Natural Ways To Get High Without Drugs

Imagine feeling on top of the world, full of energy and excitement about life. When you talk to your friends, the conversation flows, and those feel-good moments warm your heart. You go on a drive around the neighborhood, pointing out funny bumper stickers or playing the license plate game for old times' sake. You sit around with your family in the evening, playing Pictionary (how in the world do you draw a “bearded clam”?) and break open a bottle of . . . sparkling blackberry soda. 

That’s right! There’s no need to bust open a bottle of wine, or to smoke, vape, crush, or snort anything to feel high or “buzzed.” Instead, there are plenty of different ways to “get high” without drugs or feel “drunk” without alcohol. Let’s explore some of our favorite natural ways to “get high” and look at some things to do instead of drinking. As we’ll see, some of these “natural highs” go above and beyond the chemical ones, allowing for more lasting pleasure and well-being. 

(Note: While being “high” is usually associated with drug use, when it comes to neurochemical effects on neurotransmitters, alcohol acts in very similar ways. For this reason, we’ll use the term “high” to refer to the boost of dopamine and other neurotransmitters caused by all mood-altering substances.)

The Science Behind the Chemical “High”

Why do drugs and alcohol make us feel “high” in the first place? It’s all about the brain. The brain governs the way we process reality. Learning a new language, falling in love, watching a solar eclipse, and remembering the taste of our grandmother’s apple pie all come down to the activity within the brain — the unassuming “three-pound mass of gray and white matter.”

So what happens when drugs and alcohol come into the picture? The pathways that have to do with feeling happiness and motivation get hijacked by a substance that causes an unnatural boost of pleasure and keeps us coming back to get the same effects. Let’s take a brief tour through the structures and pathways that are involved.

• Dopamine and the reward circuit get activated. The brain’s reward system evolved to keep us alive by driving us toward behaviors that feel good and are necessary for survival, such as eating delicious food or pursuing romantic interests. Centered in the nucleus accumbens, the system involves additional brain structures, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the striatum, the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, the hippocampus, and other structures that make up the limbic system. It works through the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that acts as a neurochemical “good job” signal that gives us the pleasant feeling of reward. The result? We keep coming back for more of whatever gave us that motivating boost.
  
  The problem is that this system can get hijacked by substances such as alcohol and drugs, which cause abnormally large boosts of dopamine to flood the brain. This is how addiction “tricks” the brain into prioritizing unhealthy activities and substances over healthy rewards and necessities.
• Endorphins add to the pleasure. Endorphins are the body’s natural opioids that reduce pain and enhance the enjoyment we feel when we engage in certain activities such as exercise (more on that later!) or take certain drugs.
• The prefrontal cortex takes a back seat. With pleasure-boosting chemicals running the show, the prefrontal cortex (the center of decision making) takes a break. Substances such as alcohol, which is a central nervous system depressant, have a particularly strong inhibitory effect on the command center of the brain.

The problem? Over time the brain gets used to the “free” dopamine surge, which becomes the new normal. We stop looking for natural ways to feel good and develop a dependence on our substance of choice, raising our intake levels over time as our system gets used to the effects. None of this ends well — addiction is the inevitable result, leading to withdrawal symptoms if we stop. 

Dependence and withdrawal aren’t the end of the story, either. According to NIDA, drugs and alcohol can lead to a host of additional health problems, including cancer from alcohol and tobacco smoke, dental and heart problems from methamphetamine use, as well as potentially lethal overdose. Many drugs (including alcohol) also damage the brain.

Besides, the “high” itself is all an illusion — what we feel when we use substances isn’t authentic joy. We might “feel good” at the moment, but the high inevitably fades, leaving us worse off than before. Time to look into alternatives!

A “High” With No Drugs?

Are natural highs possible? Absolutely! Remember, our brain is designed to feel good. The dopamine system evolved to encourage activities that create a “high with no drugs,” so it’s just a matter of tapping into its natural abilities. While it’s true that the “high” we might get through some of these activities isn’t the intense, all-encompassing one we get from mind-altering substances, it’s deeply profound and ultimately more sustainable and rewarding.

There are plenty of ways to trigger dopamine release naturally. Here are some natural ways to “get high” that may just prove to be better (not to mention healthier) than any substances that damage our health and leave us wanting more in the long run. 

1. Exercise: The Runner’s High

Now, before you get scared away or feel tempted to curl up in that comfy chair and watch another season of Love Island, bear with us. It’ll be worth it!

Cardiovascular activities such as running, swimming, biking, doing aerobics, or even dancing to our favorite tunes in the living room have a host of benefits for our health. But did you know that in addition to boosting our heart health, strengthening our immune system, and decelerating cellular aging, it’s scientifically proven to make us feel good, rivaling the effects of antidepressant drugs? Let’s dig into the details.

• Exercise boosts dopamine. Research shows that exercise boosts dopamine release. The effect is strong enough that scientists have even put it to use in treating conditions that involve glitches in the dopamine system, such as Parkinson’s disease. For the rest of us, the dopamine boost is a great mood-enhancing bonus (and motivation to grab those sneakers and soak up the happy chemicals!).
• Endorphin release serves as a natural high. It’s a well-known fact that exercise boosts endorphins — the body’s natural mood-boosting painkillers. The effect is especially strong with aerobic exercise, so get that heart pumping!
• Endocannabinoids top off the post-exercise bliss. According to Johns Hopkins University scientist David Linden, another chemical might be just as (if not more) important to the coveted “runner’s high.” Known as endocannabinoids, these substances are similar to cannabis but are produced naturally by the body. Unlike endorphins, which don’t actually cross the blood-brain barrier, these happy chemicals have a direct effect on the brain, relieving anxiety and promoting calm post-exercise euphoria. 

Back in the ‘90s, studies from the University of Jerusalem proved that endocannabinoids have the power to help us cope with anxiety and stress while reducing pain and providing a “natural high.” Scientific American’s Ulrich Craft sums it up: “Chemically speaking, we are all potheads.”

Tip: Start with an activity that feels like fun. No need to sign up for a marathon (or even join a gym) if that’s not your thing. There are plenty of online videos to tune into for a great workout. Try Popsugar Fitness or Fitness Blender for a little bit of everything. Or, if you’re feeling like getting some intense feelings out, try kickboxing with Jessica Smith and her husband Guillermo Gomez from Martial Fusion.

2. Acts of Kindness: The Helper’s High

Want a more mellow, soulful “natural high”? Try some acts of kindness. Research shows that performing sincere favors (both big and small) can create a measurable mood-boosting effect that goes beyond the “high” that substances provide.

Here’s how Nigel Mathers defines kindness in his British Journal of General Practice article:

“Kindness, therefore, is not an ‘optional extra’ only to be deployed when we have sufficient time and energy, nor

should it be instrumental in achieving another purpose

such as meeting targets. Kindness should be central to our engagement with others (for example, in the consultation) because it is central to healing.”

In other words, kindness is intentional. It involves conscious action on our part, whether that means doing a favor for someone, speaking in a way that shows empathy, or simply being there to listen.

As far as the brain is concerned, helping others leads to measurable changes in activity in the posterior superior temporal cortex. As Mathers reports, kindness also boosts the release of endorphins and oxytocin while encouraging the formation of new neural connections. That’s right — being kind helps physically “build” our brain. 

Even better news? Kindness and altruism tend to be “self-authenticating.” The more acts of kindness we perform, the better we feel, all the while expanding and strengthening the neurological wiring that makes us more likely to do it in the future. (In fact, functional magnetic resonance images show that even thinking about kindness actively soothes the emotional center of the brain and lifts depression.) Talk about spreading the love!

Tip: Acts of kindness don’t have to be grand. Think of someone you cross paths with every day and do them a favor. Maybe it’s giving the concierge in your building a gift card to thank her for her hard work. Maybe it’s making an extra Zoom call to your grandmother this weekend or catching up with the aunt who lives alone and hasn’t had a chance to visit in a while. Or try volunteering at your local homeless shelter, food bank, or senior center! 

3. Creative Pursuits: The Artist’s High

Another great way to get high with no drugs? Get creative! Let’s take a look at what’s going on in the “creative brain.”

• Dopamine release creates a natural high and boosts mood. Studies of neural mechanisms behind the creative process have shed light on how it can create naturally altered states. Once again, it comes down to dopamine, which gets released when we let our creative juices flow.
• Creativity gets us into a “flow” state. Once we’ve experienced it, we can’t forget it — time stands still and we are completely absorbed in an activity. “Flow state” was originally described by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi: “It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were … And once we have tasted this joy, we will redouble our efforts to taste it again. This is the way the self grows.” Creative pursuits, in turn, can get us “in the zone,” letting us tap into the natural high of flow state.
• New experiences enhance the process. As Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire write in Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, creativity is born through novelty:  “We need new and unusual experiences to think differently … For not only artists but innovators of all stripes, novel experiences provide the crucial tissue of real-world material that can be spun into original work.” Many writers famously sang the praises of novelty. For example, according to Jack Kerouac, “The best teacher is experience.” Let’s remember this as we tap into our creative side.

One of the best things about tapping into the joy of creativity is that we don’t have to be a professional (or even amateur) artist, writer, or musician to do it. We simply have to be curious about the world around us and take time to pause and engage with ideas, images, or sounds that spark our imagination in a playful way.

Here’s how film director and screenwriter Jim Jarmusch describes the creative process:

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic … In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.’”

Tip: Take Jarmusch’s advice and start by engaging with something in your environment — a photograph, a book that you’ve been meaning to read, or a gallery down the street. Anything that sparks your interest will do. Then see if you can take that spark further and create something with it. It could be a journal entry, a photo collage, or a playlist of songs inspired by your experience. Let it flow!

4. Nature and Sunlight: The Hiker’s High

In our pursuit of happiness and external sources of pleasure, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we need to add “stuff” to our lives to bring us joy. Nothing could be further from the truth! Sometimes the only “stuff” we need is found right outside our window.

Science says that being outdoors can serve as a natural high by boosting levels of serotonin — another neurotransmitter associated with well-being. Being outdoors can also regulate our mood, lower appetite, and provide a natural sense of bliss.

Bright light in particular can trigger the release of dopamine, providing natural relief for depression. 

Tip: Make time in your day to go outside (preferably when the sun is still out). It doesn’t matter if you live in the city — a park or even an apartment courtyard will do. As long as there’s a tree or two, some grass, and a sky with clouds to gaze up at, you can tap into the natural dopamine-boosting power of the outdoors.

5. Laughter: The Joker’s High

Last but not least, we have the simplest “natural high” of all — laughter!

Ever heard of laughter yoga? It can be an odd sight at first: a bunch of people standing in a circle, usually in a park. Then, one of them lets out a belly laugh and others join in. Is there a joke we’re missing? What in the world is so funny? It turns out it’s simply an exercise. But chances are, if we try it, we’ll catch the “laughing bug” as well. (Remember how easy it was to catch the “giggles” in high school when a friend would pass a funny note in the middle of biology class?) 

As adults, we can get out of touch with our natural impulse to laugh at funny moments in life. But in fact, there’s “serious” science behind laughter therapy that says it benefits us! Having a good laugh is yet another great way to release dopamine and endorphins, promoting a natural high.

Tip: Add some good laughs to your day by watching a comedy — sitcom, stand-up routine, movie, or even a funny video of animals jumping on trampolines. Better yet, make a night out of it and invite some friends to join in. Spending quality time with others is another science-backed way to boost dopamine naturally, so you’ll get double the “natural high.”

Why Do I Feel High Without Being High?

Natural ways to get high are all about engaging with life rather than “checking out” of it. They’re about authentic interactions, activities we enjoy, and ways to enhance our health and well-being. They’re also about building skills and memories that will last a lifetime and make life more fulfilling. 

As we mentioned at the beginning, this “high” is qualitatively different from that delivered by drugs and alcohol. It won’t make you forget your name, throw caution to the wind, and decide to travel across the country on a whim. But isn’t that ultimately a good thing? After all, natural highs provide something that chemical ones can’t even come close to: authentic connections, experiences to remember and treasure, tangible accomplishments to be proud of, and rewards that last for days, months, and even years instead of mere hours or minutes. 

Let’s harness the power of getting “high” without drugs and take advantage of everything life has to offer!