STRESS AND DOPAMINE KICKS

Sometimes work and personal life become overwhelming. Stress creeps in like an unwelcome guest, and you find yourself in a sort of hamster wheel of activity. It's great to be active, to constantly have new goals. That's when you feel important. Stress shows that I am busy, that I am performing, that I have something going on. The question arises; have I become addicted to keeping myself busy?

You may recognize the following. You've worked all week and really looked forward to the weekend, to be able to relax and not have any appointments to keep. What happens then? Suddenly you find yourself agreeing to three different activities before you have finished eating your Saturday breakfast. How did that happen? You were looking forward to having nothing scheduled!

This is a great example of a deep-rooted habit in human behavior caused by chemical imbalances in our brain. Dopamine is the key. Dopamine, the brain's own reward drug, is highly addictive. When dopamine is released in the brain, there is a brief feeling of satisfaction, joy, and relaxation. Dopamine is therefore one of the most driving factors in constantly keeping ourselves busy, whether it's taking on too many tasks or constantly checking social media. We get a brief satisfaction and then the brain demands a new rush, more activity, a new reward. Over time, we are drawn into a vicious cycle of activity and reward. We have begun to develop an addiction to activity. Even when we have time to relax, we cannot stop being busy. When we try, an inner restlessness arises that can be compared to withdrawal symptoms.

When we are constantly active, we also do not have time to check how our body is feeling. We stop listening to the signals about the need for rest and recovery. Does this sound familiar?

Is it possible to be active and still maintain inner peace? That is what is called the art of cultivating “being” in "doing". This means being able to perform activities with sustained awareness, an anchor in the present moment that does not let thoughts or feelings run away into the future. In The Basic  Body Awareness method, they speak of conscious presence in the present moment and in the Feldenkrais method of the witness position. This conscious presence helps you break your dopamine-related dependence on quick rushes and helps you regain balance in your life.

You can read more about the Witness position in my book, “Regaining Balance, the Swedish Healthcare Method to Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Pain".  .