How to leverage dopamine to get your work done

How to blitzkrieg through your task list with ease. #37

Dopamine isnt the enemy that your making It out to be

It’s more like you’re fighting your biology instead of working with it.

I see it every week. Someone on Twitter announces they’re doing a “dopamine detox.”

No phone. No music. No coffee. Just sitting in a dark room, staring at a wall, trying to “reset” their brain.

A week later? They’re back to doomscrolling at 2 AM, and watching tiktoks.

Here’s the truth: dopamine detoxes are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how dopamine actually works. You can’t “detox” from a neurotransmitter your brain produces naturally

Thats the neurotransmitter equivalent of trying to detox from oxygen hahahaha

But there’s a deeper issue here. The people doing dopamine detoxes are asking the right question

”Why am I so scattered and unproductive?” but they’re getting the wrong answer.

The real answer isn’t deprivation. It’s optimization.

And optimization starts with understanding something most people don’t know: your dopamine system runs on a circadian clock.

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The Circadian Dopamine System (Or: Why You’re Most Productive in the Morning)

Your brain doesn’t produce dopamine at a constant rate throughout the day. It follows a rhythm.

Research from animal studies shows that dopamine levels are highest first thing in the morning right when you wake up.[1] This is by design. Dopamine helps you wake up, get moving, and tackle the day. It’s your brain’s natural “get up and go” signal alongside cortisol.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Dopamine clearance how fast your brain removes dopamine from synapses also follows a circadian pattern. Studies show that dopamine clearance is greatest about 4 hours after lights-on,[2] meaning your brain is actively managing dopamine tone throughout the day.

This isn’t random. Your circadian clock genes (CLOCK, BMAL1, PER, CRY) directly regulate the enzymes that produce and break down dopamine.[3] When you disrupt your circadian rhythm staying up late, inconsistent sleep, eating at weird time you’re not just tired. You’re essentially breaking the machinery that regulates your motivation, focus, and drive.

This is why dopamine detoxes fail

Because fundamentally and based on first principles thinking you can’t reset a system that’s supposed to fluctuate. You can only synchronize it.

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The COMT Problem: Why Some People Struggle More Than Others

Not everyone’s dopamine system works the same way. And one of the biggest differences comes down to a single enzyme: catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT).

COMT is one of the main enzymes that breaks down dopamine in your prefrontal cortex the part of your brain responsible for focus, planning, and executive function.[4] But here’s the kicker: there’s a genetic variant (Val158Met) that determines how fast your COMT enzyme works.

If you have the Met allele, your COMT enzyme is slower. This means dopamine stays in your synapses longer. You have higher baseline dopamine, but you’re also more sensitive to stress and overstimulation.[5]

If you have the Val allele, your COMT enzyme is faster. Dopamine clears quickly. You need more stimulation to feel motivated, but you handle stress better.[5]

This is why some people can drink coffee all day and stay focused, while others get jittery and anxious after one cup unfortunately you can’t change your COMT genotype. But you can work with it.

If you’re a slow COMT (Met/Met), you need to be careful with overstimulation. Too much caffeine, too many notifications, too much novelty and your system gets flooded. You need structure and predictability.

If you’re a fast COMT (Val/Val), you need more dopamine input to stay engaged. You thrive on novelty, challenge, and intensity. You need variety and stimulation.

Most people don’t know which they are. But if you’ve ever felt like productivity advice doesn’t work for you, this might be why.

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The Building Blocks: What Your Brain Actually Needs

Before we talk about protocols, let’s talk about substrate.

Dopamine isn’t made from thin air. It’s synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine, which comes from dietary protein (or phenylalanine, which converts to tyrosine). If you’re not eating enough protein, you’re not giving your brain the raw materials it needs to produce dopamine.[6]

But protein alone isn’t enough. Dopamine synthesis requires several cofactors:

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) is required for the enzyme that converts L-DOPA to dopamine.[6] If you’re deficient, your dopamine production bottlenecks.

Iron is a cofactor for tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis.[6] Low iron = low dopamine production capacity.

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including those in dopamine metabolism.[7] Deficiency impairs neurotransmitter synthesis across the board.

Folate and B12 support methylation pathways that regulate neurotransmitter metabolism, including dopamine breakdown via COMT.[8]

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This is why “just meditate more” doesn’t work if your diet is crap. You can’t optimize a system that doesn’t have the building blocks to function properly.

Here’s the baseline:

•1g of protein per pound of bodyweight (minimum 0.8g/lb)

•Whole food sources: eggs, meat, fish, dairy,

•Micronutrient density: organ meats, shellfish, dark leafy greens

•Consistent meal timing to support circadian rhythm

If you’re not hitting these basics, no protocol will save you.

Fun fact: Ground beef contains lots of the amino acid L-tyrosine if you don’t want to forkout for supplements.

The Diurnal Dopamine Protocol: Working With Your Biology

Now that you understand the circadian dopamine system, here’s how to optimize it.

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Phase 1: Morning Dopamine Spike (0-4 Hours After Waking)

Your dopamine levels are naturally highest in the morning. This is your window for high-cognitive-load work deep focus, problem-solving, creative thinking.

What to do:

•Wake up at the same time every day. Circadian consistency is non-negotiable.

•Get bright light exposure within 30 minutes of waking. This synchronizes your circadian clock and supports dopamine production.[9]

•Delay caffeine 90-120 minutes after waking. Let your natural cortisol awakening response do its job first. When you do have caffeine, it amplifies the natural dopamine peak instead of replacing it.

•Eat protein within 2 hours of waking. This provides tyrosine for dopamine synthesis throughout the day.

•Do your hardest work first. This is when your prefrontal cortex has the most dopamine available for executive function.