15 ways to “Dopamine-stack” Your Way to Productivity Bliss
Tips for every domain of your life
We have all experienced intense waves of productivity where we complete all of our tasks within the hour. Following those bursts of energy, though, are usually periods of demotivation (for me, it’s usually a Netflix series binge). Unfortunately yo-yo’ing to and from either extreme isn’t sustainable and can even hinder productivity.
But what if there was a solution that would help you maintain a high level of productivity?
The solution? Two words: dopamine stacking
The power of dopamine:
Dopamine is one of our most important neurotransmitters that is responsible for keeping us motivated, experiencing pleasure, increasing focus, and helps with memory and learning. Our brains are wired to constantly scan for potential rewards in life and at work, and in those moments we experience a surge in dopamine. One of the most common catalysts for dopamine release is when we encounter new stimuli - and it instantly feels good. But, dopamine releases happen in short bursts, and after a few minutes we’re once again depleted of dopamine and are left looking for new stimuli.
How can we leverage dopamine to increase our productivity?
Since we release dopamine every time we encounter something new, by switching up our environments or routines we can intentionally release dopamine. This release of dopamine will bring a burst of energy and focus and as a result increase your productivity.
So...
by stacking one source of newness on top of another all the time, we can sustain these high levels of productivity and motivation. This is called dopamine stacking.
I like to think of my life as having four domains: work, health, fun, and growth. When I make quality time for each of these areas in my life, I feel the most productive, balanced, and motivated. Next time you’re experiencing a lack of motivation or are having a hard time focusing, see if it falls into one of these areas. If yes, consider switching something up with one of these core elements. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Work:
When thinking about the “work” domain of your life, I’ve found it helpful to focus not on the hours of work that you put in, but rather the quality and effectiveness of the work that you produced. That’s why we turn to productivity tools in work environments to boost our performance. If you’re anything like me, you definitely have searched “how to be productive” or “ help, I need to focus now” on Google and were met with an overwhelming number of tips claiming to get you back on into focus mode. Have you realized that if you try any one of those tips, the result is often an instant productivity increase? That’s because it’s you’re experiencing something novel and your brain just released dopamine!
Try a new productivity tool by creating a list of your favorite ones and simply rotate through them every once in a while to keep you on track. Here are my personal favorites:
Switch from to-do lists to a zero-based calendar. Organize your day not by tasks, but by scheduling in all aspects of your life (work, breaks, family time) into specific time blocks.
Break up your work time into 15 minute focus periods. Instead of expecting a 5-hour uninterrupted work period from yourself, take it 15 minutes at a time.
Plan out your week on Friday afternoon instead of Monday mornings. Take advantage of the Friday afternoon low energy hours to plan our your week so that you can start right on track first thing on Monday.
Instead of a mental checklist, get an accountability partner. Having an accountability partner can increase your likelihood of reaching your goal by 95%. (if you’re in need of one, our Mana guides can help!)
Health:
Making enough time for your health, both physical and mental is extremely important. Unfortunately it sometimes falls on the backburner when our busy lives get in the way. Changing something up in your “health” domain can be a great way to get excited about making some time for some much needed “self-care”.
My personal favorite is to switch up your morning routine! We hear a lot about having a killer morning routine to get us started for the day. Afterall, our mornings often set the tone for the rest of the day. If you no longer feel motivated by your morning routine, it’s time to switch things up! Here’s are a few ideas:
5. Drink tea instead of coffee. Or vice versa! Just by changing your go-to beverage in the morning, your body will experience novelty and you’ll get an added teaspoon of dopamine with your caffeine.
6. Skip breakfast, or not. If you normally eat breakfast in the morning, try skipping the meal and getting straight to your tasks. In fact, some studies have shown skipping breakfast in the morning can improve your productivity without having adverse effects. Or, if you usually don’t eat breakfast, see if some food boosts your energy.
7. Get ready in the morning. With work from home, it’s tempting to stay in our PJs, throw on a top, and begin a long day of zoom calls (I am 100% guilty of this too). Try picking out an outfit you love or putting some time into doing your makeup, hair, shaving, or even spritzing on your favorite perfume/cologne.
Fun:
Scheduling in time for “fun” is so important! On top of taking care of our health, we also need to make sure we’re spending time with the people we love and are enjoying life. Taking breaks throughout the day, especially when working from home is important to keep us from experiencing burnout.
Get creative with your breaks! While we all know the benefits of down time and taking breaks, we may not know how to take effective breaks, or we may have gotten bored with our current routines. And if your breaks currently consist of scrolling through social media, see if any of these ideas leave you feeling better rested and motivated.
8. Take a short walk outside. Even if it’s 5 minutes just to walk up and down your street or around the block. If you have some more time, explore a new neighborhood, but don’t forget your mask!
9. Try a 5-minute meditation. Holistic life-coach Sabrina Cadidni suggests that meditation is one of the best practices to being more present and focused.
10. Find a fun recipe and make a snack that excites you. Not only does cooking boost your creativity, which helps boost your dopamine, if you love food as much as I do, what better way to use your break than by making a yummy treat you’ve been dying to try!
Growth:
Last but definitely not least, making time for “growth” can be one of the most rewarding and motivating elements of our lives. Growth can be anything from picking up a new hobby or setting a new goal. One key factor that plays into our motivation and that determines what kinds of tasks we end up doing is our physical environment. This is also known as task association. For example, if we’re in bed, our brain sends cues that it’s time to sleep.
Try sprucing up your environment to help with increasing your creativity and replenishing your growth mindset. While we may have trained our brains to associate our desk for “intense work periods”, it might be time to switch things up if your productivity levels are dropping.
11. Change up the smell in your room. Before the pandemic, I would always go to the library to do my “deep work” since my brain associated libraries with high productivity times. I found it hard to find those focus hours in my room, so my Guide suggested that I light library-book smelling candles whenever I need to focus. It’s been a game-changer.
12. Switch up your music. There are numerous benefits to listening to music while working and studying, as well as enhancing your focus. If you like listening to music while doing work, try out a new playlist or try not listening to music at all. If you don’t usually listen to music, see if putting some on helps with productivity. Some studies suggest that listening to classical music can also boost productivity.
13. Go to a coffee shop (if it’s safe). Maybe it’s time to take your home office to a local coffee shop. I personally have used this tip many times when I no longer endure my room. I’ve also found that strangers tend to keep me accountable.
14. Switch rooms/working areas in your house. If going to a coffee shop isn’t currently an option, see if you can bring your work down to the living room instead of the office, or vice versa. Move your desk to face a different direction in your room and enjoy a new view.
15. Set a new goal or form a new habit! We all have those goals and habits that we’ve been wanting to achieve or pick up. The dopamine boost from the excitement of starting something new is guaranteed and we’ve even written a step-by-step guide on how to set goals and form habits to help you start right away.
Want to keep your productivity levels at a constant high?
When we experience change our brain releases dopamine, which increases focus and motivation. Next time you’re feeling unproductive or have a dip in your energy level, figure out what domain of life it falls under and try out something new (no matter how big or small)! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
For “work” - try out a new productivity tool
For “health” - switch up your morning routine
For “fun” - look forward to a new kind of break
For “growth” - switch up your surroundings or set a new goal
The key is to continuously stack change on top of one another to keep things exciting and releasing dopamine!
