dvarfundamentals

Problems with dopamine dysregulation come about due to phasic bursts being exaggerated because of a lower tonic baseline.

Tonic dopamine is a stabiliser and phasic dopamine is a destabiliser.

Our aim is to increase the tonic baseline and detach from our reactivity toward phasic bursts.

Exercises are staggered so you can choose one which suits your current level of activation.

Aerobic exercise (zone 2 effort)

tonic dopamine + + +

• Up-regulate D2 receptors and increase baseline dopaminergic tone.

• Effects are both acute (tonic increase during / after) and chronic (receptor up-regulation over months).

• Phasic bursts will come but do not respond to them; we are training ourselves to be less impulsive.

Vocalisation and rhythmic movement

tonic dopamine + + / phasic dopamine -

• Vocalisation and rhythmic movement (rocking, swaying) also improve dopaminergic tone significantly.

• Effects are again acute (during / after) and chronic (months/years).

• These methods have been used as an on-ramp for meditation practices for millennia.

Sitting meditation

tonic dopamine + + / phasic dopamine - -

• Sitting meditation can increase tonic dopamine by up to 65% in the immediate.

• Acts in a different way to exercise, so the effects can stack.

• Trains you to observe impulses (phasic bursts) and not react.

• Excellent for trauma-release

• Easiest approached using one of the on-ramps above

Things to avoid:

High-stimulation activities in the early morning or before bed; tonic dopamine is low at these times and phasic bursts will set you up for a prickly day or a sleepless night. Save them for after your dopaminergic warm-up and finish them before your cool-down.

HIIT / high-intensity training drives strong phasic dopamine release. It feels good but reinforces dysregulation. If you do it, keep it around midday. Best avoided; it hits the system like other burst-driven activities (drugs, gambling, fighting).

Substances. The less you alter your system with exogenous substances, the better.

/jb202509081025

see references