It’s not you, it’s your receptors

Nood.

Wellness is the new dope

There are over a hundred neurotransmitters (most of which we’ve never heard of) doing their thing in our brains. The two famous neurotransmitters you most certainly have heard of – dopamine and serotonin – are familiar to us in part because they have a lot to do with pleasure.
Dopamine, the so-called “pleasure chemical,” is a valuable part of our brain’s reward system. It’s essentially a reinforcement tool that keeps us coming back to the things that feel good—sex, chocolate, coffee, and online shopping. While feeling good is (obviously) all fine and good. The dark side of consistent, intense dopamine rushes is that they get us hooked on that feel-good feeling, even when it comes from not-so-great sources.
On the flip side, serotonin is best known for boosting mood and keeping you emotionally stable—think rose-colored glasses and a good cuddle sesh.
Research suggests that low serotonin levels can ramp up dopamine production, leading to impulsive behaviors and the craving for instant gratification. When serotonin rises in accordance with dopamine levels, it increases that euphoric feeling and keeps you seeking out substances, social media, going out, or whatever your guilty pleasure may be.

And after a while, those bouts of pleasure aren’t the same. Take the immediate joy from discovering the perfect interior design inspo to hours of doom scrolling. To keep you in control of your happiness, ya gotta give your receptors a break from instant stimulation and release every once in a while. The mental reset ideas below will help you through those melancholic times and support healthy serotonin and dopamine levels. Here’s to happy days.

Read

When you’re tempted to binge Love Island or find yourself getting mindlessly pulled toward Instagram, reach for a book instead. Reading still counts as entertainment (the entire romance genre is proof of this), but you get to expand your mind, learn something new, and feed your creative spark.

Journal

Put it all on the page—your life, goals, gratitude. You’ll get a natural serotonin boost as you reflect on and identify all the good things in your life. As we always stand behind, journaling declutters the mind so you can create mental space for refreshing thoughts and delete the negative thought patterns.

Be in nature

Both serotonin and dopamine are hugely affected by sunlight. (About 20% of our serotonin is created by the light-sensitive pineal gland, while exposure to sunshine immediately triggers the release of dopamine.) So whether you lay out and work on your tan, go for a beach walk, or surround yourself with nature on a hike, the combination of sunshine and vitamin D will do well to relieve your blues.

Grounding, physically connecting to the Earth with our feet and bodies (think walking barefoot in the grass), has also been shown to relieve stress, irritability, depression, and anxiety. So get out there.

Move

Exercise floods our body with feel-good endorphins, including serotonin and dopamine, and helps us better manage anxiety, stress, and depression. So move your body in whatever way feels good, whether that’s a Pilates or striptease workout, running, or lifting weights.

Nourish

Rather than the quick reward of takeout or Uber Eats, take the time to prepare a nourishing meal. Cooking nutrient-rich foods not only activates gratitude and abundance but fueling up on essential nutrients (like vitamins and omega fatty acids) naturally increases serotonin.

Fast

If food is a big source of dopamine addiction for you, consider a 24-hour fast to reset the mind and body. Afterward, fill up on superfoods and healthy carbs.

Meditate

The ultimate mental reset activity. Quieting the mind and practicing mindfulness develops awareness and focus, so we’re less likely to get distracted. Even just a few mindful minutes positively influence serotonin levels.

Spiritual bath cleanse

A dopamine reset activity we come back to again and again. A spiritual bath cleanse is a time to turn inwards and weed out distractions. Turn your phone off, grab your journal, and soak the stress away.

Sleepy time

Quality sleep is essential for healthy serotonin levels (and pretty much everything else). Instead of watching late-night TV or being on your phone, wind down with a sleepy time tea and a peaceful book or journaling sesh.