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Last week I promised to share personal stories from my own mental health abysses in recognition of the UN’s Mental Health Month, along with the tools that helped me climb back out.
Here’s the first: my struggle with dopamine.
During the Covid lockdown, I lost control. I spent my days on sugar, video games, and endless scrolling. What felt like comfort was actually a cycle of quick dopamine hits that left me restless, distracted, and empty.
The lesson? Not all dopamine is created equal. And learning to tell the difference is a skill that can change the way you work, lead, and live.
Here are 3 lessons I learned and that you can apply them to your life: Fast dopamine drains you: Quick hits from scrolling, junk food or alcohol create rapid spikes and crashes. Neuroscience calls this phasic dopamine and it wires us to constantly chase the next high.
Example: You finish a long day at work, scroll on your phone for just “10 minutes” and suddenly an hour is gone leaving you more drained and not restored.
• Earned dopamine strengthens you: Effort-based activities release dopamine more slowly, but the effect is longer-lasting and more fulfilling. This tonic dopamine builds resilience and a sense of control.
Example: Training for a 5K run, completing a tough project, or even finishing a book gives you energy that lingers far beyond the moment.
• The skill is choosing: Both fast and slow dopamine become habits. The key is to deliberately choose activities that compound into growth rather than emptiness.
Example: Reaching for a notebook to sketch out an idea instead of reaching for your phone can shift your brain toward creation instead of distraction.
In my bestseller The End of Emptiness, I describe 3 neuroscience methods that helped me rewire my own habits: new ideologies, new routines, new environments.
I’ll break each of them down in the next 3 newsletters.
Until then, ask yourself: Which dopamine are you feeding today
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