Expand Your Capacity for Joyful Work: Rebuilding the Pleasure–Drive Connection

Joyful work after burnout recovery: how to rebuild dopamine and motivation and enjoy work again Neuroscience-backed strategies to heal workplace burnout using micro rewards, dopamine habits, and the pleasure–drive connection Learn practical, science-informed steps to increase motivation at work and make daily tasks more enjoyable

What You'll Learn:

• Understand how chronic stress and workplace burnout blunt your brain’s dopamine-based reward system and motivation signals
• Spot the specific tasks in your workday where satisfaction feels muted so you can target them for change
• Use micro rewards (2–3 minute pleasant breaks) to gradually rebuild the pleasure–drive connection for boring or draining tasks
• Design predictable, frequent reward cues that your brain can trust, instead of relying on rare big wins or promotions
• Experiment with tiny, low-friction actions to make work more enjoyable without needing to overhaul your entire job
• Track subtle shifts in enjoyment and energy so you can see progress even when motivation still feels fragile
• Build a weekly ‘joyful work’ practice: one small change, one applied insight, and one reflection ritual to reinforce learning