Experts say effortful engagement brings better, more sustainable dopamine responses
Updated
Updated · CNN · Apr 30
Experts say effortful engagement brings better, more sustainable dopamine responses
5 articles · Updated · CNN · Apr 30
Stanford psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke said easy dopamine from social media, ultraprocessed foods and bingeable entertainment can overload the brain’s reward system.
She and colleagues said rewards that require effort, such as exercise, reading, hobbies or seeing friends, can produce more satisfying and less addiction-prone responses.
Experts recommended adding friction to unhealthy habits, setting small goals and using mindfulness, noting such strategies may also help people struggling with motivation, screen overuse or ADHD-related dopamine regulation.
As lawsuits brand social media 'a drug,' will tech giants be forced to change their addictive designs?
Is intentionally making life harder the surprising key to reclaiming our happiness from an instant-gratification world?