1. Setting Goals to Increase Dopamine. People are often at their best when working toward a long-term, meaningful goal that they believe is achievable, like earning a degree or getting a promotion. That’s because not only is dopamine released when you finally achieve a long-term goal but it’s also released with each step you make as you move closer to achieving it. Having a goal also allows the prefrontal cortex to more effectively organize your actions. And most importantly, achieving the goal is often less important to happiness than setting the goal in the first place.
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
2. Once you start being productive, dopamine is released in the striatum and parts of the prefrontal cortex. Suddenly you’ll have more energy and motivation to do the thing you really need to do.
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
