6 Ways To Increase Your Dopamine Levels During The Fall/Winter!

Just because Summer is over and it's now getting dark at 4pm doesn’t mean we must also say goodbye to being happy! Here are some habits to add to your daily routines to help increase your dopamine levels!

1. Take Vitamin D Supplements

The Sun is the main thing we lose as we transition out of Summer and into Fall and Winter. It becomes cloudy, gloomy, and cold, limiting our exposure to the Sun, which provides us with Vitamin D. If you don’t already have one, look into purchasing a vitamin D3 supplement and begin implementing it into your daily routine. If you’re like me and forget to take your vitamins, look into a pill organizer to keep track of your supplements.

2. Exercise

I know I sound like a broken record, but that is true. Finding a way to get up and move daily is the perfect way to get your body to produce dopamine. It doesn’t have to be running or weight lifting; it can be yoga, pilates, walking, hiking, swimming, dancing, or anything that gets you out of bed and moving. It’s even more important to pick a workout that you enjoy; forcing yourself to go to a workout class you don’t want won’t help your dopamine levels. You don’t have to end your workout covered in sweat to feel a dopamine spike as long as you're getting your body moving by doing something that brings you joy.

3. Get Enough Sleep

We typically work hard at school or our jobs in the Fall and Winter, so it’s much harder to fit in a good 8 hours of sleep every night. But not getting enough sleep could be one of the reasons why you don’t feel like yourself. You could be going to sleep too late or taking naps throughout the day. By setting a bedtime for yourself every night, you can get into a routine where you begin to get enough sleep. Try getting your work done earlier in the day rather than close to bedtime. Put your phone across the room 30 minutes before you plan to fall asleep. Listen to a non-engaging podcast, sleep sounds, soft music, or read a book while you wind down. It might feel weird not to have your phone before you sleep, but you’ll fall asleep much quicker with it not next to you.

4. Limit Your Social Media Consumption

You don’t need to limit your app use unless it helps you, but open your settings and check your screentime throughout the day. Those 3 to 5 hours you spend on various social media apps are 3 to 5 hours you could be spending doing things that bring you joy. The reason we go on these social media apps is to get instant dopamine hits, and while it sometimes works, we can easily become addicted and rely on it, even though we have other things in our lives that bring us more happiness. Whenever you want to get on social media, call a friend or family member, go on a walk and listen to music, try to get some work done, or clean up something in your living space. By doing more productive things, you will be less stressed throughout the day from procrastinating, and you’ll have quality alone time or time with friends and family.

5. Self Care

Doing something just for ourselves is hard when we’re always going going going. But spending extra time in the shower, shaving or washing your hair, taking a bath, doing a face mask, meditating, or anything that helps you relax will be more beneficial for your dopamine levels. These are typically used to combat stress, so when you begin incorporating them into your routine, you will start to manage your stress better. Self-care is more than feeling good on the outside; it’s feeling good on the inside. It’s fueling your body with foods you need, not just the ones you want -- eating more fruits and veggies, getting enough protein, and eating meals that make you feel good afterward. When you fuel your body properly, you’ll feel its effect! Not that you can’t enjoy the foods you love, but ensuring you’re still eating the foods your body needs is important.

6. Trade Social Media For Movies or Documentaries

If you enjoy media and learning new things through it, trade your phone for a good movie or documentary. Whether we realize it or not, we consume a lot of information while on social media — information that we are interested in! Browsing the documentaries on your favorite streaming platforms are a great way to engage your brain in something new! Only learning things at school or work creates this idea that learning is boring, but learning can and should be something we do during our downtime. Not only does learning through this medium help you put your phone down, but it also satisfies your desire to watch something engaging.

These are just a handful of simple and non-complicated things you can do this Fall/Winter. However, if you consistently feel down during this time of year, it’s important to tell your doctor in case something else is going on.