Dopamine!! The Journey of Silent Villain to The Secret Hero.

Welcome Back!

In the previous article, we dove deep into the details of how dopamine plays the role of both a Secret Hero and Silent Villain in our Life, if not I would urge you to read that first. Here’s the Article, Dopamine!! The Secret Hero and The Silent Villain.

I’m happy that you are here for the part two, where we will uncover the secrets to flip the script – transforming dopamine into a Motivational Force that can drive us towards progress instead of it being an obstacle that sabotages our progress. This article is going to be lengthy even though I tried to make it concise, hold on with me and the time you invested will be fruitful.

If you have ever felt like you are stuck in a WHILE LOOP of Instant Gratification (short-term pleasures) and your bigger goals fall aside, then this article is for you! Today, we will add a BREAK Statement to exit the loop, by rewiring your Brain’s Reward System, making it work for you rather than against you.

Let’s get into how you can turn this Silent Villain into a Powerful, Life Changing Hero.

Understanding Dopamine

I want you to understand how Dopamine works in detail through this part of article. Here is the graph of Situations Vs Dopamine spikes. Compare each and every condition I explain with the graph.

This image helps us visualize how these spikes differ depending on the nature of the reward or habit. Let us get on with the first curve:

1.Unexpected Rewards [Learning] :

The first spike is the display of what happens when we receive an unexpected reward. For example, imagine that your favorite celebrity comes to your home suddenly. Your dopamine level shoots up instantly (The spike you see in the graph), as your brain didn’t expect the reward. And this moment of surprise teaches your brain to remember and learn from the situation and reinforces the factor that led to the surprise.

2.Expected Rewards [Motivation] :

The second curve shows what happens when the reward is expected. For example, you start to use mobile or scroll reels expecting you would be happy from that. Since, the reward (Happiness) is expected, dopamine shoots up before you start using mobile and this motivates us to use the mobile. But this spike is not as high or intense as the unexpected ones. This shows us that while the anticipation of the reward keeps us motivated, excitement for the reward fades as it is already expected.

3.Introduction of Beneficial Long-term Habit :

The third curve indicates how dopamine spikes when we introduce a new beneficial long-term habit. For example, going to Gym regularly. In the beginning, the dopamine level falls as there is lot of efforts and no immediate reward (Strong muscle, better health). But eventually, when the rewards become visible, that satisfaction would create a more stable dopamine pattern leading to long lasting happiness.

4.Unexpected Reward of Beneficial Habit :

The last curve shows a scenario where; after establishing a beneficial habit, you receive an unexpected reward. For example, after months of exercising, you suddenly realize that you are able to run a mile without feeling exhausted which is an element of surprise. This would make dopamine spike similar to the first curve but with greater intensity this time.

The Key: Focus on System, Not on Goals

The key to success is not in setting Massive Goals but in building small habits that can eventually lead to big change over time.

How to Build Habits:

“Building habits is not so difficult as we think it is”.

Let me clearly explain what I said. We are all masters of building habits but unfortunately the Bad Ones. But the Secret to building good habits lies in the Bad Ones. This is the Art of finding Good in Bad.

What are the Factors that get us addicted to Bad Habits:

1. Visible: When triggers (like your phone, junk food, or social media) are always in your line of sight, they constantly remind you to engage in that bad habit, reinforcing the behavior.

2. Attractive: Your brain associates a habit through its attractiveness, the more attractive the more appealing it becomes. Junk foods are usually more attractive than healthy foods and this triggers our senses to engage in eating them.

3. Easy: The less effort it takes to engage in a habit, the more likely you are to repeat it. Bad habits become automatic when they’re simple and convenient to access.

4. Satisfying: The brain is wired to seek out actions that provide quick rewards, even if they have negative consequences later. This satisfaction creates a feedback loop where you keep returning to the habit because it feels good right away.

Now to build a Good Habit, just make sure that you can implement these four points effectively on to your habit and the habit will eventually become irresistible for you to avoid.

Finishing Off

If you have reached till here, then I am eternally thankful to you for holding on with me.

Dopamine need not be a villain in our life anymore. By understanding how it works and by using it to our advantage, we can transform it into a Hero who can lead us to success. Once you start to implement, the above technique, you will start observing a positive change in your life.

If you have understood this article, I have a task for you. Just write down one habit that you want to build and transform it such that it follows the above four points and post it in the comments section. I would like to know how creative my readers are.