The Higher Podcast - Dopamine & The Reward System

Super super cool episodes I think a really good topic and educational topic and really It's actually a beautiful time to do it because I think it links so heavily Into last week's episode with social media, you know You always hear these two things put together the dopamine and the social media I need a dopamine detox. This yada yada yada You know, I've got some stuff prepared for this space. Hopefully I'll be very educational opening open up your mind Into a dopamine really is and how we can utilize it for own own good, but I am fantastic based you Smash the intro how you my friend house life treating you and I appreciate I'm doing good man had a little birthday party with the kiddos today. Got some Some sun touching grass had a good time now feeling good today Nice man sometimes that's what life's about to you know, we'll We're always like you know, I need to be 1% better every day But I can also be a trap as well. You know what I mean? Like you can get trapped in that that mindset and that comes depressing in and of itself sometimes you need a let loose and Just be a human being, you know what I mean But we go Z here with us as well Z my brother how the devil are you? Yo good afternoon Good night or good morning everybody. I Am doing wonderful that a man long long work week has working like 12 hour days and then my last day or 17 got worked in the ring got sick, but hey Regardless we're here. We're gonna keep on going Yeah, I'm really excited for today's conversation. This is actually one of my favorite topics especially final like balance between You know don't mean the reward system and the constant stream of information and Interaction that we have every day that feeds that part of our brain And how do they regulate that in a sense? So you don't go overboard right you don't tip the scales too much on one side But yeah for our doom and awesome. I'm glad we got this run I know we're having some technical difficulties earlier So just happy to be back on and get this thing rolling get some speakers up here Yeah, it sounds like a hell of a week for you Z But here we are sending it higher regardless nonetheless turning up Yeah, yeah, I got Works nice as well, but Anything for a dollar, you know what I mean, let's go I feel that I feel that listen ladies and gentlemen There's only a couple of us in here. I think because we had some technical issues People are getting a no ease. So do me a favor before we deep dive this topic and it is gonna be a really good topic Like Retweet leave a comment quote re-tweet let's get some heads in here because I think a lot of people could benefit from this conversation I think it's something we will struggle with and Hopefully we'll shed some light on how you can utilize that that dopamine correctly to your advantage And don't be afraid to come up and speak as well I love hearing from people all opinions, you know, they're all valid so come on up don't be afraid share the mic and Let's send each other higher on this fine Jeez, what is it Saturday night for me? Let's get this bad boy role in shall we? So what do I mean? I think It's a it's um for me in the past couple of years. It's been a massive Topic that I've seen Online a lot of people looking into it myself included What even is dopamine, you know People you always hear people talk about dopamine, you know social media is dopamine Food is dopamine gaming gambling shopping the notifications you get pop up on your ex page You know people are always saying things like my dopamine is fried I need a dopamine detox my attention span is cooked I'm cooked bro. I've only got five second memory. I'm a goldfish You know dopamine has such a powerful influence over what we pursue What we repeat, you know, and it's heavily linked with motivation as well So I want to ask the speakers up here before I kind of go into the ins and outs of dopamine. I want to know What is dopamine? What is dopamine to you? What does it mean? Yeah, I don't know. Beasts you want to take that or I can't Not go for a brother. Yeah, well, I guess a more just textbook, you know definition for me. That's how I understand it You know, it's a neuro transmitter and Ray leads like you know your reward system motivation cognition, it also it's a hormone that also affects like your body And in turn, you know affecting your DNA as well So it also for memory when you have like high spikes of dopamine Your emotional response you remember things better It's something that to me like can be utilized almost as like a tool For how you intake or allow things to affect you and that also comes down to like perspective as well But I guess like and go a little more into it Dopamine to me is dangerous, but also not dangerous and I guess There's always two sides right too much of anything's bad But you always need it and dopamine is a good thing, but there needs to be regulation So for me, I try to regulate it by not being online too much or You know, I get dopamine hits from likes, repose comments, you know all these types of things But I take steps back to regulate it and be present in real life because too much that's not a good thing And then you get addicted to things because dopamine is very addicted feels good, you know I guess that's what is for me in short obviously we'll find out more here throughout this conversation Yes, it's a really It's an accurate description. I would say is the I completely agree beast what what is dopamine to you? Do you got any input on what dopamine might be? Oh, yeah, so I Have ADHD whether it's clinical or not. I was I Guess diagnosed that as a child, but it is What I would describe life's drug That's pretty much how I kind of see dopamine and like Z said it's a It's something that I guess really When consumed with moderation it can be a positive thing but at the same time it can also be a very Very controlling and you kind of it's you have to have discipline to not let it control your life and not constantly Drive after just getting that next hit wherever it may be coming from because it can quickly lead you down the wrong path if you're not careful on on that So for me is something that I try to take, you know Like a grain of salt you have to consume it in ways and not let it control and dictate what you're doing But at the same time it can also be a very very powerful tool To allow you to kind of reach reach highs that maybe without it you couldn't have so it's very 50-50 for me It could be very good or it can also be very bad depends on how you consume that and how important you let that be to yourself Exactly and this is why it actually annoys me when people say things like I'm going on a dopamine detox because it's actually impossible to go on a dopamine detox because dopamine is firing off in your brain constantly throughout the day and the NZ you're actually on point Am when you said it's a neurotransmitter essentially it's the signaling system used by the brain And I think a lot of people have this misconception that dopamine equals pleasure It's Way more complicated than that because dopamine actually plays a really important role in things like motivation Learning when you're going through new experiences, you know when Something good happens in your life dopamine fires off and you're like okay That was a good thing maybe I should go back and do that even negative things you get dopamine fire off Okay, that was a negative thing, you know, I'm learning it's involved in things like attention Deciding what actions are worth pursuing essentially It's It's really frustrating when people say that you need to detox from dopamine because though you cannot escape it It's a chemical in your brain that will fire off regardless So I think you're right beast. I think you're right. It's a very good tool And hopefully today we can shed some light on how you can use that tool Z you go your hand up go for it man Yeah, I never That knowledge you say Like from your perspective like it's it's almost like frustrating here and someone say dopamine detox and now that think about it in that manner Or like it take on that perspective. I'm like, hmm. Yeah, that's true. And I think like more so It would be better yet said to regulate the flow of dopamine right it's almost like and this is just the terms of that I think it's uh So if I use an analogy with money, right you if you get quick money because we Sast right, but if you have that slow build up or You know intake or release of money and let's say dopamine Then it lasts a lot longer. It's actually more valuable right Because you've built that up over time instead of just getting it quick and then it being gone And just a quick thought I had from uh Well, if you're using that perspective you have you know, I agree fully I think It's the wrong phrasing because I don't think people understand the properly when they say dopamine detox Well, I think what they actually want to say is I need to detox From the things that are triggering the dopamine because you cannot escape dopamine is there all day every day Producing in your brain. You'll never get rid of it. What you what you mean to say is I need a social media detox. I need I don't know a gaming detox a gambling detox or whatever detox. It's not the dopamine that you need a detox from um You know you get these these urges and you need to resist them This is where discipline comes in like you can you can desperately want to check in Instagram And it's it's the idea of checking the social media the triggers the dopamine because let's be honest You know you open up the app and then Two minutes later you're like why have I even opened up the app? I'm not even enjoying this and maybe beast you can relate to this I know I know that you're you know I'm a smoker too sometimes I know that you're a smoker. It was these definitely a smoker I know there for sure but like the idea of of Having a cigarette in your head seems like really really nice, you know It's triggering that dopamine flow But then when you put the cigarette in your mouth knowing that you want it to quit You don't get that dopamine anymore. It's gone. It's the idea of pursuit. There's triggering that go on Z you go your handle That's beautifully said a lot of the Actions I'm not gonna generalize everything all of our actions are we a dopamine from like anticipation over task rate Um There's something else that was gonna save that kind of caught me off guard um But I really enjoy that You know, oh, I remember so I really enjoy that you said like you know using different phrasing for You know, it's the social media talks is this that it really just comes down to like habits because What dopamine does is help form habits right because your brain is Saying hey, this is a good reward. This is what we want Luckily, we're it will be conscious as humans and can discipline ourselves to regulate that And then help stop and form new habits by directing our Release or uptake of these hormones inside our brain rate Yeah, I think um The way I used to look at it and I don't know if this is right anymore, but the way I used to look at it is like human beings are addictive by nature We are addicts all of us and in some form or another you're addicted to something and When you're addicted to things that are cheap reward when you're addicted to things that give you reward with zero effort That is essentially even a net negative You've done absolutely nothing all you've done is open up an app Uh, when you go shopping or whatever you've brought something new that is That is low effort High reward and when you when you're addicted things like that is a net net negative for your personal growth Listen if we're addicts and we can't escape being addicts the way I used to look at it and trick my own mind is I was like okay, if I'm an addict By nature, why don't I just get addicted to things that are naturally going to benefit my development as a human being I became addicted to the gym the gym is A net negative a net positive for my life, right? So I I tried to trick my mind into Being an addict from negative things into positive things and it's tough like you're gonna fail like I failed so many times So so many times, you know, you find yourself opening up Tick-tock or Instagram or whatever and for no point, you know, and that's a failure And you got to accept the fact that you're gonna fail on those standards that you set as you strive towards training this discipline Um and try and Push that energy into into things are gonna benefit you So I'm an addict most definitely um, I think we all I think we can all relate into being being an addict So just get addicted to things that are gonna reward you long-term rather than short