Anna Lembke: Increase Your Dopamine, Rewire Your Brain for Happiness, and Be Happier More Often & More

From the time you were born, dopamine receptors in your brain have been firing off to keep you alive, to keep you motivated and keep you focused on pursuing something worthwhile. If you were born in the digital age of technology where electronic devices and social media started affecting your life directly or indirectly. You easily start feeling like you're not enough, there’s something missing or like you should be doing more than you are. Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She writes, “humans are the ultimate seekers.” Because of the way we are wired with the flood of hormones and chemicals released physiologically, we are always looking for the next dopamine hit without ever consciously identifying and labeling it. So, if it is in your nature to pursue a reward that is ever elusive, what reward do you decide to focus on? In this episode, Anna and Tom explore why using the love of the pursuit as a drug of choice to get dopamine rewards can be very dangerous. Anna also explains the pleasure pain balance and why too much pleasure and too much positive overload is still a form of stress to watch out for. Order Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/152474672X?tag=randohouseinc7986-20 SHOW NOTES: 0:00 | Introduction to Anna Lembke 1:00 | Pursuit is Rewarding 10:12 | Dopamine Insensitivity 16:17 | Pleasure Pain Balance 26:24 | Dopamine Reset 29:21 | Cannabis Use & Potency 34:07 | Pornography Addiction 39:56 | Truth Telling Reward 50:38 | Spirituality in Neurochemistry 59:05 | Social Media Connection 1:12:16 | To Exert Will or Not 1:25:10 | Danger in Striving Follow Anna Lembke: Website: https://www.annalembke.com/ Check out our sponsors: Indeed: Get a FREE $75 CREDIT to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/IMPACT Athletic Greens: Go to athleticgreens.com/impact and receive a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase! ButcherBox: Skip the lines for your Thanksgiving turkey. ButcherBox is proud to give new members a free turkey at ButcherBox.com/impact Headspace: Go to headspace.com/impact to get one month FREE of their entire meditation library. Helix Sleep: Go to HelixSleep.com/impact for up to $200 off your mattress and 2 free pillows. InsideTracker: Get 25% off their entire store at insidetracker.com/impacttheory Are You Ready for EXTRA Impact? If you’re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you. Want to transform your health, sharpen your mindset, improve your relationship, or conquer the business world? This is your epicenter of greatness.  This is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who dare to learn obsessively, every day, day after day. Subscription Benefits: Unlock the gates to a treasure trove of wisdom from inspiring guests like Andrew Huberman, Mel Robbins, Hal Elrod, Matthew McConaughey, and many, many, more New episodes delivered ad-free Exclusive access to Tom’s AMAs, keynote speeches, and suggestions from his personal reading list You’ll also get access to an 5 additional podcasts with hundreds of archived Impact Theory episodes, meticulously curated into themed playlists covering health, mindset, business, relationships, and more: Legendary Mindset: Mindset & Self-Improvement Money Mindset: Business & Finance Relationship Theory: Relationships Health Theory: Mental & Physical Health Power Ups: Weekly Doses of Short Motivational Quotes  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PCvJaz Subscribe on all other platforms (Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Downcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Podkicker, and more) : https://impacttheorynetwork.supercast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices