How to Boost Dopamine

Written by Mary Jo DiLonardo
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on August 18, 2025
9 min read

Feeling good? That's your brain on dopamine. 

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter — a chemical made in your brain. It carries messages to your nerve cells. Dopamine is also a hormone made in your adrenal glands that gets released into your bloodstream. 

Dopamine plays a part in many functions, including mood, movement, learning, sleep, memory, and attention. It motivates you to do things and then rewards you with good feelings when you do them. 

When you’re doing something that brings you pleasure, your brain releases a burst of dopamine. It's often called a feel-good hormone because it makes you enjoy what you’re doing — and makes you want to do it again.

It doesn’t have to be something huge — like climbing a mountain or finishing a big project — to bring on that boost. Small, everyday things can make you feel good, too.

“There are times when I put all my laundry away and I feel so proud of myself for doing that small task,” says Lisa Henderson, a licensed professional counselor and mental health service provider in Nashville. “The reason I feel so good about it is a dopamine hit. It’s particularly rewarding because it’s something I didn’t want to do.”

From napping to exercising, check out these strategies to increase your feel-good dopamine levels.

A dopamine boost is a small rush of the neurotransmitter in the brain.

“You just get this little surge when there’s positive reinforcement in the brain. It’s like your brain giving you a little piece of candy for something it likes,” says Claudia Ryan, senior director of therapy and care navigation, Vida Health. “Dopamine attaches a good feeling to something so you learn to do it again.”

This pleasurable sensation motivates you to repeat the same activity so you get the good feeling again.

Dopamine carries messages across pathways in the brain that link emotions with desire and a sense of reward.

“When we encounter reward-predicting cues, such as seeing a person walking by with a huge ice-cream in hand, we experience an instant and rapid increase in dopamine firing in our brain,” says clinical psychologist Heather Hamilton, PhD, founder of Team BreakThrough.

“It’s that increase in activity (alertness and interest) that suddenly (and subconsciously) motivates us to find the nearest ice cream store so we don’t miss our opportunity to experience pleasure.”

A dopamine boost isn’t a big explosive feeling.

“A lot of people think a dopamine rush is going to be like feeling high. It’s just a little something that tells you 'this is good, I feel good,' and it motivates you to do more of whatever you just did,” Ryan says. “You have a feeling of gratification.”

It won’t make you jump up and down and be ecstatic. Instead, she says it might make the corners of your mouth turn up in a satisfied smile because you’re pleased with how you feel.

Dopamine boosts are automatic; you can't make your brain release the chemical. But you can kickstart a dopamine boost by taking part in activities that make you happy or relaxed. That helps to trigger the release of dopamine. Here are some ideas:

Get moving. When you work your body, your brain releases spurts of dopamine to keep you exercising. That in turn makes you feel good as you move and encourages you to keep going.

Sleep. When you’re tired and don’t get enough sleep, your body’s ability to work with dopamine suffers. Your brain cells are still able to release dopamine, but when you're tired, they can’t receive it so you don’t benefit from the release. To get better sleep at night, try to stick to the same sleep/wake schedule every day, keep electronics out of the bedroom, and relax before bed with a bath, stretches, or reading.

Listen to music. When you listen to music that you enjoy, your brain releases dopamine so you feel good as you listen. In a study, researchers found that when people listened to music that gave them “chills,” their brains released more dopamine. So put on your headphones or turn up the speakers and spend some time with music you love.

Meditate. Meditation can calm your body and your mind while releasing dopamine to make you feel good. Try mindful meditation, yoga, or deep breathing — whatever helps you focus and relax your thoughts. 

Make something. Doing something creative that you love — like knitting, drawing, cooking, taking photographs, or throwing pottery — can engage you so much that your brain feels like it’s meditating. You can get a dopamine rush while you create.

Go outside. Whether you go on a hike or just sit on your porch, spending time in nature can have calming, feel-good effects. You don’t have to be outdoors all day. Research shows that just about 20 minutes in nature is good for your well-being.

Meet a goal. Setting a small goal and achieving it is a great way to get that dopamine feeling, says Ryan. “Even if the goal is really tiny, the goal is to do something you will succeed at,” she says. Then you’ll look for more ways to accomplish something.

Help someone. You know how you feel good when you help someone out? That’s called a “helper’s high.” You can get that dopamine boost by volunteering or just doing a random act of kindness for a stranger.

Get intimate. When you feel pleasure during sex — especially during orgasm — your brain experiences quite the dopamine boost. The effects don’t last long and that encourages your body and brain to want to do it all over again.

Diet can’t magically boost dopamine, but some foods may help make sure your brain has the building blocks it needs.

What is a dopamine diet? 

“There is no standardized scientific definition or evidence-based ‘dopamine diet.' It's more of a wellness concept that eating certain foods can naturally boost dopamine levels in the brain,” says Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

Some research suggests that foods high in the amino acid tyrosine can help your body make more dopamine in a two-step process. 

“First, the amino acid tyrosine is converted into another amino acid, called L-dopa. (L-dopa, also called levodopa, is used to treat Parkinson's disease.) Then L-dopa undergoes another change, as enzymes turn it into dopamine,” says Hamilton. “Because dopamine is made from tyrosine, getting more of this amino acid from food could potentially boost dopamine levels in the brain.”

Converting tyrosine from foods into dopamine requires several other nutrients, including B vitamins, iron, copper, and vitamin C, says Petitpain. “A diet rich in fruits and vegetables supports this conversion.”

Tyrosine-rich foods include:

  • Chicken and other poultry
  • Beef, pork, and fish
  • Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
  • Soy and soy products
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Beans
  • Whole grains
  • Fruits and vegetables including apples, avocados, bananas, leafy greens, oranges, peas, pumpkin, tomatoes, and watermelon

Does caffeine increase dopamine levels? 

A drink containing caffeine might be your go-to in the morning or to when you’re lagging in the afternoon. But does it make you happy, too? Caffeine can stimulate dopamine, and that can make you feel more awake and improve your mood. 

Caffeine doesn’t directly increase dopamine. Instead it makes dopamine more effective, says Petitpain. “However, excessive caffeine can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms that affect dopamine function,” she says.

Some common sources of caffeine:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Colas (unless they’re labeled as caffeine-free)
  • Chocolate
  • Energy drinks

A "dopamine supplement" doesn't contain dopamine. Instead, it contains ingredients that help to make dopamine. Some supplements may be able to help increase dopamine levels. Research is mixed. It’s important that you check with your doctor before adding any supplement to your diet.

These ingredients may help boost your mood:

  • Tyrosine
  • Magnesium
  • L-theanine
  • Vitamin D, B5, and B6
  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids
  • Vitamin C
  • Curcumin/Turmeric

Are dopamine pills safe?

The FDA does not regulate any supplements for safety or effectiveness. Supplements are regulated as food, not as medication. So it can be confusing to read labels to figure out how supplements might help. It’s always a good idea to talk to your health care provider.

Dopamine levels build up while you’re sleeping, so it’s important to get plenty of rest. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night. Try these ideas for a good night’s sleep:

Make your room perfect for sleep. Keep temperatures cool, bedding comfortable, and turn off screens including TVs, computers, and phones.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Take a warm bath, meditate, do stretches, or read before bed – whatever calms you.

Stick to a schedule. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day – even on weekends. That helps set your body clock so you know when it’s time for sleep

Minimize noise and light. Consider a sound machine and heavy rugs to muffle noise and keep your room quiet. Maybe try blinds or light-blocking curtains.

Watch food and exercise. Don’t work out or exercise strenuously right before bed. And avoid eating a big meal within a few hours of going to sleep. Stay away from caffeine starting in late afternoon, so it doesn’t keep you up all night.

The most common type of antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Like dopamine, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain. It is key for helping to regulate mood. 

SSRIs block the brain cells from taking back the serotonin after it delivered a message. That makes it more readily available to continue carrying signals between brain cells. SSRIs are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders.

Some SSRIs include:

  • Citalopram (Celexa)

  • Escitalopram (Lexapro)

  • Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)

  • Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)

  • Sertraline (Zoloft)

Other antidepressants work in a similar way. Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) work by controlling the amount of those two neurotransmitters in the brain. By preventing the brain cells from taking norepinephrine and dopamine back into them, there's more of those brain chemicals available to work between the cells. NDRIs might be prescribed for conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Some NDRIs include:

  • Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
  • Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
  • Methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin)

Not everything that feels good is necessarily good for you. You might get a dopamine boost, for example, when you drink alcohol, take drugs, smoke, or gamble.

Addictive things can cause your brain to react in a huge way. Instead of a nice little boost of dopamine, your brain can release a dopamine surge that can be 10 times as great as a normal dopamine fix.

"The use of alcohol, drugs or other risky behaviors to increase dopamine activity can lead to an unhealthy emotional (mood) dependence and the onset of problematic addiction disorders,” says Hamilton.

It doesn’t always have to be something so obvious that causes a dopamine flood, says Henderson. It could be something like a social media addiction where you just can’t stop scrolling.

“What we’re really chasing after is that good feeling from whatever that activity is,” says Henderson. “Be aware and adjust what you’re doing so you’re not relying on it so much.”

 

 

 

 

 

  • Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that motivates you to do things and then rewards you with good feelings when you do them.
  • You can get a dopamine boost from things like exercise, meditating, listening to music, or getting good sleep.
  • You may also get a dopamine rush from caffeine and foods rich in the amino acid tyrosine.