The science behind events? Let’s talk about dopamine!

Events require a giant dose of concentration. But how can you concentrate when you are bored throughout the event? Hardly. In today’s article, we’ll explain why our brains need fun to easily focus on an hours-long event and give you some tips on entertaining yourself.

When we have fun, dopamine is automatically released in our body — it’s also called the hormone of happiness. It makes us feel great and completely relaxed and happy. It is released, for example, when we are rewarded. This reward can take any form — recognition from a colleague, a promotion, or the joy of your favorite team winning. And since dopamine is released when we play games, we should keep this in mind when creating our event.

Low dopamine is often linked with tremors, caffeine dependence, sudden mood swings and low mood. But we don’t want to scare you with that now. On the contrary, let’s focus on dopamine’s benefits.

What dopamine is associated with:

• how our brain works and how we feel

• behavior and physical function

• motivation

• creative thinking

Research has also looked at dopamine and video games. Researchers Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson have compared the dopamine release from playing to the kind you get from a slice of pizza or a bowl of ice cream. :) And that deserves consideration.

But enough is enough. And even gaming shouldn’t be overdone, so we recommend the golden rule — everything in moderation. So, what are the other ways we can increase dopamine levels in our body?

Reduce sugar

We know, easy to say but hard to do. You don’t have to say goodbye to sugar forever. Just at least partially reduce it. Although sugar can partly stimulate dopamine, it is not the best solution. It only works for a short time, and you will feel exhausted soon. Sugar works like a bandage on a wound, but unfortunately it doesn’t heal it.

Exercise

You don’t have to be a marathon runner; everyone can exercise anytime and anywhere. Try to start the day with a short warm-up. You only need 10 minutes, and chances are you will feel much better.

You can practice during the event in our workout corner — with videos that will help you stretch your back after a long session at a computer or full-body workout videos.

Listen to music

Music is the cure for everything. Researchers have looked at its link to dopamine too. Take your headphones, find your favorite playlist, and enjoy the music to the fullest.

We thought about music when we created Happenee. In the Relax zone, you will find, among other things, a jukebox — play music as you wish!

Meditate

We will not lie to you. There is quite a lot of hard work behind meditation, although it may not seem like it. During the break, try to sit in a quiet room, cross-legged and in complete silence. Close your eyes for a few minutes, and focus only on your breath. Does it seem easy? You will see that initially, you will have a lot of thoughts during your meditation. But like everything, meditation takes time. Therefore, try to persevere and gradually increase the time you spend meditating.

So, what follows from the whole article? Nowadays, you can also increase dopamine by attending an online event. However, do not forget about balance — that is the key.