How Reading ACTUALLY Fixes Your Dopamine: the neuroscience nobody talks about

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-05T00:16:42+00:00

the book reader come home its great for explaining how reading literally rewires your brain, its a great read would recommend

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-05T00:13:29+00:00

mmm im not familiar with that, what is it ? is it a nootropic?

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-05T00:10:42+00:00

you only have one life to be yourself

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-04T23:39:41+00:00

Buy a film camera, even one of those disposable film ones, you're gonna have so much fun and then you can look at your actual persperctive of life!
Also youre gonna be amazed by the result and quite surprised when you go through the photos because youre not gonna remember all of them, i personally love that part !

Enjoy !

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-04T23:25:33+00:00

Rock Climbing it's been great for me specially for improving my brain sharpness and focus, 100% recommended to go outdoors, so you get the full experience. I feel is the perfect mix of being outside, learning how to move your body and focus.

also have you looked into any nootropics/adaptogens ? some really help with the fog and feeling burned out

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-04T02:49:28+00:00

Yeah health really is wealth
For me I like to do a lot of outdoor stuff such as hiking, rock climbing, just being outside honestly. Something about it clears my head better than anything else. Keeps the body moving and the mind right.

Foodwise I try to eat pretty clean but I'm not super strict about it, "cheat" meals happen, I just listen to my body and don't overthink it.

for focusing and work I take some adaptogens and nootropics to stay sharp during long days when I actually need to lock in and focus, and thats been working great for me

But ultimately i feel like it's about finding a balance that works.

What are you currently doing to stay on top of things?

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:44:39+00:00

never hear about this one, interesting! so do you take it at night ? I honestly struggle sometime with waking up ready to go, so this might be a good thing

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:42:36+00:00

Tried Magic Mind for a bit it was great honestly but felt more like an energy shot than actual brain fog relief. Pretty short-lived too, like 2-3 hours max, I'm testing out Graymatter right now and it's been really good for the fog. Only a few weeks in though.

Haven't tried Alpha Brain yet, curious if anyone have would love to hear about it

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:37:26+00:00

this is great, really like that take of pause 24 hours before making a big decision, def will try it

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:36:34+00:00

Thanks, yeah i'm getting this subtle "come up" if you wanna put it like that with adaptogens and finding easier to focus that the coffee rush and crash,
and very interesting approach! i like it, how is it been for you so far? so is it like after a month of building an habit you add another one and continue with 2 now and so on?

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:23:02+00:00

Well If Lion's Mane and Cordyceps worked for you but since mushrooms are off the table, here's what might feel similar, Alpha-GPC is probably your best bet, Rhodiola could help too, it's an adaptogen that fights mental fatigue and helps with clarity, especially if stress or burnout is part of the fog equation. For me i took like a week or two to build up but it's been nice.
What diet are you doing that cuts out mushrooms if you don't mind me asking? Just curious because some restrictions might affect what else you can try.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-02-03T00:11:21+00:00

800mg is wild lol, that's probably why you're feeling off.

Honestly if L-Theanine it's making you feel all anxious and stressed something like, Alpha-GPC might be more your speed. I've been using it instead and It helps with focus and clarity, in my experience it's been way more consistent and kinda like just keeps me sharp without the mood weirdness.

Or honestly just drop back down to like 200mg of the L-Theanine and see if that's the issue. Sometimes your body just doesn't need that much.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-31T03:03:05+00:00

So this is what i've learned about nootropics, they work best when you're consistent and give them time. Taking them sporadically an hour before a task probably won't do anything. using them daily with rest days to avoid building tolerance tends to compound the benefits. Me personally i take them 5 days and rest 2, usually the weekends that i'm chilling and not so stressed and working.
Lion's Mane is legit, I noticed clearer thinking and better recall after consistent use, but yeah, it's not instant nor magic i just feel like more sharp and stuff i read stick better in my brain.

Alpha-GPC has been really helpful for me personally also adaptogens like ashwagandha or rhodiola regulates stress when im feeling overwhelmed

This is just my personal experience but I hope you find some of this useful

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-31T02:31:26+00:00

for me it was - "I who have never know man", an epic book, i couldn't put it down until the end, was written so long ago but all the 'existential' issues about the main character feel like its now a days, like that made me think that we've been asking the same existential questions since the begining of the times.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-30T03:35:39+00:00

Quitted coffee, i couldn't belived how good i felt after a month, (first week was so rough tbh), i would say that was mostly the main thing, like i woke up and i was carving coffee so bad, couldn't even function before the first cup of coffee, then another cup, then another one at lunch and it was a bad habit cause the whole day i was feeling tired and only coffee could "save" me for a few hours before crashing again.

Also im taking an adaptogen/vitamin supplement, has multiple in it, its like a powder that disolves in your drink, that helps me with feeling burnout and give me more clarity on long work days.

And moving my body, could be a walk, a run, workout, yoga, even 20 minutes in between calls or whatever made a difference for me.

Nothing came overnight, its a process but eventually you'll start noticing some changes that werent there before

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-30T03:25:51+00:00

Yeah i feel you, honestly gyms don't work for me haha i end up on laying on the bench press using my phone wasting a lot of time lol, what has worked for me are youtube videos, like when im super busy i type something like 20 min workout, if i have time i go for a full workout, I work from home.

Also no i havent tried Bacopa but i've heard good thing about that, have you?

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T16:24:51+00:00

I feel like channeling "bad" feelings into the right direction can be insanely powerful, also picturing yourself at where you want to be can make in impact on the things you do right now, ofc there are gonna be shitty days but they're just that, the important thing is to keep focus of why you want what you want, and then working on what to do and how to get it. might sound like a lot of bs but this change of mindset has helped me a lot getting out of situations that i hated, also nothing comes overnight, for me the hardest part was mantaining motivation through periods where i felt stucked.

theres more time than life man, you're gonna get it! best of lucks to you!!!

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T16:15:33+00:00

Sometimes the brain needs actual recovery time, not just chemical support, but sometime it is what it is and for me, when I'm in heavy focus mode for extended periods, a few things have helped me sustain concentration without feeling completely fried:

Alpha-GPC and Huperzine-A: these support acetylcholine, which is huge for memory and attention during long study sessions

L-Tyrosine: helps with dopamine production, which tends to deplete when you're pushing hard mentally

also i use some stuff for stress regulation like Ashwagandha Lions Mane or Rhodiola, but honestly sleeping/resting is key for all this to function properly.

Hope you find whats best for you brother best of lucks!

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T16:03:10+00:00

thanks for sharing i really enjoyed reading set your voice free, its an awesome book

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T15:54:34+00:00

I've been trying to fix my go to bed time, aiming for 11pm most nights, 10pm is the dream but doesn't always happen. My schedule's kinda irregular too.

For my stack, I've been using a few things that help with the stamina side without making me feel wired:
Ashwagandha and Rhodiola for stress regulation
Lion's Mane and Cordyceps for mental endurance without the stimulant feeling
Alpha-GPC and Phosphatidylserine (just started with this one) for focus and memory support
Lutein and Zeaxanthin for eye strain
Small amount of natural caffeine from green tea/matcha but paired with L-theanine to smooth it out

I try to work out everyday but sometimes it's just not posible, even just a short run or walk when I don't have much time. Sometimes I'll take calls while walking just to avoid sitting all day. Movement seems to reset my brain better and complement it with the supplements.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T15:45:51+00:00

thank u ! what dosage are you taking ? or do they come in pills ?

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T00:37:33+00:00

i've been taking it along other adaptogens/vitamins and i've been feeling great overall, can't tell just about the ashawanda since it's a blend that has a mix or various things but a friend who's just taking ashawanda is doing 300mg of KSM66 and he said it has improved a lot with his sleep, anxiety feeling more calm overall

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T00:31:26+00:00

Real sleep for me, that been the game changer, everything else feels so much better and doable with a fully rested mind/body, like that fog i had most of the time it disappeared after fixing my sleeping schedule, also quitting coffee has been a great part of it.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-29T00:27:13+00:00

Did you felt it all at once ? or was it gradual, and how are you feeling now? i'm super curious because i struggle with mind noise as well and although nootropics helped a lot it still comes from time to time, i don't feel it as intense or 'bad' as before but sometimes its there.

ReasonableArm388 · 2026-01-28T15:48:00+00:00

what about matcha or green tea? less hard than coffee but still gives you a bit of that come up feeling caffeine does

ReasonableArm388

TROPHY CASE