Boost Dopamine Naturally for Better Motivation and Focus

If you're not eating the right foods to produce this neurotransmitter, you might not even care—but you should

Dopamine is associated with the ability to focus, experience pleasure, and maintain attention span. fizkes/Shutterstock

It’s time to get the scoop on dopamine, a substance in your brain that is also known as the motivation molecule. Your body is home to about 60 different molecules known as neurotransmitters that transfer information between your brain cells and your body. We’re writing about dopamine because, well, we were motivated!

What Are Neurotransmitters?

Dopamine is just one of the many neurotransmitters (aka transmitters) that impact and help regulate every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. Each neurotransmitter is important, and even more significant is maintaining a balance among your brain transmitters. When the neurotransmitters are in balance, you’re better able to think clearly, experience joy, and have a sense of well-being. 

What Is Dopamine?

This neurotransmitter is associated with the ability to focus, experience pleasure, maintain attention span, follow-through, and feel satisfaction when learning something new, finishing a task, receiving praise, or playing sports. 

Although dopamine has a good side, like other things in life, too much of a good thing can be harmful. It’s important to have a dopamine system that’s in balance. If it’s not, it can cause significant functional problems in your brain.