ADHD Dopamine Fix: Your First Hour Matters

[@zomerbloesem9371]

I’m so guilty of listening something all the time and upping the speed because I want to get to the next thing 😅 I’ve intuitively know it’s not the best thing to do, but a hard habit to break because I start feeling antsy without I’ve noticed

[@opalcoastal-ld5kd]

Preaching to the choir- I know it’s bad for me, but I feel like I’m wasting time if I’m watching things on normal speed, which makes me feel guilty. But, knowing that it’s draining my dopamine and increasing my anxiety is also making me feel guilty because I know better. The solution would probably be to watch/listen to less videos, but not sure I’m ready for that either. I need a serious overhaul.

[@stayy_lokeyy]

Me too even in the shower ugh smh

[@sallieturner8771]

Same here. Always listening to something.

[@dorotheakenneweg]

Walking without headphones is the greatest! I call it "listening to my own thoughts".

[@SIBIRIAKcom]

I hated doing dishes. I always postpone it and try to use as less as possible. Recently, I discover that I figure out many things and plans while doing dishes. because there is no distraction, only water running. Now I'm always at my kitchen, 🤣

[@AllisonMcDonald-ku8ke]

Totally relate to dishes overwhelm. Boring repetitive task ...that just come back as quick as you did them. A bane in my life. My rental house also doesn't have a dishwasher....so like you.... I try listen to a valuable podcast ...or try to utilise the time thinking. But geez....it's a dopamine drainer task doing dishes. My pet hate......we even have a song we sing to the dishes or when the sink is overflowing like the Eiffel Tower ....sung to the Simon & Garfunkel song The Sound Of Silience ..... "Hello dishes my old friend ...its not great to see you again! 😕 lol 😆

[@philosopher2king]

This is solid. Reminds me of a quote from Huberman that I thought was BRILLIANT: “"Addiction is a progressive narrowing of the things that bring you pleasure. Happiness is a progressive expansion of the things that bring you pleasure. The former emerges passively. The latter takes work. As a general rule, beware of anything that delivers high dopamine with minimal effort. Enjoy the little things in life of course, but keep the amount of dopamine scaled with the degree of effort to reach it." It is what you’re saying with the video; allow your body to regulate its own dopamine without relying/over-relying on phone/sugar/screens, etc. My own theory is that people with ADHD were probably the biggest assets to our tribes in our hunter gathering past, and the constant movement, action, interaction with people and living in nature, balanced our dopamine and moods. As I see it, we are the last people who need to be sedentary and parked in front of a screen all day. If there’s anybody who needs to be walking, talking to neighbors and being in nature, it’s us. Thank you for your videos, Caren! My one note would be to make them a bit slower, there’s hardly any passes in your dialogue, and that makes them hard to watch. Maybe that works for most of your viewers, in which case, do it! 🙂

[@henriettejansen7307]

If it’s too fast then you could go into the cog wheel setting to play it at .75 speed.

[@thecurrentmoment]

​@@henriettejansen7307 good advice, bit it's not the same thing as a pause. Pauses are like punctuation in the presentation, instead of one long sentence

[@moegirl76]

This week I did an experiment of leaving my phone in the office overnight. Without the temptation for my mind I feel asleep SO FAST. And last night at 9:30 I was tired, yawning, and ready for sleep. What did I do? Stared at my phone for an hour or more which got my brain all hyper. I kept it charging in the room and the energy felt chaotic! Didn't fall asleep until midnight and woke up feeling hungover. Won't make that choice again!

[@CarenMagill]

now you know!!!

[@RochelleFleming-c1r]

I have this happen to me way to much! All I do is listen to podcasts trying to better my future. Way way to much. But am I actually doing the stuff I even listen to? Thank you for this!!

[@CarenMagill]

I'm the same. Trying to reduce my content intake these days and finding more peace because of it.

[@bespoke_heirlooms]

My phone is my alarm and I used to turn it off, jump out of bed and do 10-15 minutes of yoga in the morning. I haven’t done that for the past few weeks, as I’ve been unwell and only just able to go back to the office this week. I’m definitely feeling the difference between my two routines, so I need to get back to my mornings of yoga before work!

[@AdnanKhalid-fe4te]

I'm 39 and have struggled with severe ADHD my whole life. Two things transformed my focus, confidence, and work ethic. My ADHD is off the charts-probably 90%. I do intermittent fasting, eating between 7-8 PM and my first meal at 10 AM, mainly a handful (7-12) of cashews. Lunch is at 1 PM. I jog at 6 AM, which keeps me energized, especially in the first half of the day (until 12 PM). High-carb and sugar-heavy diets kill my focus, so I avoid them before noon to prevent sluggishness. Tip: Start intermittent fasting at 10 hours and gradually extend it. You'll feel the difference in a month. I’ve tried dozens of strategies-nothing beats intermittent fasting + cardio.

[@annmuse5718]

Talking about high speed.... You talk so fast in this video, that I had to reduce the speed to 0.8 for my brain to be able to comprehend what you are saying. I speak too quickly, too, so this was an eye-opener!

[@rhiannonchaffer2588]

Me too, although I thought it was just because Americans often talk too fast for my British ears!

[@fenderlead1]

Literally listening to this video on 2X with subtitles in case I miss something, split screen on iPad with the other half browsing Reddit for dopamine books while lying in bed…

[@rhiannonchaffer2588]

Seriously?! I had to slow it down to 0.8 because Americans talk too fast!

[@rbthomasjr]

I wear a mask when I sleep. It has made a huge difference. It is amazing how sensitive we are when "asleep."

[@piotrgraniszewski8544]

When I put on a mask it makes me sleepy within 5 minutes.

[@CarenMagill]

that's a great idea!

[@brightwithspirit]

like a covid style mask?

[@piotrgraniszewski8544]

@@brightwithspirit no. Eye mask.

[@quantumnelz4888]

So relatable…. Every morning get up one and a half to two hours early just to put on both TVs on the wall one on KZbin one on current news and scroll through messages, messenger and email. So that’s where my feel good juice goes, and then I have less to regulate throughout the day. I thought my lack of motivation to do anything lately was a midlife crisis lol

[@missykins3193]

You are speaking to me.

[@haraluppnow3534]

Caren, you have just described my exact iffiness with life lately - that lack of joy at things that used to bring joy, I kept thinking I needed to adjust my meds! This has given me a lot to think about, and I’m about to do that on a walk outside 😃 Many thanks for your work, it is life changing!

[@CarenMagill]

glad it resonates!

[@nicolashea8234]

This is interesting and makes sense. At the moment waking up in the dark means I get up but then naturally want to curl up in my comfy chair with coffee and a podcast or an audible book (×1.2) until it gets light by which point, I'm in the book and all other thoughts and motivations to move have gone out the window. A few routine tweaks are needed I think to delay the coffee and book time. I don't want to eradicate it, that quiet time, on my own, is important to me, but it has overtaken my mornings.

[@kellyjean4981]

I sent this video, and your previous one to my husband. I hope he watches them and truly hears you. Our family needs to hit the reset button and start living life

[@SPQRxUSAxNUSA]

This is very impressive, when you said "listening to things at 2x", I checked my settings and you're actually speaking fast enough that I don't need to make you chipmunk speak hehe.

[@EsmereldaPea]

As a "nature baby", I think this type of habit will motivate me to disconnect more often and more regularly. I'm game to try it!

[@wijasi2059]

listening to podcasts x2 lol this is such sage advice..thank god for YT and content creators

[@jonstewart5386]

It feels like the day is at least 50% more productive when I start off the day by making myself a healthful breakfast. I'm also way more likely to keep consistent with my diet throughout the rest of day when I do that.

[@CelyndaPine]

This hits home for me so much. I try to let my brain have that white noise space but definitey guilty of always listening to something lately. I try to use podcasts when I’m doing household chores. Sometimes my brain is going a million miles and I can’t focus, so having a podcast to focus on helps me calm my brain enough to stay on task.

[@Torymorgan9]

My mornings are all over the place!! Some days I avoid my phone and get my work done. Other days I'm on 3 social medias right away and so jumpy. Thank you for this breakdown, Caren.

[@CarenMagill]

you're welcome!

[@micheleparks8067]

You just described me! 90% of my time is spent on my cell as soon as I get up. The next thing I know an hour has passed speaking as a 55 year old ADHD adults who seems to be always exhausted

[@ashleygher9325]

This is SOOOO relatable. I definetly need to evaluate my "scrolling" habit. It's ruining my life! Thanks for the great info!

[@jpschmitten]

I'm so glad that I often only listen to these videos because the editing in this one was exhausting. The second half or last third was much better. There were fewer cuts, fewer stock video clips, and fewer overlays. This felt like an early PowerPoint presentation in which the presenter used all of the animations because they were available. Similarly, if you highlight a sentence by zooming in, it loses its effect quickly if you do it on every second or third sentence. Like the message of the video, reduce the bombardment, calm down, and focus on what's important so we can too.

[@nokrome]

An important topic and great suggestions. However, I want to point out that the reason for not taking any caffeine for 90 minutes or so after waking up is not related to dopamine levels, but adenosine and cortisol levels. Getting exposure to sunlight in the morning also isn’t directly related to dopamine levels, but has an effect on cortisol levels and alertness, your circadian rhythm and serotonin production etc. Yes these things indirectly can improve alertness and possible influence dopamine release, but these were not Andrew Huberman’s main arguments to adopt these regimens Don’t take this as criticism. Keep up the great content! I love it.

[@BenCG]

You absolutely nailed this! I feel like the perfect follow-up to this video is to ask how people tell the difference between dopamine drain caused by screens/excessive content, and suspecting they may have ADHD. If this idea spreads, it really could be quite earth-shattering, with public health campaigns that then disrupt the profitability of social media giants. It's a bit of a rhetorical question and goes back to my last point (digital detox) but would love to hear your first-hand insights. It's just super-important to back it up with the science and not frame it like "you damn kids are on your phones too much!"

[@jenniferhoward8570]

Thanks for formatting this just as you did! Those who have made suggestions possibly don’t have ADHD? I have a friend who talks sooo fast and I love listening to her because I don’t have to TRY to focus on what she’s saying, whereas people who talk slow keep me working really hard to stay focused. Great job!

[@noyceofficial]

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT... THANK YOU

[@annahappen7036]

YES! This is what I needed to hear to get a hold of my routine! Thanks :)

[@ManyHats-Woodshop]

I don't listen to podcasts sped up, but I noticed recently that I always had to have a podcast on when driving or walking. So I started driving with nothing playing and it seemed to allow me to think more. I also like walking or hiking without headphones to experience my surroundings. Sometime I put them in because I want to be in my own world, but usually end up taking them out because I feel that I am missing out on something like a neighbor saying hi or a doggo barking at me. Think its time to start putting the phone away more too.

[@fuzonzord9301]

My first hour. Wake up, spend 10m-30m mustering will to get out of bed, drink a cup of water if possible, rush to toilet, have bowel movement, spend the rest of the first hour wiping.

[@Lover30583]

😂😂😂

[@pinarppanrapir9489]

only 30 min? try 2 hours

[@amberjalink]

Funny you said this because a course I took recently said to put everything on 2x speed so you can get it in faster and keep pushing through taking in the knowledge, then you will find you won't WANT to watch anything at lower. I realized my brain was like, no way! LOL! 1.25 speed is reasonable... unless the person is a REALLY slow talker, I won't put it higher than that. But I rarely listen to podcasts, I prefer music (or nothing) when I'm doing other things. Love the idea of going outside... unfortunately some of us live where it's super cold and snowy and icy... and people don't clear the sidewalks well so it's a litle unsafe right now (even roads). BUT stepping outside for a few minutes even just on the porch is helpful.

[@haekyungee]

Absolutely hit the nail - I started leaving my phone when walking, getting coffee and going to workout and it's amazing at the difference. I feel in my own head (in a good way) instead of scattered or impulsively ticking to reach for phone. Thanks for talking about this!

[@TheGoofygirl67]

Thank you so much ! ❤🙏🏼

[@Sharkuterie327]

Not me watching this in bed in the morning while drinking coffee, struggling to get up.

[@christopherfowler5624]

Thank you for this. I've been struggling with finding motivation and focus over the last couple of months; a general sense of "MEH." It never occurred to me that I developed bad dopamine habits that led to my struggles. While attempting to work on my final master's project earlier today (well yesterday now) I was struggling to come of with topics that I wanted to discuss. I went outside and just slowly walked around for a few minutes and the ideas just started flowing...while I was walking outside. When you discussed doing this, it clicked. I'm going to try these tips out to see just how much my dopamine levels (and quality) improve and sustain throughout the day.

[@simonanardi4312]

Morning sun… living in a backyard, just above groundfloor. But at least it’s February and the days are getting longer again! 💖

[@JohnGibson-d7u]

Brilliant, Caren! I knew there was a reason I subscribed to your channel 😀 I can relate to and validate every word you said, esp about getting trapped in bed w yr phone first thing in the morning 🤮 and how important it is to keep that phone away from the bed! Thanks for all the work you do for us, much appreciated….dopamine is not the enemy, it’s the dopamine triggers we need to understand and manage…!!

[@CarenMagill]

aw, thank you for the kind words :)

[@lesliethomas1199]

So true! Scrolling also sets me up to start my day in comparison mode - not good. I changed my phone settings and enabled the Focus feature on iPhone which keeps me from picking up my phone, which keeps me - shocker - focused on what I need to be doing !

[@FostersLagerMorphs]

I've been working on improving my house and garden after years of anxiety and depression. In the morning, I let my indoor-pet rabbits run around the back yard while I pull some weeds or read the news. There's a little dopamine reward from seeing minor, gradual improvements to my situation. The real catalyst for the change was chemical support: CBD, L-theanine and L-glutamine supplements, together with adequate vitamin D. CBD is good for serotonin (happiness) and GABA (reduces excitability), but talk to a Dr about safety and your liver. L-theanine is good for both those and dopamine. I started on L-glutamine for IBS treatment, but noticed it improved my anxiety; it's a precursor of serotonin. Before supplements, I felt like I was weighed down; every goal was too hard and I was overwhelmed by the number of unaccomplished goals. I suspect that I am compensating for deficiencies in my gut microbiome, which produces 90% of the serotonin in the body.

[@AfricanFlightStar]

Wow. You totally described me and my behaviors (excluding a couple of those you mentioned), again. So yes this hits home big time. And you're right, I need to fully understand the negative impact that all of this is having on my life, and make those changes you're talking about. Thank you for this.

[@TheChristineBabb]

Laughing here - first thing I do when I play your KZbin videos is *reduce* the playback speed to .75. I love your content, but listening to you at normal playback speed is just too much for my brain to handle. 😂

[@mimamona5158]

I love the speed 😂

[@Kaori57]

I definitely need to get away from my phone. I keep it on silent all the time because I HATE getting notifications. All the emails and texts stress me out. 😭I don't like feeling that people need a response from me right away because we all have cellphones. Also, this is off-topic, but I keep thinking the painting next to you has spiders on it LOL. I kept having to rewind because I was getting distracted.

[@Gilly103221]

Great video, I will implement the changes from tomorrow.🙏🙏🙏

[@carolinepapp6645]

I'm sitting here with my morning coffee watching you 😂. However, great advice, thank you. I'll be a lot more mindful over how I start my day & see how that changes things up.

[@weirdconstructor2165]

Amazing, you fixed ADHD by: better diet, no social media and workouts! If I only knew it would be sooo easy! .... NOT, this did not work for me in the long run at all. I am glad I got meds for my ADHD now, they really help. often things are more complicated than this, especially with co-morbidities

[@funkyflips5388]

Where does she mention fixing ADHD? She doesn’t.

[@weirdconstructor2165]

@funkyflips5388 the title literally says "ADHD Dopamine Fix" and the thumbnail "Fix your Focus".

[@katharinahoff9916]

thank you so much for the explaining i will try that, just explainded for me why for months in feel Meh und frustatet with myself.

[@aleezafatma4754]

I like this one ❤

[@thomasrasmussen1132]

Does the same thing apply to music? I'm absolutely addictet to my headphones and music, when walking, working, working out etc. That thing with increased speed on podcast and videos I really don't get. I have ADHD so I'm impatient, but that thing just drives me crazy when I try it - very stressfull

[@cozmicrain]

Do you think listening to music has the same effect as listening to podcasts? I do agree our brains don’t have as much time to just think and wander as they used to before smartphones! I’ve made an effort to not pull out my phone when waiting in line for example!

[@kathrynschumann5254]

very helpful, thanks!

[@JohnGibson-d7u]

Ima watching this more than once, and taking notes!

[@rosalux6616]

Thank you

[@burn1gotbeats]

i feel like you get me it’s like you know exactly who i am 😮 😊

[@susanh171]

Very good succinct and practical steps , thanks so much. Ps did you record that at 1.5 or 2x normal speed???just curious as you covered a lot in a short time. I kept up with it fine and probably the speed keeps ADHD minds attentive to what you are saying

[@sanaishere18]

I bought a digital clock just so I wouldn’t grab my phone in the morning. I bought a little countdown clock for when I’m studying so I also wouldn’t have to have my phone open or my computer if I’m not using it for schoolwork.

[@NM-gi5sm]

Thank you so much for sharing this, it's really helpful ❤ However, I wish it was easy for me😢 I live in Egypt where everything is busy and we lack time in nature, everything is about work work work all day, even if you try to take a walk any time you'll be surrounded by cars and crowds and noise 😢

[@CarenMagill]

That's tough. Very much the same way here. WHat are some ways that you can easily carve out peace for yourself?

[@NM-gi5sm]

@CarenMagill I dunno, for now I just enjoy some time alone in my room after a long day or if I can get some time off with husband and family

[@philipdavis7521]

I had a pretty good routine (up early, get on exercise bike while studying languages), but it broke over Christmas - twitter while eating breakfast took over from the bike. I've noticed that my concentration levels have fallen apart during the working day.

[@DH-uw3us]

Lol I recently started watching KZbin videos at 2X speed. I watched this one at 1.5X speed lol, that seems to be the sweet spot.

[@CarenMagill]

I do that too!

[@stayy_lokeyy]

Yes yes yes and yes 😩

[@vinylated]

I am sugar dopamine every day. First thing, phone then coffee then cereal, on my laptop working then before I know it I have had 4 cups of coffee.

[@kevinfinke6927]

Our “natural” day to day lifestyles are anything but natural.

[@seemerun2017]

Eat Healthy Fats Workout min 20 minutes Walk outside for 20 minutes no headphones, just you and your thoughts Limit Podcasts Go to Sleep at a decent hour Limit the scrolling

[@srmrlr]

I don't eat a lot of sugar, trying to lose weight and chasing a histamine intolerance. I don't do coffee, I do drink energy drinks but I do not get a caffeine buzz off them. I do spend entirely too much time on my phone. I work and spend a lot of time outside cell phone range. I spend enough time outdoors to keep my solar Garmin Instinct watch charged. I may charge it once every 5 or 6 weeks. But getting tasks done is tough, the more I chase down rabbit holes to learn what I can for a project... The less I get done.

[@DeirdreHouston]

Might be that the energy drinks are undermining the conscious efforts and choices you are making with food and coffee? Which would be a shame. They are so high in both sugar and caffeine - (equivalent of 14 level teaspoons of sugar in 500ml I’ve read… and can block DAO production which would exacerbate histamine intolerance?) Trust your own research of course, and forgive me if it’s info you already know🙏 Hope you achieve and sustain the changes you are working towards. Never easy! 🙂

[@srmrlr]

@@DeirdreHouston Sugar free, no carbonation energy drinks. I get what you mean though. I do not drink coffee, at all. I am not caffiene sensitive, though my younger siblings are very. Tea rarely. But yes, the energy drinks are a major histamine contributor. As for ruling out allergy issues, a full panel of skin and blood tests showed I am mildly allergic to mold and cats. (Cats love me for some reason.) I had bariatric surgery 6 years ago, with great success, which is why I limit sugars and carbonation...

[@rreese4221]

Saw your pug and instantly clicked

[@DavidPaulNewtonScott]

That's me at the moment.

[@alysmarcus7747]

i don't actually do any of those things but i'm sapped. i'm exhausted all the time. i don't have a phone - and i'm sitting here at the computer at 2:30 am because i'm snowed in - i would normally go out on my bike , yes, in the snow. i'm 65 years old . . . and i hate being indoors but here i am. The city has forgotten how to use their plows again so i'm crashing bad. May i say something?? You are lovely and i like your channel and learn alot but the speed of your talking is quite tiring to me. I stopped listening actually when you said about listening to podcasts at 2 X - wow.

[@k8m883]

I know this is off subject but how do you have coffee in bed without getting out of bed? The first thing I do when I wake up is I need to pee and then make my morning coffee in the kitchen. I am really curious how people stay in bed?

[@Chsbobcat1]

I describe it to my therapist as a magnet. For me it’s a mental health issue thing. I’ll use the restroom, then back in bed. Get some water, then back in bed.

[@qahnaarin6532]

💯

[@suzannesutton5636]

Look into the Eastern sky in the morning NOT THE SUN itself

[@EtherealZaftig]

The stoics take the morning walk.

[@brianmizway9324]

Thank goodness for Ritalin.

[@jadeothen6057]

I think ADHD is overdiagnosed to be honest - if people just ditched their smartphones they would probably find their "ADHD" disappears. If you genuinely have low dopamine, it can be complete hell and destroy your life. I hate technology and ditched my smartphone years ago. But for 20 years I had chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, low motivation etc - until I saw a psychiatrist and was prescribed Elvanse (Vyvanse) - it completely changed my life.

[@weirdconstructor2165]

I agree with you, if you really have ADHD, then a new diet and morning routine will not fix it. At least in my experienced. I had lived a very nice morning routine for a long time, while it may help with symptoms partially, it did not help with motivation at work at all. Actually, I also take Elvanse now, and it is a real game changer for me. It fixes my bad moods, it helps me to remember things and actually get through the work day.

[@jadeothen6057]

@@weirdconstructor2165 Nice one, yes, genuinely low dopamine is no joke

[@thesumofus-g2b]

and now spent 8 minutes watchyoutube 😢

[@Astrobiomancy_Energy_Healing]

People need to get out of their mind and back into the body. That's why I teach mindlessness.

[@audreylee2134]

I agree I think the videos great but with less of that 🙏 I think more people would enjoy

[@AndyFetisov]

The way this video was edited probably isn’t helping the ADHD ppl.

[@MrSindala]

The GenZ crowd came up with this? Really? Come on! You're old enough to remember the time when every walk was a 'silent walk'. The world didn't start yesterday!

[@TM-tx9ct]

Not trying to be negative or anything here, but listening to you having a hypo and the jumping editing is draining. Just saying.

[@JohnFrancisShade]

“Having a hypo” sounds like a rude assessment. But I agree that the speed and editing don’t suit the topic. It definitely made me feel like I was late for something.

[@audreylee2134]

Still very good