It’s the latest craze among the burned out and overwhelmed, with numerous headlines praising its benefits. The idea behind it seems sound: unplug and take some quiet time to counterbalance all that stimulation and instant gratification we’ve been programmed to seek out. But does a “dopamine fast” really reset your brain? - What Is a Dopamine Fast? - The “-dopamine fast-” started in San Francisco and...
Dopamine is one of our natural feel-good chemicals. We’re designed to seek out pleasurable activities because we're designed to seek out the hit of dopamine we get from pleasure. But getting the right balance of it can be tricky. Why Do We Need Dopamine? - Dopamine- is necessary for numerous brain functions, from assisting in impulse control to regulating muscle movements. We release dopamine when...
Smiling, not the kind where you've been asked to smile by some schmoozy guy, but the act of it—the lift the corners, feel the boost kind of smile (even if you don't mean it) is actually beneficial to your well-being and can help improve our outlook on life. It turns out that this simple action not only makes us feel better in reality, but it's infectious and can make other people feel at ease in our...