Starting has always been the biggest obstacle standing between me & my objectives in life – not motivation, not organization, not performance, not a lack of resources, not education.

Starting…

Starting is the biggest hurdle.

It is the steepest step.

Starting is often the hardest part of anything – of cooking a meal, cleaning the house, scheduling a trip, renovating your home, writing a book, producing a song, etc.

It’s one of the most nerve-wracking parts of our daily lives.

It’s the lack of starting that has slayed most of my ambitions in the past.

The primary reason is because I’ve always tried to do too much at once.

The first step requires the most force.

It’s the one with the most resistance.

That’s because an object at rest, stays at rest…unless acted upon by an outside force.

 

Getting the ball rolling is no easy task… Until you make it so easy you can’t say no…

Let me explain:

If you have a big intimidating task in front of you, start as simple as possible.

Just do two minutes of it.

If that’s too hard, just do 20 seconds of it.

So easy you can’t say no…right?

For instance,

Don’t commit to “starting your coding assignment.” Commit to opening up your text editor and writing two lines of code. Before you know it, you have a nice little program running.

Don’t commit to “reading more.” Commit to cracking open a book and reading just the first page. Before you know it, you’re done with the first chapter.

Don’t commit to “drinking more water.” Commit to leaving a full water bottle out on the counter and taking a sip each time you glance at it. Before you know it, you’ve replaced your habit of drinking coffee with water.

Don’t commit to “writing more.” Commit to opening up a blank word document and writing just one sentence. Before you know it, you’ve written 500 words.

Don’t commit to “eating less.” Commit to buying smaller plates by setting your portion size automatically. Before you know it, you’re losing weight.

Don’t commit to “doing 75 pushups.” Commit to getting yourself in the pushup position and doing just three pushups. At some point, you’ll think “screw it, since I’m already in push-up position, I’ll do a few more.”

Don’t commit to “learning how to speak French.” Commit to downloading Duolingo and completing just one 5-minute lesson a day. Before you know it, you’re mildly speaking the language.

Don’t commit to “running more.” Commit to putting on your running gear, lacing up your shoes, and getting out the door. Before you know it, you’ve jogged three miles.

Don’t commit to “starting a new business.” Commit to creating an LLC and registering a domain name. Before you know it, you have a minimum viable prototype.

Starting is an art.

It’s easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.

By triggering yourself to create situations where it would be ridiculous for you to walk away from that task, you’re setting yourself up for success.

I had just arrived at a training facility to trial with a professional squad.

Not only am I late, stressed, and nervous, but I really got to go bad.

Anxiously wandering around, I ask around for the nearest toilet.

To my surprise, it’s on the other side of the training ground.

No chance, I tell myself.

I’m already late.

Besides, I don’t want to appear even more careless.

Demanding myself to calm down, superstitious thoughts begin roaming uncontrollably.

“If I don’t pee now, I’m going to play like shit.”

“If I don’t pee now, I’ll be running around like a headless chicken.”

“If I don’t pee now, I’ll probably catch a bladder infection.”

I decide to take a deep breathe and just let it go.

I’ll just play it off, I mutter to myself.

Well, it turned out to be a great decision.

I had one of the best trials of my entire soccer career.

I was fierce, sharp, and laser-focused, yet I was also calm & collected.

Mindful of every pass, dribble, & play on the field, I felt a greater sense of control.

No overthinking, no fidgetiness, no BS.

I do want to make this clear though.

I can’t attribute my outstanding performance entirely to my full bladder considering I also prepared mentally and physically for this trial.

But I’m certain that it played a factor.

So much that I decided to research into this technique because I had an intuition that I’ve been in similar situations in the past when peeing wasn’t an option, but events turned out surprisingly great as well.

From lengthy corporate meetings to field trips with no restrooms in sight, looking back, I certainly felt more attentive & swift in my thought processes.

According to a study published in Psychological Science, holding in your pee actually aids your ability to control your impulses when making crucial decisions. (1)

In one experiment, participants were asked to either drink 5 cups of water, while others took just a few sips of water.

Then, after roughly 45 minutes—the average timeframe it takes for fluids to fill the bladder—the researchers evaluated participants’ willpower.

Participants were asked to make several choices; each varying between receiving a tiny, but an instant, reward and a larger, but delayed reward.

For instance, they could choose between receiving $16 the following day or $30 in 35 days.

The researchers found that the participants with full bladders were far superior at holding out for the larger reward later.

In another experiment, scientists found that you demonstrate higher cognitive abilities on a full bladder (2)

Researchers tested whether the urge to pee had an impact on a group of students who were asked to put on straight faces and lie about political views.

Both groups were requested to provide their honest beliefs on political topics such as the death penalty and gun control.

Then, after 45 minutes (warranting a full bladder), the participants were then asked to lie to interviewers about the same subjects.

For instance, if one advocated for gun control previously, they would have to support the other side now.

The scientists found that the full-bladder group was not only consistently less nervous, presented more thorough answers, and exhibited more confidence when lying compared to the standard-bladder group, but they also demonstrated superior behavioral and emotional cues when lying, than when telling the truth.

In another study, researchers found that full-bladder folks showed an increased ability to resist impulsive choices when it came to financial planning. (3)

The science behind this is actually fascinating.

The brain region sending impetuous signals is triggered not only for bladder control, but for all sorts of control.

Not urinating activates the region of your brain that helps resist sudden urges—like not peeing yourself.

But because you’re restraining yourself from peeing, it can directly trigger self-restraint from all other kinds of sudden urges.

While you may look ludicrous crossing your legs back and forth and doing the potty dance, exercising some self-control and holding in your pee can be worth the uneasiness when you’ve got an imperative decision to make.

David Cameron, Ex-Prime Minister of the U.K. is a big fan of the full-bladder technique, asserting to its effectiveness in helping him achieve optimal focus and clarity. (4)

Delaying gratification leads to less knee-jerk reactions, more effective problem-solving skills, and actually helps with anxiety issues.

So the next time you’re about to make a decision about your stock portfolio or contemplating between eating that burger or salad for lunch, wait just a bit longer than usual to use the restroom.

As a millennial, I grew up with the impression that multitasking was essential to staying competitive at work and in society. In fact, it’s not unusual for employers to list “ability to multitask” as a prerequisite skill in their job descriptions.

It’s become a symbol of honor in the modern-day business world.

For years, I’d tackle anything and everything that came my way, in an effort to spin multiple plates at a time without letting a single one fall.

I was on a endless state of high alert as I juggled completing tasks, answering my coworkers’ questions, staying up to date with current events, and so on.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably experienced all this  as well.

You’re in a noisy office, trying to concentrate.

Your computer monitor has ten different browser tabs open, along with two email accounts, three spreadsheets, two documents, 5 skype chats, your Kindle app, and Spotify.

Meanwhile, your coworkers chime in every moment with questions.

 Your manager is pinging you with requests.

And in the background … 

Your phone is blinking and buzzing with 2 missed calls, 3 new text messages, and 4 instagram post notifications.

And you can’t help but eavesdrop on neighboring coworkers’ conversations about their plans for the weekend.

Or maybe you’re working from home and you’re trying to concentrate, all whileyou’ve got the news playing in the background, And your dog barges into your office wanting to play.

Then your spouse drops by your office for a quick chat.

You seem to be working on all these things, and just as you get into one of them, something else pops up and you move onto that instead.

Later, at dinner, when your spouse asks you about how your day went, you tell her the usual” “Today was a long one. I was so busy!”

But in reality, and in hindsight, you have nothing to show for. You were at the office for hours, but it still doesn’t feel as though you got anything done.

Sound familiar?

IF it does, the good news is that you’re not alone.

The bad news: you’re harming yourself, big time.

Thanks to the rise of technology, our brains are constantly be bombarded with streams of information, and quite literally being pulled in 1,000 different directions.

How the hell are we supposed to get any quality work done when everything is begging for our attention? 

But even when we’re not working, we somehow feel compelled to be more productive—

we chat on the phone while we do your laundry, watch Hulu while we cook, or text while we drive.

I’ll never forget the time when I was driving in the middle of the night, windows down, music pumping. The roads were clear, the weather was fantastic, the sky was luminous with stars.

You couldn’t have asked for a better night.

But I was hungry, exhausted and eager to get home from my soccer game.

The speed limit was 35 mph. I had a long way to go until I got home.  

So I decided to yank out my phone and catch up on my notifications to kill some time.

As I was toggling between driving and texting, I slammed into this guy riding his bicycle in the bike laneat the side of the road.

Trembling in fear and anxiety, and the inside of a prison cell flashing before my eyes, crazy thoughts began to roam uncontrollably in my mind. 

Would I end up spending the rest of my life for killing an innocent human being? 

Should I just drive off, since there weren’t any witnesses?

After a moment of hesitation, I quickly pulled over to check up on him, praying to God that he was fine.

Thank God, the chap was only slightly shook up. 

No injuries, his bike unscathed. , Shockingly, he told me not to worry about it.

In fact, he was so eager to get back on his bike and hit the road that I was thrown for a loop.

 I started questioning my own pain tolerance, resilience, and ability to bounce back.

At that moment, I came to the realization that I was a giant wimp.

Anyhow, i was crazy lucky to not have injured or killed him –  or been reported to the police.

From that night on, I knew I had to change. 

And after my research, I found plenty of convincing evidence that making a change was the right thing to do.

Without further ado, here are six reasons why you should stop multitasking 

Multitasking is a myth

 Multitasking is one of the most dangerous myths associated with productivity.

The word “multitask” first appeared in 1965 in the framework of computing, to describe the abilities of a computer to process two or more jobs simultaneously.

With the rapid ascent of our economy in the last 50 years, this concept has been applied to people.

Our society embraced multitasking as a way to keep pace with the new speed of business.

Employers embraced the term and sprinkled it into their job descriptions in hopes of finding talent who were efficient, high-performing multitaskers.

As a result, on our resumes, we highlighted our ability to juggle tasks and prided ourselves on our ability to complete multiple projects at once.

But the science now shows that our brains don’t actually multitask. What it does do, however, is multiswitch rapidly.

What the brain is very good at doing is quickly diverting its attention from one thing to the next.

In other words, we are not computers.

We are, fundamentally, single-core processors.

We can’t effectively reply to an email, listen to a colleague talk, and do math calculations in our head simultaneously.

 Well, we can do all three things at once, but it’s impossible to concentrate on all three of those things at once.

And because of this illusion, it’s easy to give ourselves the impression that we’re being productive.

In reality, we’re just being busy and screwing ourselves over. 

We never truly commit to any of our tasks.

We never get into the “zone”.

 And when a shiny new object comes along, we jump on it.

Multitasking truly impairs our work. It kills our focus and wears us out, both mentally and physically.

In one recent experiment, researchers asked a student to dress up in a clown suit and ride a unicycle on campus. After people passed the clown, they were asked if they had seen him. Around 75% of students talking on their cell phones failed to see the clown who was right in front of them.

 Researchers call this behavior “inattentional blindness”. That is, while their eyes were technically looking at their surroundings, their brain was not registering anything because it was already too preoccupied to do so. (R)

Studies have also shown that people who are distracted while eating can prevent their brain from realizing they’ve eaten enough. 

Because the brain doesn’t register that they’ve eaten enough, it prompts them to eat more.

 Multitasking decreases productivity

If you’re like I was, you probably think  multitasking helps you save time

It gives us all the impression that we can get more done, faster.

But, contrary to popular belief, that’s not how it works.

In fact, it  actually takes you longer to do two things ar once than separately.

Researchers estimate that switching between tasks causes a 40% productivity loss.

One study found that drivers who were chit-chatting on their phone took longer to reach their destination than those who didn’t use their phone while driving. (6)

When we switch between tasks, the transition often feels smooth. But in reality, it demands a string of small shifts.

Each small switch leads to a cognitive cost.

It causes our prefrontal cortex to burn up oxygenated glucose, the same fuel you need to focus.

And the kind of rapid task-switching we do with multitasking causes the brain to burn through fuel so quickly that we feel exhausted, after even a short time.

Simply put, multitasking exhausts the nutrients in your brain and leads to burnout.

It creates an illusion of productivity, rather than productivity itself.

One study revealed that it takes roughly 23 minutes to regain complete focus on a task after an interruption. [3] 

And that’s just one interruption! 

Imagine the amount of time that you waste every day because of interruptions.

But multitasking doesn’t just slow you down. It also increases the number of mistakes you make. (7)

One study found that people who worked at three tasks simultaneously made three times as many mistakes as those working at only two tasks.

When our attention is pulled in multiple directions, it becomes easy to slip up and miss key details.

Multitasking Leads to Stress and Stupid Decisions

I can’t believe I multitasked for so damn long.

 Doing 10 different things every time I sat down to work overwhelmed me.

Yet, I found myself continually doing it.

I’m normally on edge when I’m working.

I tense up about whatever I’m working on, so if I was working on 10 things at a time, that meant I was 10 times as stressed and anxious.

In fact, research has now shown that chronic multitaskers not only have increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone; they also have a decreased volume of gray matter in the brain, which can result in depression, anxiety, and poor self-control. (23)

Now let’s talk about one of the biggest stress-makers: our email inbox.

 You produce excess cortisol when you’re constantly connected to email. 

In one study, scientists measured the heart rates of employees who had constant access to their office emails and compared them with those of employees who did not have access to their emails, The researchers discovered  that employees who had access to emails when they weren’t at work had elevated heart rates because they were in a constant state of “high alert”.

They knew someone from work could contact them at any minute, so they were left in this perpetual cycle of stress and anxiety. As a result, they could never truly enjoy their present moments with their families. (4)

Multitasking doesn’t just increase stress. It also leads to poor decision-making.

By continuously toggling between tasks, valuable ‘willpower muscle’ is depleted, sort of like a skeletal muscle that gets tired when you use it too much.

This leads to decision fatigue, impulsive behavior, and a reduction in our ability to delay gratification, which is necessary to achieve our goals. 

Not only are we making lots of small unimportant decisions by continually shifting between tasks, but we’re deteriorating the quality of each successive decision. This can put us in a situation where we truly make rash decisions on important matters.

Multitasking Impacts Brain Function

 

Scientists have long believed that multitasking causes slight cognitive impairment, but they thought the impairment was just temporary.

 However, in a recent brain study done in the UK, researchers found that, when compared to people who use only one device at a time, people who use several media devices at once were changing the structure of their brains. (R) 

Researchers found that the multitaskers had less brain density in the cingulate cortex of their brain, a key brain region responsible for emotional intelligence and executive function.

This might not seem like a big problem to some. But it really is.

Emotional intelligence is a critical skill for high performers. It leads to less procrastination, increased confidence, improved resilience. And it allows us to create better networks of support.

 Just as multitasking can cause a change in the physical structure of the brain, it can also cause a change to the chemical components of the brain.

When we complete a mini-task (e.g., sending an email, replying to a text message, or returning a call), we are hit with a burst of dopamine, our “reward hormone”.

Just like the effects of alcohol and drugs, we can get addicted to the dopamine rush from losing focus and finding new sources of stimulation.

 This creates a dopamine-infused feedback loop, which is why we’re driven to keep interchanging between tiny tasks that give us instant pleasure.

 (R)

Multitasking Might Harm Your Creativity

Multitasking also takes a toll on your creativity.

 Innovative ideas are rooted in extensive concentration.

But constant task-switching prevents you from focusing long enough to stumble upon something original and exceptional.

A 2015 study found that people who multitask were less creative and experienced less enjoyment than those who single-tasked.

 Those who focus on one task at hand – where they feel totally absorbed by their task –  often enter what psychologists refer to as the “flow” state.

This flow state is also known as “being in the zone”. It’s a mental state in which you perform a challenging activity with energized focus, full immersion, and satisfaction in the process.

Those are the times when we have breakthroughs.

But we can also experience these “aha” moments while doing mundane tasks.

Oftentimes, we multitask by listening to audiobooks while doing laundry or talking on the phone while driving.

We feel productive because we’re killing two birds with one stone. But that comes at the expense of creativity.

When we’re driving or doing laundry or showering, we’re not really doing just that one thing.

We’re tapping into the power of our imagination and creative self by letting our minds wander a bit.

Multitasking Can Lower Your IQ

 Perhaps worst of all, multitasking can make you dumber.

One study found that participants who multitasked experienced a decline in their IQ levels.

In fact, the decline was so severe, it was comparable to what you would experience after smoking weed or pulling an all-nighter. 

IQ levels literally dropped to the level of an average 8-year-old. (13)

Research has also shown that multitasking hinders our ability to learn and interpret information effectively.

In one study designed to assess the impact of multitasking on performance, researchers found that, on average, students who were texting or using social media while doing schoolwork had a GPA lower than those who didn’t.

How to Stop Multitasking 

Protect Your Brain and Productivity

Our brains aren’t wired to multitask and be bombarded with all the information we face in the digital age.

Multitasking feels good, but it isn’t worth your time, energy – and certainly not your brain.

When you’re trying to accomplish everything at once, your brain is predisposed to distraction. Your attention is so stretched, everything will seem interesting. 

it clearly slows you down and decreases the quality of your work. It’s certainly not a skill to add to your resume.

My recommendation is that you focus on only one thing at a time and work in a distraction-free environment.

 Turn off all notifications – and better yet, keep phones and media devices out of sight. Shut off the internet if you have to.

It’s almost impossible to ignore this kind of stimulus, so it’s better to get rid of it completely.

For example, if you have a paper to write, schedule 3 hours for yourself to get it done.

Do nothing else during that time.

No other tasks, no meetings, no calls, no emails, no social media, no TV, no phone, no stimulus of any kind. Just focus on that paper. That’s it.

You have nothing to lose by not multitasking. 

No one became annoyed with me for not responding to a text, an email, or returning a call.

In fact, over time, people respected my time and only reached out when they had something of value to offer.

The anxiety I used to have from the fear of missing out (a.k.a. FOMO) quickly faded away.

Any interruptions — a text, a tap on the shoulder — I put off until I finished what I was working on.

Never forget that your inbox is nothing but an arrangement for other people’s agendas.

That said, if you’ve enjoyed this article, please give it a thumb up, subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already. I’ll be releasing more health, fitness, & personal development articles just like this.

Also, If you have any feedback, recommendations, or questions, feel free to contact me.  I’ll do my best to address them.

 

 

Meditation has been linked with multiple benefits.

The great thing about mindfulness meditation is that you can find a lot of information about it for free, and it can improve a lot of aspects of your life, from self-control to your social and professional life.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at 17 darn good reasons why everyone should start meditating today.

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Meditation Decreases Pain

Well, doesn’t this look like something out of a Bruce Lee movie?

“-Master, I’m in pain”

“-It’s alright. Meditate and it shall pass.”

Even though it sounds too good to be true, this fact is backed by science.

Researchers studied the reactions of people who just started meditating, and the results were surprising.

After only 4 days of meditation training, the test subjects were capable of handling more unpleasant stimulation than those who didn’t meditate.

And the best part is, their pain-intensity ratings were reduced by 40%.

But the researchers weren’t convinced the test subjects weren’t faking it, so they examined the subjects’ brain using an MRI machine.

The pain reduction was also associated with a thalamic deactivation and an orbitofrontal cortex activation.

When translated into plain English, this means that the subjects were actually feeling less pain than the others.

After only 4 days. (1)

2. Meditation Decreases Inflammation

OK, so everyone knows at least a person who’s cranky because his or her knee, shoulder, hip, lower back hurts all the time, right?

Whether it’s your uncle Bill or the neighbor two streets down, you’ve known at least a person that’s nasty to interact with, right?

Well, according to some studies, that person should meditate.

Meditation lowers the stress of those who suffer from chronic pain, and it significantly lowers the post-stress inflammatory response.

This means that people who meditate will experience less chronic pain.

So, have your uncle Bill take on meditation, and watch as he transforms from a troglodyte to a human being in only 8 weeks. (2)

3. Meditation Boosts Your Immune System

Flu season could be a thing of the past if more people would meditate.

Instead of walking around with face masks, people could meditate and still protect themselves against the flu without looking silly on the subway.

Studies have found that meditation boosts your immune system in a relatively short time.

After being vaccinated, people who meditated for 8 weeks presented a higher increase in their antibody titer than those who didn’t meditate.

So basically, after being vaccinated with the same substance, those who meditated for 8 weeks presented more antibodies than those who didn’t.

That’s pretty neat, right? (3)

4. Meditation Decreases Depression And Increases Positivity

Feeling blue? Well, meditation might be the perfect solution for you.

Researchers have found out that mindfulness meditation is capable of modifying cognitive processes, so it can reduce your ruminative tendencies.

Rumination is the process in which someone focuses his or her attention on his or her own distress.

By reducing the ruminative thinking, meditation helps you control your dysfunctional beliefs which will decrease your depression symptoms and increase your productivity. (4)

Meditation can also increase your positive emotions, so you will feel better throughout the day.

Researchers were curious to find out if meditation can increase the positive emotions people felt during the day, so they had one group of people involved in a mindfulness meditation program.

After finishing an 8-week training program, this group of people was required to describe their daily thoughts, and their answers were compared to those of a control group

Researchers found out that people who engaged in mindfulness meditation were more satisfied with their lives, and they experienced more positive emotions than the ones in the control group. (6)

5. Meditation Decreases Anxiety And Stress

Anxiety disorders are no trifling matters.

People suffering from anxiety have a hard time integrating into normal society, and they might lack the motivation and energy to perform well in their professions.

Luckily, mindfulness meditation can help in this regard.

A study has shown that after following an 8-week course of mindfulness meditation, people who were suffering from anxiety experienced a reduction in their stress levels.

And the best part is, their stress levels were still low after a 3-year period.

The subjects’ anxiety levels were also better, and so were the number and severity of their panic attacks. (5)

In another randomized study, researchers tested the job satisfaction levels, negative health impact, depression levels, and psychological distress of health care professionals.

To help these people unwind, the researchers enlisted some of them in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program.

At the end of the program, the researchers tested the health care professionals again.

The study has shown that after completing the meditation program, the health care professionals had lower stress levels, experienced an increase in their life quality, and they had more self-compassion. (7)

6. Meditation Makes You Feel Less Lonely

Meditation might seem like a solitary activity, but even so, it will help you feel less lonely.

When adults feel lonely, they present an increase in their pro-inflammatory genes which can lead to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality.

Luckily mindfulness meditation can help with that.

After following an 8-week study, people experienced a decrease in their lonely-related pro-inflammatory gene expression.

Moreover, the people who participated in the study actually felt less lonely compared with those in the control group. (8)

7. Meditation Makes You More Compassionate

Since mindfulness meditation is often recommended for alleviating negative emotional states, researchers wanted to find out if meditation can affect compassion as well.

To find out, they created a study and randomly selected 100 people.

All of them had to fill out forms that measured their compassion for others, self-compassion, and the compassion they receive from others.

60 people followed a 9-week compassion cultivation training program.

After the training program was over, both groups had to fill out forms that measured their compassion again.

Compared to the control group, the people who completed the course showed significant improvements in all three categories. (9)

8. Meditation Increases Your Emotional Intelligence And Social Connection

It doesn’t matter how tough or arrogant you wish to appear.

The need for social connection is one of the fundamental human motives, so being involved in society offers both mental and physical health benefits.

However, recent technological advancements changed the ways we interact with one another.

Experts consider that most of the social connections we’re involved in today might be shallow and that they might actually lower our social integration.

So researchers were curious to find out if our social connection could be increased by meditation.

Here’s what they found out:

People who practice just a few minutes of loving-kindness meditation experienced an increased feeling of social connection, and they were positively inclined towards new individuals than the individuals in a control group.

These results suggest that we could use meditation as a tool to increase our emotional intelligence and decrease the social isolation caused by technology-mediated socializing. (10)

9. Meditation Improves Your Ability To Introspect

Introspection is very important because it gives you an idea if your bodily sensations are determined by physical, psychological, or emotional aspects.

People who have good introspection skills can determine in time how their bodies react to certain changes in their social, professional, or physical environment, and they can learn how to control these reactions.

The ability to introspect and control your emotions can be very useful for people who activate in highly competitive fields, such as athletes or CEOs.

An athlete that can control his or her emotions before a race is more likely to succeed than one whose nerves are strained to the limit.

Mindfulness meditation can improve your introspection skills which can lead to both mental and physical benefits (11)

10. Meditation Improves The Way You Regulate Your Emotions

Emotion regulation is not a well-known term.

Emotion regulation basically represents your ability of influence when, how, and which emotions you express.

The problem with emotions is that they’re fickle.

One moment you’re happy, the next one you’re rash and impulsive.

Emotion regulation strategies can help you adapt your reactions based on the context and purpose.

Mindfulness meditation training programs can improve your emotional regulation.

Studies have shown that people who were involved in a 9-week meditation program were 40% less likely to express their feeling involuntarily.

This can be very helpful for people who have to be involved in face-to-face negotiations, poker players, as well as healthcare providers. (12)

11. Meditation Increases Your Brain’s Gray Matter

Not only will meditation make you feel better and communicate better with others, but it will also change the structure of your brain.

After examining MRI scans of 44 people, scientists found out that people who mediate presented significantly larger gray matter volumes in their right orbito-frontal cortex.

In addition to this, they noticed that the mediators were larger in the right hippocampus.

In plain English, the researchers discovered that the people who meditate have more gray matter in the parts of their brains that are more involved in emotional stability and mindful behavior.

How cool is that? (13)

12. Meditation Increases Your Attention And Concentration

Having problems concentrating is not necessarily a sign of ADD.

Millions of people lose their focus just because they’re too stressed out, tired, or overworked.

One of the interesting effects meditation has is improving your attention and concentration.

A recent study showed that after only a couple of weeks of meditation training, some people were able to increase their attention and concentration significantly.

Some people experienced a score increase of 16%, which is darn good for just two weeks of practice.

Since meditation often involves a strong focus on an object, activity, or idea, it’s not surprising that people who meditate are better at concentrating and have more brain power. (14)

13. Meditation Can Help With Overcoming Addiction

Multiple studies have shown that meditation can help with overcoming different addictions.

When you meditate, the areas in your brain that are responsible with self-control are activated, and even enhanced over time.

This can be very helpful for people recovering from addiction.

In a study, scientists split the participants into two groups.

One group benefited from a mindfulness meditation program, while the other from the American Freedom From Smoking (FFS) program, and pitted them against one another to see how they compare.

The results were clearly in favor of the group that meditated.

First of all, people in the meditation group were more likely to quit smoking by the end of the program.

Even at the 17-week follow-up examination, there were fewer people who relapsed in the meditation group than in the regular one.

One of the explanations proposed by the researchers is that meditation helps people separate the craving feeling from smoking, and it makes then aware that one doesn’t have to lead to the other. (15)

14. Meditation Can Improve Your Ability To Multitask

Multitasking is nowadays a necessity if you want to function at your best.

You have to navigate the narrow hallway to your office while checking and answering the CEO’s emails, and you can’t even eat without watching cute cat videos or chatting with your friends.

Since multitasking will probably be useful for the next few decades, it would be nice to be able to do it better, right?

Well, it seems like mindfulness meditation can help with that as well.

To test if this is true, scientists divided some people working in HR in three groups.

The first group received a mindfulness relaxation training for 8 weeks, the second one received body relaxation training for the same period of time, while the third was used as a control group.

The scientists tested all the people involved in the study before and after the training.

The test results were not significantly different.

However, scientists noticed that the people who had meditation training showed lower levels of stress during the test, and they had a better memory for the tasks involved.

They also switched from one task to another less frequently and remained focused on the task for a longer time. (16)

15. Meditation Improves Your Creative Abilities

Many people don’t really care about their creative abilities.

You will often hear people say they don’t need to be creative because they’re not working in a creative field such as art or design.

But that’s the wrong way to think about creativity.

Creativity is more than just being able to play the guitar or paint.

Creative people are often more successful because they have the ability to think outside the box.

Where other people follow the herd, creative people want to express their unique selves.

It’s said that people throughout history found spiritual enlightenment through meditation, and that might be true.

But the certain this is that after you start meditating, you will gain more freedom for thought, more freedom from the ticking clock, and more freedom from the outside world.

Maybe that’s what enlightenment is, after all.

16. Meditation Can Help Kids In School

Meditation is not only for adults.

You can get your children involved as well.

The results might surprise you.

Studies have shown that short meditation breaks can improve your children’s school performance.

School is a stressful period in every child’s life.

Even if you remember your school years fondly now, you might have been very stressed at the moment.

Children go to the most dramatic physical changes of their lives while they’re in school.

And on top of that, they have to get good grades and socialize with other people.

It can be pretty stressful, if you think about it.

However, teaching your kid about the power can be very helpful.

Short meditation breaks help kids do better at school, and they can also make them more sociable.  (18)

17. Meditation Makes You Wise

It’s very difficult to describe a wise person, or why that person is wise.

But meditation can help you reach a level of perspective you didn’t have before.

By observing and understanding your mind, you realize you don’t have to throw tantrums, get jealous or sad.

You can get in touch with yourself. Maybe that’s wisdom.

Think about meditation as a way to clean your mind.

You can get rid of all the junk and see things more clearly.

If you think about it, the quality of your mind dictates the quality of your life.

No matter what happens in the outside world, if your mind is alright, everything is alright.

Stress is the body’s way of reacting to a challenge, be it environmental or psychological.

In the human body, stress is controlled by the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

The HPA axis regulates the release of cortisol, a steroid hormone.

Cortisol increases the blood sugar, suppresses the immune system, and it helps the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and fats.

Stressful situations increase the amount of cortisol circulating in your blood, which can have long-lasting effects on your health.

To keep your cortisol levels in check, try avoiding these common stress triggers. (a)

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Poor Sleeping Habits

Whether you’re sleeping less than you should because you’re staying up late watching your favorite TV series, or you’re pulling an all-nighter with your friends, you’re raising your cortisol levels.

Not only that, but a night without sleep will also affect your cortisol levels throughout the following day, increasing them by up to 45%.

Humans really need to sleep at night. Maybe that’s why brunch is now a thing. (1)

2. Working Out Too Much

This might come as a surprise, especially for fitness enthusiasts, but working out too much is actually stressful.

Studies have shown that prolonged physical exercises increase your cortisol levels.

But how much is too much, really?

Well, the same study has shown that a short (about 1 hour) exercise with a high intensity level is better than a long (about 3 hours) exercise of medium intensity.

Not only will the latter increase your cortisol levels during the exercise, but it will keep them elevated during the day.

So if you’re going to exercise, keep it short and intense. (2)

3. Long Commutes

Remember that small apartment close to work you were going to rent before you found a larger one in the suburbs?

Well, you might have been better off renting the first one.

According to some studies, the longer the commute the higher the stress.

In fact, people with very long commutes are so stressed, they sometimes fail at simple tasks they would accomplish without any problems in other conditions. (3)

4. Nicotine

Doctors have been saying that smoking is bad for you for ages. Well, it seems like smoking affects you more than you think.

According to a study, nicotine will increase the levels of cortisol in your blood.

Smokers will inhale nicotine with every cigarette they smoke, so they will maintain an increased cortisol level throughout the day. (4)

5. Caffeine Abuse

Some people cannot function properly without drinking a cup of coffee in the morning.

Well, we have good and bad news for them.

The good news is that, as far as stress levels are concerned, drinking a cup (or even a mug) of coffee in the morning won’t affect your well being.

The bad news is that caffeine abuse will increase your cortisol levels, so you have to be careful not to drink too much coffee.

To avoid caffeine abuse, you should drink up to three mugs (250 ml) of coffee per day.

You shouldn’t drink more than 3 mugs, or your cortisol levels will be elevated for the rest of the day. (5)

6. Obesity

Obesity is currently affecting millions of people around the world, and it seems like this medical condition has more negative effects on your health than you previously thought.

Studies have shown that fatty tissue is initially used as an energy source during the body’s fight or flight response.

But that’s a double-edged sword.

After the stress that triggered the fight or flight response is over, your body is genetically used to refuel its energy supplies, so it will be able to face the next danger.

So your body will stock on resources and produce more fatty tissue. And the bad news is, fatty tissue helps with regenerating cortisol from cortisone.

The bottom line is, cortisol is closely linked to obesity.

High cortisol levels determine the accumulation of fatty tissue, and the fatty tissue encourages cortisol production from cortisone. (6)

7. Eating Too Much Salt

Salt’s main component is sodium chloride (NaCl).

A high intake of sodium can modify your cortisol secretion.

Test subjects had a controlled sodium intake for 10 days.

For the last 6 days of the experiment, the subjects received 8 times more salt than in the previous 4.

Their cortisol levels were significantly higher during this period. (7)

8. Pessimism

Being a pessimist not only makes you dull at parties, but it actually makes you more prone to chronic stress.

If you’re a pessimist, you keep sending disturbing signals to your amygdala, which reacts by increasing your cortisol levels.

So next time you see a glass of water, think of it as being half full. (8)

9. Low Magnesium Levels

Not having enough magnesium can lead to an increase in your cortisol levels.

Magnesium supplementation can lower the cortisol levels.

Luckily, you can find magnesium in many veggies and fruits, such as spinach, avocado, or bananas.

If these sources are too healthy for you, you’ll be glad to learn that even dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium. (9)

10. Being Disorganized

Being disorganized can have more consequences than forgetting where your car keys are.

According to study, your brain will release more cortisol when presented with a stressor than it would if you were organized.

In fact, if you’re a very organized person, you might find it easier to deal with the stressor so your brain won’t even release cortisol. (10)

11. Living In Fear

Whether you’re afraid of the little green men and you wear a tinfoil hat when shopping, or you’re afraid that you won’t have enough money to spend the New Year’s Eve in Vegas, you need to take it under control.

Living in fear, no matter what you’re afraid of, raises your cortisol levels.

The higher your fear perception, the higher your cortisol levels will be.

Fear can eventually lead to depression and other mental disorders. (11)

12. Being Discriminated

It doesn’t matter if you’re discriminated because you’re rich, poor, Asian, or Hispanic.

Being discriminated is highly stressful, and it’s bad for your health.

Studies have shown that discrimination can lead to an increase of your cortisol during the day, and it can disrupt your diurnal cortisol rhythm.

This rhythm is a biomarker of chronic stress, and its disruption can lead to various health problems.

If you’re being discriminated at work, you should consider changing your workplace for health reasons. (12)

13. Public Speaking

Your hands are sweating, your mouth is dry, and you can’t really focus on anything in particular.

Sounds familiar? Yes, you’re giving a speech.

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who’s bad at it.

Well, it looks like giving speeches is not for everybody, according to science.

People who have no experience with speaking in front of their peers experience a rise in their cortisol levels during and right after the speech. (13)

14. Getting Rejected

Every time you see that cute blonde across the hall, you think about asking her out.

Being rejected is the worst thing that could happen, right?

Well, no, according to science. Studies have shown that a rejection can lead to an increase in your cortisol levels.

The cortisol levels will remain elevated even after the rejection took place. (14)

15. Having Unrealistic Expectations

Expecting to win the local boxing championship without proper training may lead to more than a concussion.

Having unrealistic expectations can make you feel stressed because you feel like things are not going as well as they should.

This will raise your cortisol levels, and it can eventually lead to depression due to a lack of motivation. (15)

16. Multitasking

In today’s digital era, we are spending more and more time multitasking.

From checking your emails while cooking dinner to looking at the GPS while you are driving, our lives are defined by multiple activities we try to do at the same time.

Well, the bad news is, the human brain is not actually designed to work like that.

Switching your attention from one activity to another is stressful for your brain, and that will make it order the release of more cortisol in your body.

Once the cortisol is in your system, it actually causes a drop in your brain’s productivity. Ironic, right? (16)

17. Junk Food

Junk food is often considered “soul food” by many people. Even though junk food might improve your mood for a while, it can be dangerous for your health.

Apart from the junk food’s high amounts of calories, fats, and sugar, it seems like low-quality food can lead to an increase in cortisol as well.

When compared with eating high-quality food, consuming junk food will raise your glucose and cortisol levels significantly.

So next time you visit your favorite junk food vendor, do yourself a favor and order a salad. (17)

18. Working Too Much

Despite what you may believe, you are not defined by your job.

Well, maybe your work influences the way you think and act, but overworking will influence your health.

People who work too much have higher cortisol levels.

This might eventually lead to the development of other health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, reduced immune function, diabetes, and cognitive impairment.

Remember, you should work smart, not hard. (18)

19. Bad Relationships

Have you ever heard people say that it’s better to end a bad relationship than dwell in it?

Well, they might be right, according to science.

If you feel you’re not appreciated and you hear someone say hurtful things, your cortisol levels will rise.

So next time someone you’re seeing isn’t nice to you, kick them to the curve. (19)

20. Having A Bad Boss

Having a long day at work is tiresome enough, but when you have to spend a whole day working for an unfair boss, things get even worse.

A study has shown that people prefer working more and for a longer time than working for a bad boss.

Working for someone who treats you unfairly can increase your cortisol levels, and it can potentially lead to depression. (20)

21. Increased Financial Obligations

People are used to making and spending money in certain ways.

They follow a pattern, sometimes for a short time, sometimes for decades.

But when the pattern changes quickly, their cortisol levels spike and their decision-making capabilities are impaired.

When people experience a financial crisis, they no longer have a clear view of their economic status.

This can lead to a further increase in cortisol levels, and to a state of psychological uncertainty and anxiety. (21)

22. Excessive Dieting

You’re definitely familiar with this one.

Summer is coming, you want to shed some fat to let everyone on the beach admire your 6-pack, so you start dieting.

You cut a huge amount of calories from your diet, and when you get on the scale, surprise, surprise.

Instead of losing 5 pounds in a week, you lost 5 days dieting without success.

Well, we have news for you. It’s not your fault, it’s your diet’s.

Having a calorie intake below 1,200 calories daily produces a spike in your cortisol levels, making it more difficult to lose weight.

Not to mention you won’t be able to build any lean body mass with that intake. (22)

23. Low Vitamin A Levels

Vitamin A is very important for good vision, maintaining a healthy immune system, and it also influences growth and development rates in teens.

However, vitamin A is also involved in your body’s reaction to stress, and not having enough will determine an increase in your cortisol levels.

Luckily, there are plenty of foods you can eat to make sure your vitamin A levels are normal, such as spinach, cheddar cheese, eggs, carrots, broccoli, or milk. (23)

24. Low Zinc Levels

Zinc is one of the essential trace elements in humans, and it’s used by almost 100 different enzymes.

Not having enough Zinc in your body can lead to serious health issues, including a rise in your cortisol levels.

To make sure you consume enough Zinc, you should eat almonds, nuts, sunflower seeds, celery, or beans. (24)

25. Being In Pain

Whether you hurt your pinky walking around the house and you were too lazy to see a doctor, or you’re recovering from a medical procedure, being in pain is stressful for your body.

When you experience chronic pain, your body produces more cortisol as a reaction to the stress. (25)

26. Noise

It doesn’t really matter if it’s low, medium, or loud, noise is stressful.

If you’re exposed to a constant source of noise, your body will start to perceive it as a stress factor, and it will start to release more cortisol. (26)

27. Extreme Temperatures

Being exposed to extreme temperatures for a long time can lead to an increase in your cortisol levels.

People who are not acclimatized to certain temperatures, hot or cold, will have a lower threshold than those who are acclimatized. (27)

28. Mercury Consumption

You might be wondering who would voluntarily consume mercury.

Well, nobody would, but people still present high mercury levels from time to time.

The primary source of mercury in humans is fish meat.

People who consume a lot of fish can present higher mercury levels, which can, in turn, lead to an increase in your cortisol levels. (28)

29. High Altitudes

Reaching high altitudes can be very fun, and it can also make you more popular on social media.

But your body might consider spending time at high altitudes stressful.

When you reach high altitudes, the amount of oxygen in the air is lower than usual, so your body has trouble breathing.

This condition is called high-altitude hypoxia, and your body releases more cortisol to fight against it. (29)

30. Having A Low Self-Esteem

Having a low self-esteem is not only bad for your social life, but it might actually be dangerous to your physical health.

People who have a low self-esteem show a spike in their cortisol levels when they have to complete a simple task in front of other people.

So, go on a diet to shed some weight, buy some weights to build some muscle, and improve your self-esteem. (30)

31. Colds

Having a viral or bacterial infection is very stressful for your body.

Not only does it have to consume precious resources to fight the pathogen, but it often has to do it while you’re running to catch the bus to work or driving the kids to school.

The amount of cortisol released during an infection actually shapes the immune response, and it is essential to the development of the disease. (31)

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an essential role in the brain’s reward-motivated behavior.

Dopamine is also involved in the brain’s evaluation, decision making, and problem-solving functions, in the body’s motor control, and it regulates the secretion of prolactin.

Since dopamine influences how your brain behaves, it’s safe to say that ensuring you have a good dopamine level should be very important for everybody.

Low dopamine levels can lead to health issues such as sadness, depression, and other emotional problems. (a)

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to naturally increase your dopamine levels.

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Exercise

Exercising can increase your dopamine levels. You don’t have to spend hours on the treadmill every day, you just have to exercise on a regular basis.

Countless studies have shown the power of exercise to stimulate the release of endorphins. (1)

2. Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation can drastically affect your dopamine levels. People experience changes in their dopamine D2 receptors after losing a night of sleep.

These changes can make you feel cold or hot, and they can make you unable to pay attention. To avoid this situation, make sure you rest properly each night. (2)

3. Spend Time Outside

Spending time outside in the sun can increase your dopamine levels and make you happier.

People who spend at least 10 minutes in bright light exposure experience a blood flow increase in their dopamine-rich areas of the brain. (3)

4. Listen To Good Music

You might e familiar with the chills you get when listening to a familiar song. Well, studies have shown that those chills are associated with an increase in your dopamine secretion.

When the piece of music you’re listening to meets your prediction, your body releases more dopamine into your brain.

So listening to music is not enough, you have to listen to music you actually like to increase your dopamine production. (4)

5. Meditate

Meditation is often mocked or disregarded, but its effects on the human brain are backed by studies. During a mediation session of Yoga Nidra, scientists discovered that the dopamine release was increased by up to 65%.

More studies are needed to find out exactly what role dopamine plays during meditation, and how it interacts with other neurotransmitters in that state. (5)

6. Eat Bananas

This might come off as a surprise, but bananas are a very good source of dopamine. A normal banana can contain 2.5 – 10 mg of dopamine in the pulp.

Surprisingly, even the peel contains a high amount of dopamine. 100g of banana peel contains 80 – 560 mg of dopamine. (6)

7. Avoid Saturated Fats

Saturated fats have been associated with metabolic problems for decades. They represent one of the most significant causes of obesity, and now they’ve been linked with behavior problems as well.

A study has revealed that saturated fats suppress dopamine’s effect by diminishing its D1 receptor signaling power. On the other hand, monounsaturated fat (found in olive oil) protects against the suppression (7)

8. Eat Seafood

Seafood is very rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, which can affect the release of dopamine in the brain. A seafood diet will increase the amount of dopamine released, and it can also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. (8)

9. Consume Fish Oil Supplements

You don’t like eating seafood, or you think following a seafood diet would be too expensive in your area? Well, you can always consume fish oil supplements.

These supplements contain the same active ingredient as the seafood, the Omega-3 fatty acid. (9)

10. Drink Coffee

Coffee is an important source of caffeine, a stimulant of the central nervous system. Besides having a stimulating effect, caffeine can also influence the dopaminergic system.

Caffeine can maintain a higher concentration of dopamine in the brain areas linked to attention, increasing your focus and vigilance. However, you should moderate your coffee consumption. (10)

11. Drink Green Tea

Green tea is another important source of caffeine, but it also contains flavonoids which can enhance caffeine’s effects. Drinking green tea is can lower your anxiety levels and increase your dopamine production. (11)

12. Increase Your Protein Intake

Protein-containing foods are a valuable source of Tyrosine. Tyrosine is a large amino acid that’s the precursor of dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.

Increasing your protein intake will, in turn, increase your tyrosine intake, which will be transformed into dopamine after it’s processed. (12)

13. Eat Your Veggies

Remember when your mom told you to eat your veggies as a child? Well, it turns out, she was right. Veggies are an important source of Magnesium.

Magnesium deficiency can decrease your dopamine levels, leading to mood swings, negativity, or anxiety.

Experts estimate that almost half of the adults living in the US have a magnesium deficiency, so you better eat your veggies. (13)

14. Enjoy A Massage

It seems like massages do have a happy ending, after all. A study has shown that massage therapy increased dopamine levels significantly in both men and women.

The study revealed that the subjects experienced a 31% increase in dopamine levels. So next time you pass a massage parlor, you’ll have a scientific reason to indulge. (14)

15. Enjoy Physical Contact

Remember how happy you were playing tag when you were a child? Well, it seems like there was more to that game than people previously thought.

Studies have shown that pleasurable physical contact can increase the dopamine release. It also seems like tickling will further increase the dopamine levels, so make sure you tickle someone this week. (15)

16. Consume Ginkgo Biloba

You surely heard about Ginkgo Biloba by now. Only listing the beneficial effects Ginkgo can have on the human body might take up the rest of the article, but do not fret, we’re only going to explain how it can influence the dopamine.

Well, studies have shown that not only does Ginkgo consumption raise the dopamine level in your body by up to 159% after a 14-day diet, but it also increases the amount of dopamine stored in your frontocortical lobe, increasing your cognitive function and thus, your productivity. (16)

17. Mow Your Lawn

Some people enjoy mowing their lawn, while others hate it. Well, whether you like it or not, mowing your lawn might actually improve more than your front yard’s appearance.

Studies have shown that hexanal, the green odor compound released when grass is cut, will stimulate the release of dopamine.

It seems like smelling the fresh cut grass is better for you than you thought, so you shouldn’t complain next time you have to mow the lawn. (17)

18. Consume Huperzine-A

Huperzine-A is a is a compound found in firmoss that’s been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. This compound can increase the dopamine levels by up to 153% when consumed regularly.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to eat the firmoss or visit a Chinese medicine man to get Hup-A, you can find it in various supplements. (18)

19. Eat Avocados

Are you a fan of guacamole? Well, you should be. Avocados are a great source of tyrosine, one of the amino acids that are transformed into dopamine.

You don’t have to eat your guacamole with chips, which are full of saturated fats that lower the dopamine levels.

You can also eat it with sushi, veggies, or eggs. You can even eat your avocados raw. Nobody will judge you, science has your back. (19)

20. Consume Red Sage

Red sage, also known as danshen or tan shen, is another ingredient used in Chinese traditional medicine.

This herb was traditionally used in vascular circulation therapies, but studies have shown that it can also stimulate the dopamine release in your body.

Red sage supplements come in various forms. You can find capsules, liquid extracts, and you can even find complex supplements containing this ingredient. (20)

21. Eat Your Greens

Green vegetables are a good source of folate. Folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, is one of the B vitamins you should consume daily.

Scientists found out that depressed individuals show low folate levels.

After supplementing their diet with folic acid, their dopamine levels increased, and their antidepressants had a better response. So once again, your mother was right. You should eat your greens. (21)

22. Consume Shilajit

Shilajit is a nutrient found in the Himalayas, and it’s one of the ingredients used in traditional Indian medicine.

A study has shown that after consuming shilajit regularly for at least 21 days, the nutrient increases the amount of dopamine stored in your brain.

This will increase your focus and reduce your anxiety levels. And the best part is, you won’t have to gather the nutrient yourself, you can find it in different supplements. (22)

23. Consume Ginseng

Ginseng is a herbal plant that’s been used in Eastern medicine for hundreds or thousands of years. This plant has many beneficial effects, and it can also increase your dopamine production.

Ginseng can increase the levels of dopamine in the brain, leading to a better cognitive processing, better attention, and auditory reaction time.

However, ginseng can also block the dopamine release if it’s combined with other stimulants, such as nicotine and amphetamines. (23)

24. Eat Nuts

Nuts are very rich in protein, and they’re also an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. They contain tyrosine which is transformed in dopamine, and they will also protect against dopamine suppression.

The great thing is that almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and pistachio can make a delicious snack. (24)

25. Get A Cold Shower

Cold showers can be really uncomfortable, especially during the winter, but they can also be very helpful. A study has revealed that immersing yourself in hot and cold water can produce different physiological answers.

When the subjects were immersed in warm water (32 degrees C) their heart rate slowed and their cortisol levels dropped.

But when they were immersed in cold water (14 degrees C) their metabolic rates increased by 350% and their dopamine concentration increased by 250%. So once in a while, get a cold one. (25)

26. Eat Chocolate

Remember how happy you were when you received a chocolate as a child? Well, studies have shown that the happiness might actually be the result of a physiological response.

Chocolate, dark chocolate especially, contains a compound called phenylethylamine.

This compound stimulates your brain cells to release more dopamine. The resulting effect might be happiness. No, you shouldn’t eat a whole bar of chocolate to get the results, a single cube or two would suffice. (26)

27. Lift Weights

Do you even lift, bro? Well, maybe you should. As fitness enthusiasts will gladly tell anyone within earshot, they feel better after they lift.

Besides the positive psychological effect of getting stronger, lifting weights will also increase your dopamine concentration levels.

An extensive study suggests that skilled exercise is better at releasing dopamine than aerobic exercise. (27)

28. Be Organized

This is one of the easiest ways to increase your dopamine levels. Dopamine is released when your brain feels the need to reward you for something.

However, you don’t have to be rewarded only when you win a competition, receive a good grade at school, or when you meet a deadline.

Your brain will reward you for every simple task you accomplish. So you can trick your brain into releasing more dopamine by setting multiple tasks for each day, no matter how small. So, you’ll have to make a list.

You have to take the children to school? Check. Take out the trash? Check. And so on. Your brain will be happy that you’re so productive, and it will reward you by releasing dopamine. This brain boost is really cool, right? (28)

29. Eat Oregano

You probably ate oregano until now, even if you might not be aware of it. Some pizzerias use oregano for their tomato sauce and some even put some in the pizza dough.

Oregano is an aromatic herb, and you can find it in every supermarket. This herb decreases the dopamine break down in the body. So it actually increases dopamine levels by not allowing it to break down. Smart (29)

30. Eat Fibers

Fibrous fruit and vegetables are an important source of butyrate. Also known as butanoate, butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid essential for your gut’s health.

You can find this compound in apples, pears, raspberries, and beans of all sort. A recent study has shown that butyrate also plays a role in increasing the dopamine levels in your brain.

So it turns out that an apple a day really keeps the doc away. (30)

31. Run

Run, Forrest, run! No really, you should run, even if your name is not Forrest. Aerobic exercise increases your dopamine levels.

Besides that, exercising can lead to a loss of weight, leading in turn to an increase in self-confidence. Increased self-confidence and positivity can also increase your dopamine levels. Double win, right? (31)

32. Take Creatine Supplements

Creatine is an organic acid that occurs naturally in your body. This compound plays an essential role in ensuring your cells have enough energy throughout the day.

Creatine is produced in your kidneys and liver, but you can also take creatine supplements to increase the amount available for your body.

Creatine is usually supplemented by fitness enthusiasts because it helps their muscles grow. A study has shown that creatine can also increase the dopamine levels after a training session, and it helps to keep them stable. (32)

33. Maintain A Calorie Deficit

Maintaining a calorie deficit might not be ideal for people who want to gain weight, but it will help people who try to lose some. However, a calorie deficit will also increase your dopamine levels.

When the brain notices you’re hungry and not getting enough calories, it releases dopamine to motivate you to find food. The motivation can also be helpful when you engage in other activities, besides gathering food, that is. (33)

34. Take Some Risks

Dopamine is associated with your brain’s risk-taking behavior. In fact, taking risks and dopamine levels are interconnected. When you take risks, your dopamine levels rise, and dopamine makes you more prone to take risks.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to risk all your money in Vegas. You only have to take small calculated risks regularly. (34)