A short instructional talk by neuro coach Mark Waldman explaining how to create a "pleasure board": listing past pleasurable activities and scheduling brief pleasure breaks (10–60 seconds, ideally hourly) to release dopamine, reduce neurological stress, and sustain motivation and focus without burning out.
Chapters
Hi, this is Mark Waldman. I'm your resident neuro coach and today I'm going to share with you one of the most fun, enjoyable boards that you can create that will stimulate the motivational centers of your brain. Pleasure releases dopamine. Dopamine moves into consciousness. It motivates you to take action in the world. It actually keeps you going hour after hour after hour. You have to give yourself a pleasure break at least once every hour in order to stay highly focused and concentrated. If you want to achieve the goals without burning yourself out. What I want you to do to create a pleasure board is just take a sheet of paper and write down all of the things in the past that brought you a sense of pleasure. What were all the enjoyable activities you've done in the past? What were the most pleasurable activities that you've done? What, what have been the most pleasant types of exchanges you have done with other individuals? Use your imagination. Reflect on the past and build up all of the past pleasures you can. Each time you put down something new on your list, you're going to feel better and better and better. Then ask yourself what things can I, should I do, I desire to do each day to give myself 60 seconds worth of pleasure. And if you possibly can, once each hour, I'd like you to take a 10 second pleasure break. It could be a yawn, a stretch you could run in place. You can take a 60 second pleasure break once every hour if you like. But every time you fill yourself with pleasure, you are refreshing the neural circuits in your brain. You'll be more highly motivated and pleasure eliminates neurological stress. This is Mark Waldman. Have a great day.
