Physical Exercise for the ADHD Brain and Other Dopamine Hits

Author: Erika Kawamura, Psy.D

The ADHD brain loves excitement, novelty, & reward! This is partly contributed by the low dopamine levels in the ADHD brain, which can make it difficult to stay focused, feel motivated for a task, regulate emotions, and/or experience pleasure, as well as feeling easily bored with the mundane things or getting easily distracted by the next shiny object. Dopamine is also involved in the reward system of the brain, so in an effort to seek immediate pleasure, or “dopamine boost,” a person may seek activities that will do just that, even if it is something risky or can lead to harmful outcomes or long-term negative consequences.

 

The good news is that you can arm yourself with a “Dopamine Menu” that you can keep handy when you’re in need of a dopamine boost to “wake up the brain,” reward yourself for completing a dreaded task, or need motivation. This is essentially your personal list of activities and experiences that you find to be genuinely mood-boosting, rewarding, enjoyable, or motivating; so your list may look different from your friend’s or family member’s list.

 

Here are some suggestions to get you started that can increase or release dopamine:

 

Quick and Easy Activities that You Already are Doing Everyday or Can Easily Do

 

• Identify daily simple pleasures and fully immerse yourself in the experience to let yourself enjoy them. It can be whatever it is for you! Some ideas include:
  • Playing with your pet
  • Having your cup of coffee during the quiet morning time
  • Singing in the shower
  • Enjoying your favorite snack or food
  • Driving with your favorite music blasting and the windows all the way down with the wind blowing on your hair and face
  • Basking in the sun
• “Exercise for the ADHD brain” can be any physical movement to do in the moment of need when you need a dopamine boost to help “wake up” the brain to improve motivation, focus, mood, and/or energy:
  • Doing jumping jacks for 30 seconds to a minute
  • Walking around the house or around the block after sitting for a long time
  • Pacing while on the phone
  • Getting a standing desk
  • Walking instead of driving if your destination allows for it
• Find ways to enhance boring or unpreferred tasks while you do them to stimulate your brain and improve motivation and focus:
  • Listen to upbeat or other favorite music that gets you “in the zone”
  • Create other background noises but those that can still be “drowned out” (e.g. white noise, doing work in a cafe)
  • Find someone who can be your body double, and they don’t necessarily need to be doing the same thing (e.g. each of you studying or working but on your own things that you need to do).
• Ever wonder why that physical act of checking off items on your list feels so good? It is because setting goals and achieving them activates the brain’s reward system and releases dopamine. So give yourself a double dopamine hit by breaking goals or tasks into smaller, attainable steps and give yourself a reward when you achieve each step!

 

Activities for Fun or Relaxation 

 

• Physical activity is not just great for your health and stress management, but also for your brain:
  • Cardio
  • Strength training
  • Playing a sport
  • Challenging yourself to join a competition (e.g. 5k, marathon, triathlon, body building)
  • Running with or walking your pet
  • Biking, hiking, or running around with your family
  • Yoga
• Making time for your hobbies, interests, and passions naturally activate the reward system in the brain and increase dopamine levels. If it’s been a while, it’s time to start re-incorporating them or explore new ones!
  • Being in nature
  • Gardening
  • Doing arts and crafts or knitting
  • Building things, tinkering with cars, or working on house project
  • Learning a new language
  • Dancing
  • Reading a book
  • Trying out a new recipe for cooking or baking
• Listening to pleasurable music or playing a musical instrument can increase release of dopamine, and in turn improve focus on a task.
• Pampering or “indulgent” forms of self-care are relaxing, pleasurable, & enjoyable, which release dopamine.
  • Traveling or vacation
  • Day trip to your favorite destination (beach, mountains, lake, city, etc)
  • Getting a massage and/or facial
  • Going to a concert or play
  • Getting a manicure and/or pedicure
• Mindfulness and meditation can help regulate dopamine levels as well as decrease stress and anxiety, improve relaxation, improve self-awareness, and promote overall well-being.

 

Other Essentials 

 

• Getting adequate sleep is key for the brain to function at its peak performance, and in turn can help maintain healthy dopamine production & release.

 

• Nutrition- There is some suggestion that foods rich in tyrosine (e.g. poultry, fish, nuts, seeds) can provide the building blocks to produce dopamine. Additionally, foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals (e.g. fruits, vegetables) can support overall brain health and in turn, maintain healthy dopamine function.

 

Guilty pleasures: Proceed with caution!

 

• These forms of activities tend to be very stimulating and certainly boost dopamine, but so much so where it can be difficult to stop and lose a lot of time without realizing it. You can allow yourself to enjoy them, but be intentional about when and why you want to do the activity and set a timer to be more aware of how long you’re spending time on it so you don’t neglect your other responsibilities and activities for the day.
  • Scrolling on social media and on your phone in general
  • Watching TV
  • Playing video games or games on your phone

 

Now that you’ve got some ideas, and hopefully got your wheels turning, write down your list of activities that are fun, exciting, or relaxing and those that are relevant to you! Be sure to break them into categories, such as the above or by time frame allotted (e.g. 1-5 minutes activities, 15-30 minutes activities, 30min-1hr activities, several hours activities, all day, multiple days) if that speaks to you better. Keep it handy so you can easily refer to it and pick something you’re in the mood for when you’re needing a dopamine hit!

 

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