Whether running through the exhaustion of a marathon or idly swiping on a smartphone, we often ask ourselves, why am I doing this?
In both cases, the answer is dopamine, the brain’s chemical messenger involved in processing rewards and motivating us to pursue those rewards. When something feels good—whether food, drugs, or Instagram likes—dopamine drives us to want more, sometimes to the point of addiction.
In her book,Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist at Stanford University School of Medicine, calls the smartphone “the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7.” Smartphones enable our desire for ease and convenience.
But sometimes—whether it’s running a marathon, climbing a mountain, or assembling furniture—we willingly choose difficulty over ease.
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Michael Inzlicht, a psychologist at the University of Toronto, calls this the effort paradox. While we often eschew hard work, other times we value it, viewing things as more rewarding if we have to work for them. We hike mountains even though we could see the same view by gondola and willingly spend more on furniture we put together than on preassembled pieces. “Both things seem to exist at once: we avoid effort, we also seem to like it,” says Inzlicht.
This phenomenon extends beyond extreme pursuits like mountain climbing or marathon running. Many individuals seek out challenging activities such as puzzles or crosswords because the effort itself is enjoyable. This appreciation of effort is ingrained in our brains, as dopamine encourages us to value tasks that demand perseverance and dedication.
“Sometimes effort is the only way that you can test yourself,” says Inzlicht.
What does dopamine do the brain?
The same molecule that hooks us on apps that dispense instant hits of pleasure also encourages us to value things that require a lot of work.
In a study by Neir Eshel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University School of Medicine, mice learned to poke their noses into a hole to obtain juice. When the number of pokes it took to receive juice was raised, or mild electric shocks were given, more dopamine was released in the striatum, a brain region important for motivation and experiencing reward.
Similarly, studies on delayed gratification reveal that waiting for a larger reward triggers a steady increase in dopamine levels, reinforcing the value of patience and perseverance. However, while dopamine can motivate us, it also carries risks. Constantly pursuing dopamine-rich rewards can lead to burnout and unhealthy behaviors. Moreover, societal pressures to succeed may exacerbate this pursuit, fostering a culture of competition and external validation.
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But unlike with addictive drugs or apps, dopamine levels don’t spike when we intentionally do effortful or painful things. The rise and fall is more gradual, “a potentially more sustainable form that is less vulnerable to the problem of addiction,” says Lemke. Some people do get addicted to painful stimuli, but it’s less common and often more socially adaptive; only extreme cases of exercise addiction or workaholism seek clinical care.
The science of motivation
Kenneth Carter, a psychologist at Emory University and author of Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies, says that even so-called “adrenaline junkies” are in it for dopamine. Will Gadd, the first to climb a frozen Niagara Falls, told Carter that if he wanted an adrenaline rush, he’d sprint across a highway.
Instead, what Gadd describes—differentiating the sounds ice makes to assess if it will hold him—sounds like mastery. He did it for the challenge, not the risk. “High sensation seekers in those chaotic environments tend to produce higher levels of dopamine,” says Carter. They also have lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone that triggers the fight or flight response. “It’s that combination that makes it really neat for those high sensation seekers.”
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Those less eager to wield an ice axe can learn to value effort. Inzlicht found that people rewarded for choosing a more difficult task (as opposed to rewarded for doing well) opt for the difficult version the next time, even if it no longer comes with a reward. This appreciation of hard work transfers to unrelated tasks, from school and sports to work and parenting. “If you reward the effort that people put into things, people will start valuing effort,” says Inzlicht.
Still, putting down our phones and seeking exertion may be difficult at first. Lemke suggests building it into our schedule and doing it with friends or for a greater good, like running a race for charity or biking to save gas.
It’s also important to choose something stimulating. We stare at our phones, seemingly doing nothing, because it beats doing nothing. People are willing to pay money, look at gross images, or give themselves electric shocks to avoid boredom. “We might find effort aversive, but we also find boredom aversive,” says Inzlicht. In his studies, people chose a mentally challenging task over doing nothing. “There’s a sweet spot,” he says. “We don’t want to exert much effort, but we also want to be stimulated…and effort can be interesting.” But the same effort can become tedious, so keep it fresh: find a new park to walk through or save a favorite show or podcast for the gym.
By recognizing the power of dopamine in driving our behaviors, we can strive for a healthier balance between seeking pleasure and embracing challenges. As Lembke puts it, “We are wired for striving,” but it’s up to us to channel that drive in a sustainable and fulfilling way.
