Dopamine: The Spark to Get Going

Why motivation isn’t just a mindset, it’s also chemistry.

Some days you wake up clear. You move through the morning with purpose. You respond, create, reach out, tick off the thing that’s been sitting on your list since last Tuesday. You feel momentum. Curiosity. Possibility. You feel like you.

And other days?

You scroll. You snack, even though you’re not hungry. You can’t start the thing. Or finish it. Even joy feels like effort.

That difference? Often, it’s dopamine.

Dopamine isn’t about pleasure. It’s about pursuit.

It’s the neurotransmitter that gets you to start. To focus. To feel rewarded by progress. It’s your anticipation chemistry, the part of the brain that says, “Let’s go.".

Dopamine is how you feel motivated before the reward even arrives. It’s the spark that gets you up and the feedback loop that keeps you moving.

But sparks need fuel. And modern life burns through it faster than it builds it.

What burns it out?

• Chronic stress

• Sleep deprivation

• Ultra-processed foods

• Constant stimulation (scrolling, multitasking, dopamine hits without depth)

• Inflammation, especially in the brain

• Micronutrient depletion (yes, food again)

• Unaddressed trauma or dysregulated nervous systems

And when dopamine is low, you don’t feel broken. You just feel… flat.

Low dopamine doesn’t feel dramatic.

It feels like disinterest.

• You can’t care about what you used to care about

• Everything feels like effort

• You avoid starting things you used to enjoy

• Your cravings get louder, caffeine, sugar, more scroll

• Focus drifts

• Follow through disappears

• Joy feels out of reach

And often, you blame yourself for “not trying harder".

But dopamine isn’t willpower. It’s biology. And it’s asking for support.

So how do you rebuild dopamine?

Not with hacks. With rhythm, inputs, and space.

Nourish the precursors:

Dopamine is made from tyrosine, an amino acid found in:

• Protein-rich foods: turkey, eggs, beef, fish, lentils

• Seeds: pumpkin, sesame

• Fermented foods: natto, miso

• B6, folate, and iron are needed too, think leafy greens, beets, legumes

Regulate your rhythm:

• Get morning light in your eyes (this primes dopamine receptors)

• Move your body, especially rhythmic movement (walking, dancing, lifting)

• Limit high-dopamine hits like endless scrolling or bingeing, these spike and crash your system

• Make small wins visible, dopamine is strengthened by progress, not perfection

Support your brain’s cleanup crew:

• Omega-3s, polyphenols, and antioxidant rich foods reduce neuroinflammation

• Gut health matters, dopamine precursors are absorbed through the gut wall

• Magnesium and B-vitamins help modulate the enzymes that break dopamine down

This is how you build momentum that lasts. Not with force. With support.

The Dance of Dopamine with COMT and MAO

Dopamine isn’t just about making enough, it’s about how your body clears it, too.

Two key enzymes manage this process: COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) and MAO (monoamine oxidase).

They don’t get much attention in mainstream health circles, but they matter. A lot.

Both COMT and MAO break down amines—a group of signalling molecules that includes dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters work in fast, focused bursts. Think: alertness, drive, motivation, emotion.

But like any powerful system, it needs a good off-switch.

• COMT helps methylate and deactivate dopamine, especially in the prefrontal cortex (hello, focus and emotional regulation).

  
  

  If COMT works more slowly—whether genetically or due to nutrient depletion—you might hold onto dopamine longer. That can show up as intensity, sensitivity, or sometimes overwhelm.

• MAO breaks down monoamines more broadly, including dopamine and serotonin.

  
  

  It works a bit more quietly in the background, helping keep overall levels in check.

  
  

  Slower MAO activity can mean longer dopamine activity, but also a tendency toward mood swings or rumination if clearance is compromised.

COMT vs MAO – Clearing the Dopamine Signal

Category	COMT	MAO
Full Name	Catechol-O-methyltransferase	Monoamine oxidase (A + B types)
What It Clears	Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine	Dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, tyramine
Where It Acts	Prefrontal cortex (focus, emotional regulation)	Brain and gut (overall neurotransmitter balance)
Slower Activity Might Feel Like	Wired-but-wilted, emotionally intense, sensitive to stress, trouble letting go	Mood swings, stimulation sensitivity, low resilience to pressure
Supports	Magnesium, B2, folate, B12, green tea (modulation)	Polyphenols (quercetin, resveratrol), calming herbs, stable blood sugar
Gene Connection	COMT V158M – slower version holds onto dopamine longer	MAO– variable expression; some types break down monoamines more slowly

So it's not just about how much dopamine you make. It's how quickly you can use it, shift it, and clear the signal when it’s done.

And that rhythm, build, signal, clear, is what keeps the system functional instead of fried.

The bottom line

Dopamine is how we go after life. It’s what makes possibility feel real. And when it’s low, you don’t feel like yourself, not because you’re lazy, but because your spark needs refuelling.

You don’t have to chase motivation. You can nourish it.

Want to see where the science comes from? For the extra curious, the references are here.