Jay Shetty & TJ Power ON 6 Habits to Boost Focus

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty sits down with neuroscientist TJ Power to uncover the science behind such everyday dilemmas, based on his recent book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain and Body by Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Together, they discuss how modern habits, including social media scrolling and digital stimulation, can disrupt key neurochemicals responsible for motivation, connection, mood, and overall mental resilience.

Have you ever noticed how effortlessly you can spend hours on your phone, yet feel strangely unmotivated to accomplish crucial tasks?

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty sits down with neuroscientist TJ Power to uncover the science behind such everyday dilemmas, based on his recent book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain and Body by Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Together, they discuss how modern habits, including social media scrolling and digital stimulation, can disrupt key neurochemicals responsible for motivation, connection, mood, and overall mental resilience.

A Rapidly Changing World

TJ Power and Jay Shetty agree that our modern lives are in strong contrast with our ancient biological wiring; human brains evolved over thousands of years to handle slow, effort-based tasks. Yet the digital environment offers repeated, instant gratification coming from a constant stream of stimuli that trigger brief surges of pleasure.

Power warns that sudden crashes in drive and attention follow sudden dopamine spikes - while technology has numerous benefits, we must learn to use it wisely. Research shows that repeated behaviors such as doomscrolling or excessive streaming can dull everyday drive.¹ This behavior led to many people struggling with finding the motivation to do basic chores, plan for a secure future, or strengthen their relationships.

It is, therefore, essential to understand how to use our devices responsibly, so that we don't sabotage higher priorities such as career ambitions or personal happiness. TJ Power and Jay Shetty inform the listeners that even small changes in their daily routine can lead to a noticeable improvement in motivation, connection, and tranquility.

The DOSE Framework

TJ Power shares with Jay Shetty the DOSE concept, as he explains it in his book. He lists four crucial neurochemicals that play an essential role in our day-to-day functioning:

Dopamine – regulates motivation and attention.
Oxytocin – fuels bonding, trust, and emotional warmth.
Serotonin – maintains mood balance and steady energy.
Endorphins – alleviate stress and moderate pain responses.

Although all four are called "feel-good" chemicals, the neuroscientist insists that each one has a distinct purpose.

He explains to Jay Shetty that, in a more natural setting, we used to earn these chemicals through sustained, meaningful activities such as group bonding, physical challenges, or communal success. Today, we get rapid hits of dopamine simply by tapping on a screen or eating ultra-sweet foods. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that this type of short-term pleasure can leave you deeply unmotivated when it comes to real-life ambitions that require more effort from your side.

Dopamine and Effort

Historically, dopamine levels increased slowly and gradually; however, TJ Power observes that modern life causes them to spike frequently, with minimal effort. Apps, notifications, etc., provide near-effortless rewards that used to take days or weeks to earn.

The neuroscientist told Jay Shetty that if you tend to scroll on social media first thing in the morning or get easily distracted and caught up in such behavior, you may also find yourself stuck in a cycle of procrastination, brain fog, and dissatisfaction. Then, everyday tasks, from cleaning your house to submitting work reports, suddenly feel like huge hurdles.

You can start your day with small, deliberate tasks as a solution to the constant dopamine-seeking behavior. Jay Shetty also suggests placing your phone on the other end of your bedroom - standing up to turn it off forces you to move from the bed. Additionally, you can maintain the momentum by immediately making your bed or brushing your teeth thoroughly.

According to TJ Power, these small challenges bring in dopamine levels as nature intended them for humans; they mimic what our ancestors experienced when performing tasks that required sustained effort, such as preparing food or building shelter. Allowing the dopamine levels to increase slowly ensures they will also not drop suddenly.

Oxytocin for Connection and Healthier Bonds

TJ Power explains to Jay Shetty the importance of raising your oxytocin levels, a hormone responsible for trust, bonding, and love. They point out that phone addiction can make you spend less time with other people, making it more challenging to sustain interpersonal relations. This is the reason why many can feel lonely and isolated in spite of having countless virtual friends.

As a solution, Jay Shetty suggests rethinking your daily rituals to incorporate more face time with your loved ones, such as phone-free family dinners or going on a walk with friends without constantly checking your notifications. It is likely to feel more fulfilled by thoughtful social interactions rather than digital ones. Oxytocin thrives on generosity and collective well-being, so it's advisable to also engage in acts of kindness that will expand your social network and increase your personal fulfillment and emotional stability.

Serotonin for Mood and Steady Energy

The third chemical that supports our emotional and physical health is serotonin. The neuroscientist explains to Jay Shetty that earlier generations used to spend a significant amount of time in natural sunlight, engaged in tasks that required physical activity and had often social interactions. All these habits contributed to maintaining high serotonin levels.

Unlike dopamine or oxytocin, serotonin can't be easily adjusted; it increases gradually, through consistent habits, such as eating healthily, sun exposure in the morning, and regular exercise. Social media and digital platforms promise fast rewards, but they are deceiving. TJ Power explains to Jay Shetty that a small improvement in your routine will help you recalibrate your serotonin levels, leaving you feeling better physically and emotionally.

Endorphins and Stress

Endorphins can help us recover from the physiological strain of a high-pressure job, an intense workout, or major emotional disturbances. They act as natural buffers against cortisol, the hormone that prepares the body for a fight-or-flight response. Yet our modern world has normalized turning to digital devices for stress relief, even though they can increase anxiety.

If you are looking to alleviate stress, TJ Power suggests engaging in physical activities such as a brisk walk, a fun game, laughter with friends, or taking a short cold shower. He told Jay Shetty that cold showers (although seemingly uncomfortable) invigorate you and stimulate the body to produce endorphins. When your nervous system is encouraged to produce endorphins, you will feel a sensation of true calm. Listening to music, engaging in a creative hobby, or playing with a pet might be simple yet effective solutions for daily decompression, rather than continually switching between tasks on a screen.

The Hidden Challenge of Pornography

One means to increase dopamine quickly is pornography, which is one of the largest secret addictions. Jay Shetty and TJ Power explain that many find it more challenging to discuss this topic; while other addictive behavior, such as binge eating or excessive drinking, are visible to others, porn usage happens behind closed doors. By granting you immediate gratification, pornography bypasses the usual steps of courtship or emotional closeness, which creates the same spike in dopamine as social media.

The neuroscientist believes that engaging in this habit for too long may dull your motivation to invest in genuine, stable connections. Although this addiction may render you highly functional (very competent at work, well-liked among friends), it is likely to make you feel trapped in a secret cycle of artificial pleasure followed by an emotional crash.

To help those suffering from porn addiction, Jay Shetty advocates for open conversations about such dependencies, free from judgment, to help them gradually improve. You may want to become aware of your habit and slowly cut down on usage. Then, you can reawaken your natural driver for a deeper connection with a partner.

Navigating Overthinking and Comparison Culture

Apart from chemical imbalances, TJ Power and Jay Shetty draw attention to the mental cycles of overthinking and negative self-comparison. If you constantly compare yourself with others, especially on social media, you are likely to ignite a negative internal dialogue. Over time, your mind will enter a loop of self-doubt, making it much harder for you to build momentum in any personal or professional pursuit.

The neuroscientist links these worry loops to low serotonin or oxytocin, hormones that help alleviate our feelings of discomfort and fear. Jay Shetty suggests taking the time to do a short gratitude exercise to interrupt these patterns. You can set aside five minutes a day to reflect on the positive aspects of your life, pushing your brain to acknowledge your achievements rather than your alleged shortcomings.

Integrating Phone Fasts into Daily Schedules

One strategy to reduce phone usage is to fast. Jay Shetty acknowledges the difficulty in resisting the urge to check notifications when we feel bored. However, short, repeated periods of disconnection (ten or thirty minutes at a time) gradually rewire the brain to be more at ease without notifications.

TJ Power calls this phenomenon the “boredom barrier” - spending up to a quarter of an hour without stimulation leaves the brain seeking a dopamine boost. It takes active effort to overcome this initial discomfort, but after you surpass it, you will notice an increase in focus and creativity. Once you get used to not having your phone in your hand at all times, mundane tasks will become more attractive again. The neuroscientist suggests setting your phone on airplane mode and only exiting it if you need to check for urgent messages.

A Daily Blueprint for Balanced Brain Chemistry

TJ Power and Jay Shetty discuss how you can adapt your daily habits to naturally adjust the secretion of dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins:

Start your day with some minimal physical movement.
Create phone-free zones.
Include a few phone fasts throughout the day.
Maintain a consistent bedtime routine.
Incorporate gratitude practices in your day.
Do short bursts of exercise.

The neuroscientist highlights the importance of regaining voluntary control over quick, easy dopamine hits and reawakening the deeper neurochemical benefits that stem from actual effort, genuine human contact, stable mood regulation, and healthy stress outlets.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode “Brain Expert: 6 Habits to Boost Focus & Concentration By 48 Percent (Hack Your Dopamine!) with TJ Power” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.