The Art of Feeling Good and Natural Ways to Nourish Your Dopamine Rush
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 1
- 8 min read
Olivea Kazumi Shure is an entrepreneur, Reiki Master, teacher, and healer. Through her business, Reiki with Olivea, she offers transformative healing experiences that blend traditional Reiki with a deep connection to nature and the wisdom of ancient practices.
Ever find yourself craving that spark, the one that makes you feel inspired, energized, or simply okay being you? In our overstimulated, fast-paced world, it’s easy to forget that joy isn’t something we have to chase. It’s something we can cultivate. And one of the most beautiful ways we do that is through nourishing our nervous system, especially the quiet magic of dopamine.
Dopamine is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that supports motivation, pleasure, and that satisfying sense of reward when we do something meaningful or enjoyable. It’s our inner yes! the nudge that says, “This feels good. Let’s do more of this.”
In my healing journey and my work as a Reiki Master and guide, I’ve found that we don’t need extreme highs or constant productivity to feel good. The bodymind responds best to gentle, simple, and soul-nourishing rituals that invite pleasure, safety, and creativity into daily life.
Here are a few practices I return to often, and suggestions for those with little time to spare to help naturally prime those dopamine receptors and restore a sense of joy to the body and the mind.
1. Go outside
There’s a Japanese concept of spending time in the forest or simply by some trees, or even more simply, by a solitary tree. Despite the lovely and specialized sound of it, what it means is to be open to receiving the healing and mental balancing that happens when breathing and being immersed in nature. This is a beautiful and simple practice that requires a tree, a bush, a flower, or any other natural element you encounter while outside. The dopamine receptors in our brains love it when we connect with nature. Whether we’re nature lovers or not, spending as little as 5 minutes outside can do wonders to boost our mood and even mindset. Going outside, whether it’s on a sunny or a cloudy day, our bodies and minds always benefit from being outside and noticing what’s going on without judgement. I find walks in the rain to be very luxurious!
Whenever we go outside, we’re leaving our psychological processes behind within the confines of our home or office. And are entering into a sort of limitless and dynamic realm of aliveness, which is a reflection of our wildish natures too.
What I do: I’ll take a slow walk around the block and also allow my senses to awaken. I especially love listening to the birds and let my ears hone in on as much of their chiming and chirping as possible until it’s all I hear. It’s mildly electrifying! I also gently open my senses to take in whatever is around me, the flowers and plants, trees, and especially the clouds above. Just as the birds are communicating with each other in their language of sounds, I believe the whole of nature is communicating with each other and even with us, too. Opening up our senses helps us to hear not just with our ears but with our entire bodies, a different kind of communication happening in the wild.
What I suggest: You don’t need a full morning or daily routine with much movement, just heading outside to check the mail or walk the dog with a second purpose of clearing the head can be enough! Knowing when a scene change is needed and then going outside can do wonders for our minds and moods.
2. Move your body (the less perfect the better)
Whether it's dancing in your kitchen, taking a slow walk around the room, or swaying to music with your eyes closed, rhythmic movement brings your nervous system into balance. It releases stored tension and gently wakes up the muscles. When we move our bodies, especially in a non-regimented and intuitive way, anywhere from lo-fi shaking to wild abandon, it invites our feel-good neurochemistry to rise. Movement increases dopamine, especially when it’s enjoyable and not forced.
What I do: I’ll turn on music that inspires me to move my hips. The hips store all of our creative energy, so when this part of our bodies is in motion, we can almost instantly feel connected to our inspired and creative selves.
What I suggest: Try a two-minute full body shake break, or a one to two favorite song dance party in your room, or even in a bathroom stall at work! Just shake it up!
3. Make something with your hands
Dopamine is deeply connected to the experience of creating, not for results or applause but for the joy of shaping something from nothing. Using the hands is also very grounding for the body and mind. Whether it’s getting outside and weeding the garden or getting the hot glue gun out and sticking things together, using the hands to make something for ourselves or others is deeply satisfying to our creative minds and especially for our dopamine receptors.
What I do: I water my plants, rearrange or tend to my altar, pick wildflowers and arrange them in little vases or dishes, and prepare water infusions that are lovely to look at as well as drink throughout the day. During the summer months, I love infusing fruit into water, especially dark fruits like red dragon fruit and lemon. It turns the water a bright magenta color and is a joy to look at as well as drink for hydration! It reminds me of Kool-Aid but for adults! Another herb that grows here in Japan is red shiso leaves. Boiling these and then adding an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar turns it into a wine-colored beverage that’s again beautiful to see and refreshing for the body.
What I suggest: Try a small ritual that gives pleasure regularly. Once a day or week is plenty. Something that you can return to that allows you to create something with your hands. If you like painting, try committing to painting a small card each week. Or, intuitively cook with whatever is on hand every Friday night. Creativity, in any form, brings us back to a sense of inner power and playful joy.
4. Connect to texture and soothing touch
Soft textures, warm baths, nourishing oils, and favorite fabrics. These sensual joys soothe the body and promote dopamine production through comfort and care. Anything that allows the senses to come alive is a surefire dopamine rush. Any act of self-love and care invites dopamine into our systems even more. When we take the time to do this, we feel even prouder to have accomplished this “happy task”!
What I do: Engaging in body oiling and foot massages before bed, especially with uplifting scents like frankincense or rose, floods the body with dopamine. Our skin is our largest organ of the human body, and giving it some pampering and loving attention can send currents of love and care to the entire body. This gentle, loving touch feels like a reward, and dopamine loves a reward.
What I suggest: Sometimes, I recommend clients wrap themselves in their softest scarf and sit in silence for a few breaths, giving the body permission to exhale. Touch and texture help the nervous system feel safe. And safety allows joy to rise.
5. Feed your curiosity and inner child’s adventurous heart
Dopamine thrives on novelty, not chaos, and gentle discovery. Exploring something new, an idea, a flavor, a sound lights up your reward system. Do you remember being a kid or seeing children have adventures? Adventuring is all about having fun and learning something new.
Learning a new thing is like having something new to play with. When we try something new, we are creating new neuropathways, increasing our capacity to hold more joy.
What I do: I’ll sometimes study the kanji of a single word in Japanese and see what new layers of meaning it holds. It’s a playful way of engaging with my surroundings and honoring my learning journey.
What I suggest: Try taking a different walking route, even if it's to a place you go to often. Learn a fun fact about something you love, explore new music, or try a new fruit, spice, or tea.
6. Celebrate often
Every time we pause to notice a small win or moment of beauty, we reinforce our brain’s natural reward pathways and honor the act of celebration. Whenever we take in the beauty of our environment or notice something that’s going right for us, this gratitude and gentle noticing can feel like a celebration. Our brains love a celebration. Celebration is dopamine. It means we’ve done something right or that there’s something joyful happening around, for, and to us. Being grateful for all that’s going well or “going right” can reinforce within our psyche that life is good, and we’ll be more primed to seek out more things that are working in our favor.
What I do: I go on walkabouts. These are dedicated walks where I tend to ponder some questions, usually ones I can’t seem to figure out the answer to on my own. I’ll “ask” the place where I am to help me find my answers by showing me what I need to see and know.
Sometimes it feels like a fun game. The busier the area, the more challenging and fun it is! And then I’ll open my senses to what presents itself and say “thank you” when I see something that “makes sense”!
What I suggest: Name at least one thing you're proud of doing during the day. Even if it’s something like “I drank water today when I didn’t want to get out of bed”. It definitely counts.
7. Let yourself be seen (or see someone else)
Authentic connection is one of the most powerful dopamine activators there is. Being witnessed, heard, and held in your truth, and also unconditionally accepted, can be highly emotionally stabilizing. Receiving and giving compliments can fill us with dopamine instantly. Simply listening to others can bring relief to their hearts and to ours, too!
What I do: When I’m feeling low, I sit with the ocean, the trees, or speak out loud to the space. Letting myself be visible even to nature always without fail shifts the chemistry of the heart. What I tell clients: Call a friend to talk, or better yet, call to check in with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Showing someone we love that we care can bring much-needed relief to their hearts, and magically does the same for ours, too.
Integration: Your joy is a sacred practice
You don’t need to hustle for your happiness. The art of nourishing dopamine is about coming home to yourself with tenderness while honoring your own rhythm and unique needs. Some of the happiest people I know are happy not because of how much they have but because they know how to rest and take care of their emotional selves. These practices are a sampling of the many small and simple ways we can cultivate our dopamine production daily. Find what works for you, know thy dopamine! No good feeling is too small or insignificant. One small step in a joyful direction can lead to another one and then another one, all leading to becoming dopamine enthusiasts in no time!
Read more from Olivea Kazumi Shure
Olivea Kazumi Shure, Reiki Master, Teacher, and Healer
Olivea Kazumi Shure is a professional healer and dedicated Reiki Master committed to teaching and sharing about the life-changing power of Reiki with students around the globe. For over a decade, she has continually developed her business, Reiki with Olivea, to offer transformative healing experiences and journeys that blend traditional Reiki with ancient wisdom and a deep connection with the natural world and the lessons it offers. Her mission is to enable people to easefully step into their personal power and be peaceful warriors of love.
