Cracking the Dopamine Code With Dr. Sydney Ceruto

As we close out our Summer Reading Program, host Paula Felps sits down with cognitive and behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Sydney Ceruto to walk through her book, The Dopamine Code: How to Rewire Your Brain for Happiness and Productivity, which explores one of the most misunderstood forces shaping our motivation, mood, and modern wellbeing. Sydney explains why today’s overstimulated world leaves so many of us feeling restless, stuck, or burned out — and how understanding the true role of dopamine can help us reclaim clarity, satisfaction, and forward momentum. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why dopamine isn’t the “pleasure chemical” but is the “molecule of motivation” that shapes everything from restlessness to burnout. How modern life overstimulates your reward system, making everyday joys feel flat and pushing you toward unhealthy dopamine defaults. How to build your own “dopamine menu” to help you shift from cheap dopamine spikes to meaningful, sustaining rewards.