How To Achieve A Low Dopamine Morning

Photo by Ron Lach / Pexels

Have you ever had good intentions of waking up earlier and starting your day on a more positive note, only to end up snoozing your seven o’clock alarm or scrolling through Instagram instead?

What if there was a way to change this way of thinking? What if we were able to train our brain into a healthy routine that will have extraordinary benefits for the day ahead?

Introducing: The low dopamine morning.

The low dopamine morning routine has been a recurring trend on TikTok in recent times. Social media users film themselves starting their day with specific tasks aimed at controlling dopamine release. Dopamine, often referred to as the “happy hormone”, is a chemical messenger that plays a role in feelings of satisfaction, motivation, and memory.

Pic: Pexels

How we start our morning has a big impact on the day ahead. When our eyes flutter open for the first time in the morning our brain is in what we call the ‘theta state’. When in this state our brain is the most shapeable and we can influence it with actions that can have positive effects on the day ahead.

If we were to pick up our phones and begin reading the news or answering emails, we would no doubt become overwhelmed with the mounting to-do list.

We must fill our morning with positive thoughts and low dopamine tasks so that we can slowly increase our dopamine levels as we go about our day. If you would like to incorporate some low dopamine activities into your morning routine, carry on reading.

Here are some tips…

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Do not go on your phone for the first hour

This is essential to begin your day on a positive note. If you are filling your fresh head with negative content, it will affect your mood for the rest of the day. Why not try leaving your phone charging in another room while you get ready for the day?

Meditate or write in a journal

Spending a couple of minutes writing your intentions for the day or thinking about what you are grateful for each morning will leave your mind in a more relaxed state. If you wake up feeling anxious writing your thoughts in a journal can help, get some of the worries out of your head.

Do some small tasks

Set yourself up for the day by doing mundane things like making your bed, folding your clothes, and opening some windows to let some fresh air into the house. They may feel like small things but getting into the habit of completing such chores can help you focus on bigger things later on in the day.

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Movement

Getting out in the fresh air and moving your body can do you a world of good in the morning. Low-intensity exercises like walking and yoga are perfect for your low dopamine morning routine

Don’t drink coffee first thing in the morning

Yes, this may seem like a horror if you are used to guzzling down a coffee to give you that much-needed energy, however, coffee is a quick dopamine fix and increases the stress hormone levels known as cortisol. Why not try drinking a glass or two of water for the first hour before moving on to your morning coffee?

Make yourself feel good

Giving yourself time to do your skincare and makeup in the morning can leave you feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Basically, our brain thrives on dopamine so if we introduce our brain to a dopamine rush straight away it will get greedy and will be constantly in search of the next dopamine hit. Even just adding a few of these activities to your morning routine could give you a better shot at a more successful and productive day.

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