neuroscience – Peace LiLy

Lately, I’ve noticed how many people — friends, colleagues, even myself at times — feel drained and uninspired.
We wake up tired, scroll through our phones for quick hits of excitement, yet still feel empty inside.
It’s as if our inner engine has lost its spark.
But according to a 2025 review published in Trends in Neurosciences, there’s a scientific reason behind this: our brain’s dopamine release system may be getting stuck.

That could explain why so many of us today feel unmotivated or emotionally flat, even when life seems to be “going fine.”

Dopamine: Not Just the “Happy Chemical”

We often call dopamine the molecule of happiness, but that’s only part of the story.
In reality, dopamine isn’t what makes you happy — it’s what gets you moving toward happiness.

Dopamine creates a sense of anticipation — that spark of “I want to try,” the energy that propels us to start something new.
Whether you’re preparing for an exam, signing up for a new class, cleaning your room, or going for a run — it’s not satisfaction that moves you, but dopamine giving you direction and desire.

Think of dopamine as your internal GPS, guiding you toward what feels meaningful, hopeful, and worth pursuing.

Dopamine doesn’t just “fire” from one neuron to another like a light switch.
Recent discoveries show that the brain also uses something called “volume transmission” — a gradual release process, more like a sprinkler or diffuser that spreads dopamine through nearby areas, affecting your overall state of mind.

This helps explain a familiar modern phenomenon:
why short videos or instant rewards feel thrilling for a second — yet leave us empty moments later.
Meanwhile, the slow joys — exercising regularly, nurturing a hobby, cooking, gardening, or spending time with loved ones — bring calm, sustainable satisfaction.

Fast stimulation burns us out. Slow joy builds us up.

When the System Breaks Down, The Brain “Runs Out of FuelSeveral key proteins, such as VMAT2, SV2C, and α-synuclein, regulate how dopamine is stored and released.
They work like the warehouse managers of your brain, deciding when and how much dopamine to release, and whether there’s enough supply to restock.

When this system falters, it doesn’t just cause movement issues like Parkinson’s disease — it also leads to emotional flatness, loss of motivation, chronic fatigue, and social withdrawal.

This isn’t weakness or laziness. It’s your brain signaling that it’s running low on essential fuel.

Three Ways to Help Your Brain’s Motivation System Restart

1. Practice “Slow Joy” — Reconnect with Steady Dopamine Flow
Reduce dependence on instant stimuli like scrolling through social media or bingeing short videos.
These quick hits train your brain to expect constant flashes of excitement.

Instead, rediscover activities that bring gentle, lasting satisfaction: cooking, reading, painting, walking, gardening.
These are the true dopamine recharge stations of life.

2. Move Regularly — Activate Your Natural Dopamine Circuit
Moderate exercise — brisk walking, jogging, squats — done three times a week for 10–30 minutes can powerfully stimulate healthy dopamine pathways.
You don’t have to push to exhaustion; what matters is rhythm and consistency.
Your brain thrives on the expectation of movement, not punishment.

3. Nourish the System — Sleep, Nutrition, and Antioxidants
Sleep is when your brain restores neurotransmitters and regenerates vesicles for dopamine storage.
A lack of rest is like leaving your mental warehouse in chaos.

Eating antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, dark leafy greens, olive oil, and omega-3s helps reduce oxidative stress and support brain health.
Simple, consistent habits are the quiet repair crew your dopamine system needs.

Real vitality isn’t a burst of fireworks — it’s a steady inner light that guides us through our days.
Dopamine’s true gift isn’t the thrill of reward, but the strength to keep going.

When we gently adjust our daily rhythm, we can regain focus and energy without needing excessive caffeine or quick fixes.
We can once again feel that grounded sense of, I’m back on my path. From “Chasing Highs” to “Finding Rhythm.”

The Truth About Drugs and False Freedom

Recently, we’ve seen more tragic news about drug-related crimes.
This makes it even more urgent to talk about dopamine honestly.

Drugs artificially force the brain’s “stimulation gate” wide open — creating a short-lived high while devastating the system meant to sustain real joy.
People chasing that artificial rush often lose direction, harming themselves and others.

Drugs don’t create happiness — they destroy the very system that makes it possible.
That’s not freedom; it’s captivity disguised as pleasure.

When you feel tired, unmotivated, or emotionally numb, remember this:
You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.
Your brain simply needs care, rhythm, and nourishment.

We don’t need to be blinding LED lights burning out too soon.
We can be warm, steady lamps — quietly lighting our own path and bringing comfort to those around us.

Reference:
Redefining dopaminergic synapses beyond the classical paradigm, Trends in Neurosciences, 2025

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2025/11/11/when-your-brains-motivation-system-gets-stuck-rediscovering-energy-through-slow-joy/

Like Pinocchio, everyone sometimes tells a lie. Most people don’t lie often, science finds. But research shows that even small lies can take a toll on your brain. MALERAPASO / GETTY IMAGES

Even little fibs can have serious consequences — and some of them just might surprise you

Most of us have told a lie at one time or another. Some lies are harmful. Others, like small fibs to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, are mostly harmless. Some lies are even intended to protect others. But no matter the type of lie, it takes a surprising amount of brainpower to pull it off, which can be costly.

Lying requires significant mental effort. Imagine you’re late to class and decide to lie about why. You might say, “I had to stop by the library and pick up a book.” When your teacher asks, “The book I assigned last week?” you must quickly decide how to respond. You may say, “No, it was a different book,” and now you have to be ready with another title. This constant mental juggling uses up brainpower that could be spent on more important tasks.

A lot of this mental work is done in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for working memory, planning, problem-solving, and self-control. Using these resources for lying means they are not available for other tasks, like solving math problems or remembering important facts.

Lying also has social consequences. People generally value honesty and don’t like liars. If people view you as untrustworthy, it can damage your relationships. Even well-intended lies, such as insincere compliments, can backfire. If your friends realize they can’t trust your compliments, those compliments become meaningless.

Most people don’t lie very much, says Timothy Levine, a psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies deception. His research shows that almost three-quarters of people rarely lie, and 90 percent of the lies they tell are “white lies.” However, Levine’s research also shows that while most people don’t lie often, a few lie a lot. The top one percent of liars, according to Levine, tell more than 15 lies per day. Some chronic liars are insecure. Others may lie about their accomplishments because they’re conceited or overly impressed with themselves. Still others lie to take advantage of people — perhaps even to cheat them or to steal from them.

The brain’s prefrontal cortex, behind the forehead (shown right, in darker green) isn’t fully mature until we are in our 20s. That’s a problem for adolescents. This part of the brain helps us understand risk. It’s also in charge of a lot of our higher-level thinking, such as planning and self-control.

DORLING KINDERSLEY/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Lying is especially hard for young people because their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until around age 25. This part of the brain helps with higher-level thinking, such as planning and self-control. When it’s busy with tasks related to lying, it has a harder time doing other important tasks.

Some lies never stop, like those told by spies or people hiding a difficult home life. Pretending to be something you’re not almost every hour of every day is mentally draining and can have long-lasting effects. Over time, this kind of lying uses up the brain resources needed for thinking and planning.

Most people value honesty, and research shows that honest people build social capital, or goodwill, within their communities. Trust is essential for healthy relationships and a well-functioning society.

Lying may seem easier in the short term, but it has significant cognitive and social costs. By striving to be honest, we can save mental energy and build stronger, more trusting relationships.

Neil Garrett, a neuroscientist at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, has studied how emotions affect our willingness to be dishonest. He points to a study where students were given a beta blocker, a medicine that dampens emotions. These students were more likely to cheat on an exam than those who didn’t receive the medicine, possibly because they felt less fear or anxiety about being dishonest.

Garrett and his team also examined the relationship between lying and activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes emotions. They conducted an experiment where volunteers played a game to make money by lying to a partner. Brain scans showed that the amygdala was very active when participants first lied. However, as they continued to lie, activity in the amygdala decreased, and the participants lied even more. These findings were reported in Nature Neuroscience.

In one study, students were more likely to cheat on exams when they’d taken a drug that mutes emotions. ANDY SACKS/THE IMAGE BANK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Garrett suggests this brain effect might be similar to how our sense of smell adapts to strong odors. Initially, a strong smell is overwhelming, but after a while, we barely notice it. Emotions might work similarly; the more you lie, the less you feel the uncomfortable emotions like fear or guilt. In other words, lying becomes easier the more you do it.

Nearly all cultures value honesty, notes Victoria Talwar, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She suggests that creating a culture that reinforces the value of honesty can help. One strategy is to support friends while still being truthful. “When people’s friends are truthful with them,” she says, “it creates a culture of honesty among them,” which builds stronger friendships.

Jennifer Vendemia, a neuroscientist at the University of South Carolina, emphasizes that lying lessens when there are consequences for dishonesty. However, she adds that rewarding truth-telling is more effective than punishing lying. This is especially important when people share significant truths about themselves. “Being able to tell the truth to a friend is rewarding,” she says. “It feels good.”

Most people know that lying is generally bad and can have serious consequences. Science is now revealing how dishonesty impacts the brain and undermines the trust essential for strong relationships.

Link： https://peacelilysite.com/2024/06/13/the-science-of-lying-its-cognitive-and-social-costs/

Source: Lying won’t stretch your nose, but it will steal some brainpower by Avery Elizabeth Hurt
https://www.snexplores.org/article/lying-brain-power-prefrontal-cortex-truth-telling