The 'Dopamine Box': How to Turn Small Tasks into Rewards with DIY

Take a moment to visualize your daily routine. What does it consist of? Working, cleaning, cooking, taking care of pets, exercising? Do you manage to get everything done, or is there always something left pending? While it's possible your schedule is just too packed, there's another possibility: you might need an extra stimulus, an extra reward for each completed task. The “Dopamine Box” designed by Mike Boyd heads in that direction: six goals per day, six switches, and the goal that all of them change position.

The Procrastination Trap

I admit: I'm no shining example of activity. In fact, there are days I don't want to get out of bed, and I imagine you've felt something similar, especially during these pandemic days. Hours stretch on, months turn to smoke, and time loses its meaning. Any idea of organization flies out the window. We procrastinate, and procrastinate, and procrastinate again. Champions of procrastination... but it doesn't have to be that way, right?

So what's needed? What's the 'spark,' so to speak? Many arrows point towards dopamine, a member of the so-called “happiness quartet” alongside endorphin, serotonin, and oxytocin. Small rewards, something that makes us feel relieved and smile. An action we can repeat day after day. In other words... a box with six switches.

How the Dopamine Box Works

Mike Boyd explains it on his channel. Before sleeping, he writes a list of activities he plans to do the next day, and six of them became a sort of basic minimum for him: “Feed his cat and empty the dishwasher,” “shower-brush-floss,” “take supplements,” “clean and organize clothes,” “exercise for 45 minutes,” and “get ready for bed.” Even if everything else on the list isn't completed, by finishing those six tasks he feels much better and more satisfied.

The “Dopamine Box” does nothing but replace the traditional list, but at the same time amplifies the reward factor a bit. Each time he finishes an activity, he flips the correct switch and continues with the rest. If he completes all six, he's rewarded with the board covered in green, and a light of the same color on top.

Inspiration and Iterations

Mike also mentions that his idea isn't necessarily new. Simone Giertz (the genius who turned her car into a computer mouse and her Tesla into a pickup truck) created something similar, extended to all 365 days of the year. In contrast, this version is limited to six daily tasks, no more.

After a wooden prototype, problems with the battery pack, overly bright LEDs, an Arduino hanging on the back, and a nest of wires, the Dopamine Box adopted a stainless steel design that looks great. All project files were shared on Google Drive, and as always, there's room to improvise.