathetic nervous system in a way that may cause the body to release more of certain neurotransmitters that are stimulating, including noradrenaline (which can lift energy and focus) and dopamine. This explains why many people report feeling more focused and clear-headed after a cold shower.
In one study, cold water immersion increased adults’ blood dopamine levels by 250 percent (in addition to increasing their metabolism by 350 percent). So while the thought of dousing yourself in frigid water might not sound great at first, the feel-good rush it causes might have you scheduling regular cold showers or plunges into your week.
8. Incorporate the Right Supplements
If dopamine “hacks” have taught us anything, it’s that people really want a shortcut. But experts agree that dopamine works best when your brain has the building blocks it needs. While it’s great if you can get all of this from diet alone, oftentimes supplementing can make a difference. Here’s what the experts suggest.
Omega-3s (EPA + DHA)
“Omega-3s help support the structure of brain cell membranes, including the ones involved in neurotransmitter signaling, which matters for how smoothly dopamine messaging happens,” Volpe says. “They may be especially helpful when modern life is stacking the deck against your brain (stress, poor sleep, ultra-processed foods) or if you don’t eat fatty fish regularly, an omega-3 supplement.” She recommends looking for fish oil or algae-based omega-3s that list EPA and DHA on the label.
B-Complex Vitamins (Especially B6, Folate, and B12)
Volpe notes that vitamin B6 is especially important because it helps support the biochemical steps involved in making dopamine and other neurotransmitters. “Folate and B12 also matter because they help support pathways that affect neurotransmitter production more broadly, which is why people who are low in these nutrients can sometimes feel it in their energy, mood, and focus,” she says. Her advice is to look for a B-complex (rather than mega-dosing a single B vitamin), especially if your diet is inconsistent or you’re under chronic stress. Quick note: If you take medication, are pregnant, or have a health condition, it’s worth checking with a clinician before starting a high-potency B supplement.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola is an adaptogen, meaning it may help the body respond to stress in a more balanced way. Schweig explains that it can be supportive without functioning like a stimulant “jolt,” which matters if you’re already feeling wired-but-tired. “Many people do best taking rhodiola earlier in the day (morning or early afternoon), especially if they’re sensitive to anything that feels energizing,” he says.
Probiotics
You’ll see a lot of “gut health fixes everything” content online, but dopamine is one area where the gut-brain connection is genuinely relevant. In fact, Schweig and Volpe both point to the gut microbiome as a major player in brain chemistry. “Your gut influences how your body processes nutrients, how your nervous system responds to stress, and how your brain gets the raw materials it needs for neurotransmitter balance,” Volpe says. “Probiotics aren’t a magic button, but they can be useful as part of a bigger gut-support plan, especially when paired with fiber-rich foods and less ultra-processed food (which your gut bugs generally don’t love).” She recommends looking for probiotics that include well-studied strains from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.
Magnesium
Magnesium isn’t a dopamine supplement, exactly, but it can support the nervous system in a way that can make dopamine regulation feel easier, according to Volpe, especially when stress and sleep are part of the picture. “If you’re dealing with tension, poor sleep quality, or feeling constantly ‘on,’ magnesium may help support a calmer baseline, which is often what people are really after when they’re chasing dopamine spikes,” she says.
Vitamin D
Also known as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D plays a role in brain function. Schweig notes that vitamin D receptors are present in areas of the brain involved in dopamine activity, which is one reason low vitamin D can sometimes show up as low energy or low mood. If you live somewhere with limited sunlight in winter (hi, basically everyone), or you’re mostly indoors, it can be worth checking your vitamin D status with a clinician.
The Bottom Line
Dopamine regulation and function get seriously thrown off by aspects of modern life, such as processed foods and social media. While much of the content you’ll find online misses the mark by focusing on boosting the neurotransmitter, there is plenty you can do in your day-to-day life to help bring it into balance.