How to dopamine hack your ADHD brain

Welcome back to ADHDfounder! A few years ago, my days looked like this: wake up, game, go to work, scroll, get distracted, come home, scroll some more. My screen time? 7+ hours a day 🤯

Getting my ADHD diagnosis felt like unlocking cheat codes—except instead of winning, I realized I’d been playing life on hard mode the whole time.

Why? Because ADHD brains have a low baseline dopamine level. That’s why we struggle with motivation, focus, and follow-through. So, I went all in on hacking my dopamine.

• I set a massive goal—1M LinkedIn followers in a year. Hit it in six months.

• I pushed my body to the limit—3% body fat.

• I rewired my brain to stay focused without the stress spiral.

Now, I want to share everything I’ve learned. Next Monday, I’m kicking off a full week of ADHD-friendly dopamine hacks. More on that below! 👇

The Dopamine Preload

Ever sit down to work and feel like your brain is buffering? Like you know you should start, but your body is stuck in molasses mode?

That’s dopamine resistance—your brain doesn’t have enough dopamine to care about the task, so it stalls. The fix? Preload dopamine before you start.

• Pair the boring with the interesting. Only listen to your favorite playlist while answering emails. Over time, your brain links the task with the reward, making it less painful to start.

• Start with movement. A 30-second dance break, a quick stretch, or a short walk boosts dopamine production and primes your brain for focus.

The science behind dopamine and motivation

Ever wonder why you can binge-watch an entire Netflix series but answering a single email feels like wading through wet cement? That’s dopamine at work. And if you have ADHD, your brain doesn’t regulate it properly—which means motivation, focus, and consistency are all a constant battle.

ADHD brains struggle with dopamine. Research shows that ADHD brains have fewer dopamine transporters, making routine tasks feel painfully uninteresting while exciting ones send us into hyperfocus mode.

• Novelty = instant dopamine hit. A new project? A new hobby? That’s a dopamine jackpot. But as soon as the novelty wears off? Poof. Motivation gone.

• Deadlines force a dopamine spike. Ever wonder why nothing gets done until the absolute last minute? Urgency triggers dopamine, finally making the task interesting enough to care about.

• Small wins keep you going. ADHD brains need constant reinforcement to stay engaged. Checking things off a list, using timers, or rewarding yourself keeps the dopamine flowing. 

But Eugene, what do I do?!

Here’s how to work with your brain:

• Make boring tasks fun. Gamify them, set a challenge, or race against a timer.

• Use urgency to your advantage. Set fake deadlines before the real ones kick in.

• Pair work with rewards. Only let yourself listen to that fire playlist while tackling emails.

The bottom line? You don’t have a discipline problem—you have a dopamine problem. (And that’s exactly what we’re hacking in The Dopamine Challenge).

That’s a wrap! This world wasn’t built for us, but every week, I hope I make you feel less alone as we navigate this journey together. If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, share it with your favorite ADHD buddy!

Made it this far? (I know it was a long one!) Here’s your small win for today: 🏆

—Eugene (ADHDfounder) ✨