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Addicted to Dopamine

Updated: Sep 17

When you move from corporate to freelance or when you're forced from corporate to job hunting or when you launch your own company, the feelings are all the same.... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!


We begin to equate screen time with the possibility of being found.


The possibility of work.


It's not that we're after fortune or fame, we just want that little hit of dopamine that someone's looking at us and to know that there's a hope of receiving a message that we might get hired.


This doesn't show up on any "health and wellness" conversation.


It's not an anxiety or imposter syndrome issue.


It's not stress (though it is).


It's a real money problem, intertwined with a fear of failure and sense of defeat.


It's brutal out there, and that little red notification that someone liked your content or replied to your message or viewed your profile is a little dopamine hit that feels SO good, even for a moment.


Do you know what the antidote is?


Being outside.


Not even kidding when I tell you that I was looking up how to heal from addictions and I found this:

Spending time with nature can be calming and soothing. Going outside for a long walk can help you disconnect from the stress and responsibilities in life and give your mind a much-needed break. If you’re in addiction recovery, then you may appreciate the natural ways to increase dopamine. An excellent way to activate the brain’s reward chemical, or “happy chemical,” that is not inflicted by synthetic drugs is through enjoying what nature has to offer.  


Ways to boost dopamine include:  

  • Riding a bike 

  • Stretching outside or doing yoga 

  • Doing breath work in the fresh air  

  • Trying new exercises 

  • Observing animals or bird watching  

  • Joining an outdoor activity with a group of people  

  • Hiking with a friend and maintaining a support system 


Trying new ways to boost dopamine naturally is highly recommended in recovery because positive habits are formed into a new lifestyle that is full of healthy and sober living. There are even great benefits of being barefoot outside, which include relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep, building muscle strength, and being good for your feet.  


Once you start Googling, you'll find thousands of addiction recovery centers that focus on outdoor therapy. I think we're on to something.


Even the latest Eventbrite report on the event industry shared that in keeping with the Year of Adventure trend, attendees want to immerse themselves in the experience fully and are embracing the idea of putting the phone down, not taking pictures, and being fully present.


Indeed, as I explored in my Time Flies (and how to slow it down) post, the concept of experiencing or learning something new is the only way to convert Kronos into Kairos and be in the present moment.


The hit we experience with a dopamine addiction is a Future Tense craving. Once we fulfill it by clicking in to see what the reaction/response was, we are left unfulfilled.


Perhaps, indeed, it's time to get outside.


So here's my plan: I'm taking the dog on a hike this weekend.


I'm taking a day off to go to an experiential, indoor/outdoor spa retreat (I've got the day pass).


I'm looking forward to our Barefoot Business Retreat on a yacht in Croatia.


What's your plan?



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2 comentários


Membro desconhecido
22 de mai.

Couldn’t ageee more with this! I recently stopped running on a treadmill at the gym (watching the news- more adrenaline!!) to hiking or jogging in nature. So much more restorative!

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Membro desconhecido
22 de mai.

This is part of my routine. Everything here I am giving myself and using it to be better at how I see the world and experience life. I remember thinking back to what many were practicing around spirituality and thought it was different. Not for me until I found that some of the greatest motivators and mindfulness leaders are creating movements to enforce a different way of living. Now I practice the things that I once made no time for. Thank you Liz for preaching about wellness in its many forms.

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