Neuroscientist Explains: WORST vs BEST Dopamine Habits（原声文稿）

Last night you might have reached for something. Your phone, a drink, maybe. something even worse. You didn't necessarily decide to.

Your hand was likely moving way before you consciously even noticed. That's dopamine.

Most people think it's the good feeling you get at the end of an action. It isn't.

It's actually the chemical that makes you reach for something in the first place.

So in this video we're going to be ranking the worst dopamine all the way to the best.

dopamine so that you don't lose another evening without noticing.

And if you're new here, I'm TJ, I'm a neuroscientist running a research lab, and.

all we talk about on this channel is building healthier, happier brains for the. modern age.

And we're actually gonna be doing this immediately today by giving you a simple.

brain experiment that you'll love. Let's start with the worst. I also wanna quickly. preface here.

what I'm about to share comes from both thousands of hours of neuroscientific.

research, but also from a deep personal experience with addiction myself.

Nothing I'm about to share is about judgement in any way. Everything is simply. about honesty and the neuroscience.

If pleasure is earned through effort, it's healthy dopamine. If pleasure is given.

easily with no effort, it's unhealthy dopamine.

Healthy dopamine is effectively slow dopamine and unhealthy dopamine is. effectively fast dopamine.

So, of the 14 that I'm ranking here, number one, the worst dopamine on the list. is cocaine.

The normalization of cocaine over the last 10 years has been massive and the.

destruction to your dopamine production, your sleep and your life is huge.

You see studies show that cocaine can 2 .5 times your dopamine levels and achieve. that increase within 9 minutes.

Because of what I shared before about fast dopamine.

this means your dopamine production in your brain skyrockets immensely quickly.

and the challenge is the brain is always looking for healthy balance it's always.

looking for what's called homeostasis so if something goes up quickly it has to.

come down quickly and that's why after nine minutes dopamine crashes rapidly and.

this then causes a deeply anxious and low and worried and stressed feeling within.

the brain and body which then could cause someone to seek for more of that drug.

where I grew up right near London and cocaine was massive.

And it's something that I wish the world was talking about.

It's like this secret thing that so many people are so subtly addicted to, and it's.

causing the most immense destruction to the dopamine.

Next up, rank number two, I'm selecting watching pornography. I watched porn from. way too young and it honestly broke my brain.

When I went deep into the research on this a number of years ago, I decided to stop. watching porn, which was hard, like as embarrassing as it is.

I grew up as a young guy watching pornography like everyone that I knew and.

then eventually I thought wow if my dopamine is this chemical that's so. important to my vibrancy.

my motivation, my excitement for life, my ability to focus on my goals.

my ability to focus on the people I love I was like wow this pornography thing has.

got to go and it was hard to quit but the impact of quitting on my motivation I just.

like desire to attack life and wake up every day and want to do stuff with my.

time that builds me and my family a better life was phenomenal.

The subtlety of the pornography just burning through our dopamine is so immense.

and the shift away from it and even if you're going to engage with the behavior.

just simply not having pornography accompany the behavior is so much better. for your dopamine.

The behavior itself without pornography is actually a much slower process and as we.

learned at the beginning slow dopamine is much better for the brain then rapidly. stimulating it on that pornography feed.

Up number three, we're going binging alcohol. Alcohol is easily the most.

normalized of all the drugs. One that when abused just shatters your dopamine.

Research shows that alcohol can two times your dopamine levels and do that within 15.

minutes, not quite as fast and as high as the cocaine, but pretty, pretty close.

Which then again causes this big crash. This is called phasic and tonic dopamine. spiking.

and these big waves of dopamine, really high, really low, really high, really low.

These are so difficult for the brain to manage. I struggled a lot with alcohol. myself.

I started drinking alcohol very young and there's of course a social aspect of.

alcohol and there could be a case to be argued out of human connection achieved in. social environments.

But I do believe that all humans could benefit greatly from just doing a test of.

not having alcohol for a period of time and discovering the honest truth of its. impact on your life.

how you feel each day, the amount of arguments you have with your partner, the.

amount of arguments you have with your friends, the amount of frustration you. feel for me.

The central thing I noticed when I stopped drinking alcohol and had a big break from. it was I felt less anger in my system.

Like there was just like this constant irritable tension in me without the booze.

it seemed to fade. After binging alcohol, we're going gambling and betting.

Gambling and research has been shown to be similar to drugs in causing homelessness. which is heartbreaking.

and gambling is actually deeply addictive because of something called expectation. versus reality.

Whenever your brain is about to experience anything, your brain sets a pre.

-expectation. With gambling, you may put an amount of money into a certain goal. and then you suddenly.

your dopamine is on the ride, and it's like, you might win big, and you might.

suddenly feel amazing, this is why it's so addictive, but also you might lose.

And this big, oh, I'm expecting to do really well, and then the reality is way. below the expectation because it's actually losing loads of money.

that big crash of dopamine creates deep depression in the brain that's what.

depression largely actually is from a neurochemical point of view it's very very.

low dopamine levels which gets you to a point which i've been in where you have no.

drive no motivation for anything at all so you just can't be both in the shower cook.

food do work see people you just then you scroll all day that state is so closely.

connected to this massive gap in the expectation of what you hoped would happen. and the reality that can occur when gambling.

This as a side note is actually why social media is creating so much depression in.

our brains because it's creating too high of an expectation for our lives and then.

the reality might not be quite meeting it even though the reality might be pretty.

good and we're experiencing that gap that deficit and not as exciting as the social. media may have convinced us it should be.

Okay next up so we're going late night revenge scrolling.

Have you ever had that point where you think I've had such a hard day maybe with.

your kids maybe with work you think this is me time this is my time that I get to.

myself where I'm gonna sit and I'm gonna nail my phone and when my instinct tells.

me go to bed you need rest I'm gonna say shut up instinct I need to scroll I.

deserve this this is called revenge bedtime procrastination or revenge bedtime.

scrolling this is a big one because the sleep is so restorative to our dopamine it.

helps reset the entire brain so that you wake up with vibrancy and motivation and. burning our dopamine to pieces in bed.

which you might even be doing right now. And I understand, like I did the exact.

same thing for like a decade before the neuroscience gave me enough motivation to. change.

I could form an argument that this doom scrolling is actually worse than all the. previous ones because of its insidious nature, its subtlety.

the way in which it just creeps into all aspects of our life and dulls our.

experience by burning through this dopamine resource and distracting us and. exhausting us.

After the revenge bedtime scrolling, I'm going pointless phone checks. How many of. those do we do a day?

you know on average humans now check their phone 205 times a day 205 and I probably.

have contributed globally to about half of that and I've had to go on a big journey.

of like do I actually need to check my phone right now even as you watch this.

right now you can feel that pull to like the comment section towards maybe closing.

this and checking WhatsApp towards your email whilst you listen it's like this.

constant surge if I need more dope man I need more this dude on YouTube he's not.

delivering me enough quick enough I need more of this resource more of dopamine.

Those pointless phone checks leave us in a hamster wheel of phone addiction and there.

are many ways out which I'm going to share. After that I'm going eating ultra. processed foods.

The nutritionists watching I'm sure you'd be ranking this very very high. Ultra.

processed foods can create this massive artificial increase in dopamine.

That's why they're so addictive. That's why when you nail the sugary snacky.

artificial super palatable foods you want to eat tons of them.

Interestingly in the neuroscience one of the challenges is the artificial nature of.

ultra process foods actually affects our gut lining and did you know your dopamine.

and serotonin is actually partially produced within your gut lining and when.

you get leaky gut which is like tiny microscopic holes in your gut and your gut.

doesn't function as well like it needs to be this sort of tight plastic bag in there.

holding all the nutrients in there so it can function well if you put tiny holes.

all over your gut and you start seeping it out and then you get leaky gut those.

neurochemicals aren't going to produce as well I of course like eating old processed.

foods like every human like they create this big dough for me spiking my brain but.

what I like even more than that feeling is these neurochemicals functioning as well.

as they possibly can and the final one on the worst list is getting angry at.

strangers on the internet this is something that platforms are intentionally.

designing into their algorithms to just harness engagement and watch time.

interestingly when you experience this tribal nature of division online you.

actually get an activation of something called vasopressin which is a hormone. connected to oxytocin and love and connection.

but more of like a defensive tribal version.

And it pairs with dopamine because you're getting this like novelty and stimulation.

and then you get cortisol which is a stress hormone and you get this cascade of.

neurochemicals like I feel so annoyed at this person which has a different opinion.

to me because they've been programmed by a different feed than I have. I understand it.

Maybe your opinion is completely right on things and maybe other people's opinion is.

wrong but we have to become so much more aware that we're all just being programmed.

by a specific feed and these feeds intentionally show us loads of what we.

believe and then occasionally something ridiculous on the other side of what we.

believe to really reaffirm definitely believing what we believe and then we get.

all angry and raging and holding anger is not a good emotion for our brain and it's.

a very addictive place to get to where you're getting into these defensive tribal. type debates on the internet.

Okay so I'm going to start the best list with one of the most important skills we.

develop at our research lab and now with all of you guys we're developing on this. channel which is embracing boredom and destimulating.

Step one when people come into our research I mean you literally feel like.

this itched through your body for dopamine if you're a hyper stimulated person like I.

was and learning to just be like I'm gonna settle with this and it is hard at first.

but it's the first step it's the first domino that needs to fall for your.

dopamine pathway to completely rebuild itself into a much more motivated and. healthy brain.

After that, I'm going reading fiction and non -fiction books. Reading is the. definition of slow dopamine.

You have to read line after line, page after page, and then eventually you think.

oh, this is actually pretty satisfying. Like, I'm really happy that I did that. activity.

And that question in itself is the perfect way to know whether something is healthy. or unhealthy, is what does your instinct say after the action?

For me, when I do some revenge bedtime procrastination doom -scrolling my phone.

My instinct says, why did you do that mate? Why did you keep scrolling your. phone when you needed sleep?

And I get this very clear message from my brain saying please may you do that less.

When I read a book, whether it's non -fiction and it's sort of education in.

some way or fiction, fiction is an amazing source of dopamine in the modern world.

I read Dan Brown's new book recently, which is all about neuroscience actually. The Secret of Secrets, which I loved. It was so entertaining.

I actually read it out loud to my partner while we sit in bed, and it was just like. the most magical connecting fun experience.

Every night we read it, I'd get this deep sense of happiness and satisfaction. And.

that means my brain is saying, do more of this thing, this thing's going to make you. healthier and happier.

After that, on the best of me, we're going swimming in cold rivers or oceans.

The only thing that's been found in research in this study to match that 2 .5.

times increase that we saw in cocaine earlier has been cold water immersion.

rather than with the cocaine nine minutes by crash complete dopamine destruction and.

addiction they've seen that this increase sustains for two hours and if you think.

about the function of dopamine it helps you do hard things it gets you motivated.

against you excited it helps you sustain your attention right now you're having to.

try and sustain your attention I'm sure you're feeling that battle for the quick.

dopamine while watching this longer -form content dopamine creates the desire to do.

those things so if we can get cold water onto our body more often as our early.

hunter -gatherer ancestors did all the time then it's going to help to rebuild. this chemical because cold water is hard.

Now you might be thinking I'm probably not going to be swimming in cold rivers and. oceans very regularly and for me I think this is actually quite annoying.

information because I hate cold water hitting my body I'm much more of a warm. shower warm bath kind of person.

All I do is in the morning when I need motivation when I think I'm a bit.

lethargic and I've got some important goals today I turn it quite cold not so.

cold that you think I hate that random British dude that made that video about. cold water.

But just cold enough that you think, oh, that's a bit cold. She's gonna stand in. here and take some deep breaths.

I'm gonna remind myself that my ancestors survived living as hunter -gatherers for.

300 ,000 years and I can deal with this brief moment of discomfort and pain.

And that brief moment of discomfort and pain is gonna build the dopamine for your.

day ahead. After the cold water, I'm selecting completing challenging workouts.

Working out is just magic for your body. Humans are a very physical being trapped.

in a completely sedentary world. And this might be different to say personal. trainers.

I'm definitely not one of those, is to do a short workout every day when you wake. up, but make the minimum requirement two minutes.

And this is a very different method, but this is more based on my neuroscience of.

habit formation than what would be the best sort of atrophy muscle building. process.

But what I find is if I have a non -negotiable rule that every day when I.

wait, I have to go into my garage and I just have to do a few press ups.

And I only make that the requirement a few press -ups or a few squats or maybe I'll.

do five pull -up and then on the days that I've got more in me I'll keep going and.

I'll do maybe five minutes I'll do maybe eight minutes 10 minutes the other day I.

did this viral Tom Holland workout which was actually exceptionally difficult I do.

a crossfit workout called Sydney it's five pull -ups 10 push -ups 15 squats as many.

times as you can in 20 minutes well that's pretty proud I got 15 rounds apparently he.

got 27 so I'm no Tom Holland but the point here is waking up and having a non.

-negotiable little bit of challenging workout is going to be so good for.

training your brain towards doing something hard first thing in the morning.

and if you make it very easy to get yourself to do it then you're more likely.

to do it more consistently and consistency is what builds a healthy brain.

After that and it's interesting that I'd pick this better than all the things I.

just shared is cleaning your home first thing in the morning.

This one I discovered actually when my partner had our daughter she was lying in.

bed in the morning with her and every morning I'd wake up and I'd get the. kitchen really organized and prepare the food and stuff.

I was just trying to be a good dad and begin my journey of contributing to them.

both and every morning I was waking up and I was I'd empty the dishwasher and I'd.

make sure the surfaces were clean so it was like a nice environment for us to live.

in and I started noticing like wow this is building a lot of dopamine then I started.

looking into research and whenever you're doing the cleaning builds dopamine and.

what I found is if you just wake up in the morning and you maybe have this little.

goal where you have okay I have to do a two -minute workout minimum and then after.

that you go to your kitchen and you do something really simple like I'm just.

going to empty the dishwasher that's it or I'm going to wipe down the kitchen.

surfaces or maybe there's some stuff drying on the rack you're going to put it.

in the cupboard but what you'll notice is if you do this stuff in your first five to.

ten minutes are waking you're going to build this nice slow healthy dopamine and.

the most important thing is wherever your brain gets dopamine first thing in the.

morning it's going to crave that thing all day so if it gets it from hard work from. the quick workout and unloading the dishwasher.

you're gonna crave hard work. If it gets it from the doomscroll, you're gonna be. stuck in that place that I was for years and years as well.

Three more to go, we're getting close to the best dopamine thing I think you could.

possibly do. Our next one is walking in forests without technology.

This is so hard for me to not rank as the best but I know on the research the other. one is the best.

But when you're out there in the nature and you're embracing the boredom and.

you're destimulating and you're walking and you're putting in effort and you're.

not checking your messages and you're not looking at your email and you're just.

managing the like oh but I'm away from my phone and you learn to become comfortable. with that fear.

The reason I believe this one is so huge for your life is out there in the forest.

without my phone is where I actually met the truth of my reality about all the. addictive behaviors I just shared.

I had honest conversations with myself about my alcohol addiction, substance. addictions, food addictions.

scrolling addictions and out there whilst it was very hard it was like having the.

most magical honest conversation with myself over many months and those.

conversations is what led to massive change in my life if you live in a state.

of distraction for your whole existence nothing is ever gonna change in five years.

from now life will be out there is where you hear the truth of how you're living.

your life and whilst it might be painful that pain may lead to the greatest freedom. you could ever imagine.

Second best we've got contributing to other humans through effort.

Acts of service is what our deep primal brains are programmed to do.

We are designed to operate as a group in a tribe and make sure the tribe survives. anytime in which you help anyone.

Your neighbour asks for some help, you have to carry something for someone, you.

have to go see someone to give them support, you have to meet a loved one. because they're going through something.

you make someone dinner and take it to their house because they've just had an.

operation, anything that contributes to another human lives at the center of what. our neurochemistry is designed to do.

And again, coming back to this rule, observe how happy and satisfied you feel.

after the act of contribution. And then you'll know just how unbelievably. important it is.

And finally, based on this research, the best dopamine -specific action we have is. mastering a skill.

Mastering a skill lives at the center of why dopamine even evolved in the human. brain.

Don't mean evolved to keep us alive, to get us to do hard things that would help. us and our group stay alive.

Those hard things for hundreds of thousands of years were making fires.

hunting for food, looking for berries, building shelters, making tools.

and everyone in that tribe had to master specific skills that would enable them to. contribute to that group.

The mastery of the skill itself gives you purpose, it gives you development.

Neuroplasticity occurs in your brain where your brain literally rewires as it builds. more and more dopamine in a healthy natural way.

You get more and more motivated. You get more and more satisfied by your existence.

if you feel like you're getting better at something and that could be anything. It. could be something in your work.

It could be you've started learning to play guitar. Loads of people in the. comments on recent videos have said they're really into musical instruments. It could be you've started knitting.

It could be you've started wanting to make videos. It could be you're learning to. dance or sing.

I actually am currently trying to learn to sing and I love it the process of thinking. can I actually master this skill.

It's effort, it's slow dopamine, progress doesn't happen rapidly and that's what the. brain actually is built to experience.

Now as you know especially if you're a subscriber of this channel I always give.

you a weekly experiment to support building your healthier brain.

This week I want us to all collectively focus on that number one and dopamine. behavior. Skill mastery.

If you take a moment, like after this video, maybe make this your last YouTube.

video in this session and think what is the skill I most want to master right now?

And this is the whole point of my channel. It's not about just feeding you content.

It's about you watching this and genuinely experiencing change in your life. So what. is that skill?

Is it in sport? Is it something to do with nature? Is it something to do with music?

Is it something to do with your career? Is it something to do with your parenting? Whatever the skill may be.

And this week, your whole objective is to make time for it and focus on it and. sacrifice the scrolling for it.

You could do it first thing in the morning when you wake, you could use it as your. new form of relaxation.

but you will feel so deeply satisfied this week if you feel like you've got 1 %.

better at that skill that your instinct is telling you right now that you would love. to develop.

Remember, you now have the rule. Healthy Dove Mean comes from earning pleasure. So.

the question to ask yourself is how could you work for your dopamine this week?

How could you earn your dopamine instead of accessing it for free all the time on. your phone? Your brain hunts for dopamine.

It wants it and if you don't give it the dopamine in the phone it's gonna have an.

abundance of this resource to try and locate it somewhere else and it's gonna.

locate it in the acquisition of that skill that you want to master.

I'd love you to let me know in the comments what skill you're gonna focus on.

For many of us that may be unsure, it'd be really inspiring for our awesome community. here to be able to get ideas from one another.

And here's the list of worst to best Ophmine if you want to save it so you can.

think about it later or if you want to chat to anyone else about it.

Thank you so much for your time and I'll see you next week for your next brain. experiment.