Use That Back-to-School Energy

Remember the feeling of opening a brand-new notebook on the first day of school?

Nothing had been written yet. The pages were clean. You could begin again.​

That feeling stays with us. The week after Labor Day still creates a natural desire to organize, focus, learn and get moving.

​We can use that energy at any age.

​Dopamine, one of the brain’s key motivational messengers, helps us pursue goals, recognize progress and repeat behaviors that feel rewarding. And we do not have to wait for motivation to appear. We can help activate it through the choices we make.​

10 Ways to Activate Dopamine

• Do a hard workout.

  Try intervals, hills or short bursts of intensity that require real effort.

• Lift something heavy.

  Choose a weight that challenges you and lets you see your strength progress.

• Create a focused work block.

  Put your phone away and give an important project 60–90 minutes of your full attention.

• Finish something.

  Pick one task you have been avoiding and take it across the finish line.

• Break a larger goal into smaller wins.

  Create clear milestones and check them off as you go.

• Learn something new.

  Take a class, try a new recipe or build a skill that stretches your brain.

• Add novelty.

  Walk a different route, try a new workout or change where you work.

• Turn on music that energizes you.

  Use a favorite playlist to help you initiate movement or focused work.

• Create healthy anticipation.

  Put something exciting on the calendar—a trip, race, dinner, event or personal goal.

• Celebrate your progress.

  Pause long enough to recognize what you accomplished. That sense of reward helps reinforce the behavior.

💙 Collins, Jill, Susan