With quarantine, dreary weather, and, for some, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), looming over us this winter, a lot of us good use some pick-me-ups. For me, at least, the fewer hours of sunlight and endless stretch of school’s monotonous rhythms is enough to put me in need of any extra happinesses I can snatch. The Christmas season and New Year’s highs often lead into purposeless lows for those on break, without a school schedule or organized activities like clubs and Zoom breakout rooms to keep us up and at ‘em. To quell some of the inevitable days of doing nothing and then feeling bad about doing nothing, I’ve created a list of dopamine hacks to help our brains shake out of their funks. Dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins are the happy and calming (respectively) chemicals that are released from our brains. Based on reward systems fed through our senses, they respond to positive and pleasurable experiences that can be replicated intentionally to make ourselves feel better. You may or may not be familiar with some of these, but either way I hope that any of them help you out in a moment of random remembrance of my list!
- Chocolate (obviously)
Chocolate is the classic go-to for lots of people feeling down. This alone creates a comforting and familiar emotional connection to the comfort food, aiding the chemical processes stirring in your brain. Chocolate, or more specifically cacao, contains small amounts of the chemical phenylethylamine as well as tyramine, both of which induce the release of dopamine. It also increases release rates of serotonin. However, overconsumption of chocolate, and therefore overproduction of dopamine, can lead to negative emotions and social withdrawal. So be careful with your portions when turning to chocolate for comfort! It should be treated like a novelty – increasing the reward sensation – and in tandem with other strategies.
- Hugs
(PSA please only hug people you have been quarantining with and feel comfortable with both physically and COVIDly)
When was the last time you hugged someone? Personally, I associate hugging with family and friends – greeting and saying goodbye to relatives after a long time apart, and comforting each other when it’s needed. The best hugs are with the people who mean them: smushing against each other, tight arms wrapped around each other. Tip for anyone who’s reading: don’t hug with cagey arms! If you’re going to hug someone, you need to mean it; otherwise don’t bother.
Hugging has several social connotations. It makes us feel more connected to each other and socially bonded, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness (exactly what we need for quarantine!). It also reduces stress by reducing levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body. The feeling of sinking into someone’s arms really just helps you let go of worry.
Chemically, hugs work wonders. They trigger the release of oxytocin, which lowers stress and anxiety while also promoting positive feelings like trust and empathy. It also increases levels of the power trio of happy/calm chemicals: dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These chemicals work together to relax the muscles, elevate moods, and relieve symptoms of depression. It’s the triple threat of good feelings.
All this writing of hugging is making me want to get up and hug someone… be right back. I have a prescription for a full minute of squishing my mom.
- Walking in nature (or just the sidewalk)
Recently, researchers have been increasingly studying the positive effects that nature has on the mind, mood disorders, and stress. Countless studies have found that nature walks improve social connections, elevate moods, and relieve symptoms of disorders like depression and anxiety. In a 2015 study, researchers found that after a 90 minute walk, participants had lower activity in the part of the brain that focuses on repetitive thoughts inducing negative emotions. Studies point out that the calming sounds of nature and relative silence outdoors aid in reducing cortisol levels and heart rates.
Personally, nature has always been a calming place. While it may not stop the flow of thoughts going through my mind, it certainly takes my emotional focus away from whatever has been stressing me. Keeping an eye out for deer or squirrels in the woods and listening for birds in the trees is a calming way to keep my mind active and on calming topics. Walks with my dad are common, and we always find interesting topics to discuss as we walk, whether it’s about nature, history, or food. Breathing in the cool air and hearing my shoes rustle leaves underfoot centers me and helps me focus more on the present, letting go of all the other thoughts and emotions from the rest of the world outside of where I stand. I definitely recommend this as a relaxation or mood-lifting method.
- Dancing
This particular strategy is a personal favorite and 100% recommended by the author. Whether you prefer mellow, relaxing music, upbeat pop, or hardcore rock, it’s hard to resist dancing or singing along. Lowering your inhibitions and just expressing your love of the music is a very freeing and uplifting experience.
Dancing to music has a wonderful effect on the brain and mood. It’s even used to help prevent and reduce symptoms in people for Parkinson’s and dementia. Like all physical activity and exercise, dancing improves the memory and neural pathways. More specifically, dancing, like hugs, releases oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Music is a big component in this, especially music associated with positive memories and emotions, but the spontaneous movements from dancing and the social bonds that are strengthened by it are even more important.
Whether you’re alone in your room or in a room of friends, don’t be afraid to bust out some moves and make them up as you go. Just enjoy the music and the silliness of the moment.
If you’re feeling down or just bored, go ahead and try one of these or make up your own spontaneous form of a happiness boost. Self-care routines like skin care and painting your nails, going for a run, and working on a puzzle are all alternate ideas that help to relax the mind (and keep you busy during the break). Feel free to comment with any other ideas and thoughts you have and have a great break!
Resources:
Chocolate: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/chocolate-dopamine-3660.html
Hugs: https://www.pihhealth.org/wellness/blog/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-a-simple-hug/
Walking:https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-nature
I needed to read this blog post to revaluate why I haven’t been as energetic or motivated to do stuff!
1. I don’t eat chocolate or much sugar to realize the dopamine food provides us for our brains. Sometimes, I need to focus less on my mental health rather than my physical appearance.
2. I am a huge hugger and tend to receive joy from physical touch. This pandemic has been hard on huggers and society because of the Covid guidelines.
3. Because of online school, I am typically in my house for the duration of the day during the weekdays. I should go out more and enjoy the beauty and freshness of nature.
Thank you for writing this as it made me assess myself and take action rather than pushing my mental health to the side. The holidays always bring in dopamine so I’m beyond thankful for that. Thank you!
I did not know how much I needed to read something like this until I read your blog! As we approach the winter months and the colder days of winter, I tend to just want to curl up in bed, binge-watching shows or gaming for the entirety of the day. Then, after doing so, I’d get mad at myself for not doing anything productive when I have all this time to get stuff done. Your blog was a great reminder that I should take care of my mental health more and gave me some ideas on what I should do to boost my mood.
I love this! I actually wrote about something kind of similar where I talked about how the pandemic has affected us mentally and how sometimes doing nothing is worse than it may sound. I’ve always had a busy schedule so when the pandemic hit I definitely felt those random emotions with having more free time. I think you have a good point that although winter break is supposed to be fun and relaxing, sometimes we feel like we aren’t being productive by doing anything. I think these ideas are awesome and I will definitely be trying some of them out!
Hi Katie! Wow, this blog made me realize why I’ve been feeling so “eh” lately. In the beginning of quarantine I made it a habit to go outside on a walk at least a few times a week but now since the weather is much colder, the very idea of even stepping outside makes me uncomfortable. I’d much rather be curled up under my warm covers, so that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. On the opposite spectrum, I’ve noticed that my parents, my dad in particular, have been sticking to daily walks and they seem to be very happy. Maybe I should go outside sometimes soon again!
Hi Katie! This blog really made me think about how I need to actively do things for myself besides college essays, portfolios, scholarships, and homework. Hopefully trying some self care like you talked about will bring back some of my motivation.
Katie! I always look forward to reading your blogs. I love how you bring up the importance of truly meaning a hug; I totally agree. My mom has always said people need at least two twenty second hugs per day to get enough oxytocin, although I think the medical recommendation is actually more. Self-care, music, and exercise are also so crazily overlooked. They’re so simple and offer a quick emotional release and comfort but we so often forget to do the simple things for ourselves!