Driving Dopamine for Motivation - speaker for Schools

"The great dopamine hijack" Understand the chemical that drives your motivation.

Understand the chemical that drives your motivation, habits, addictions, focus, and happiness—and learn how to use it to your advantage. Modern childhood has changed dramatically. Today's children are surrounded by smartphones, gaming, and ultra-processed foods —all designed to provide instant rewards. While these experiences can be enjoyable in moderation, relying on frequent, highly stimulating activities may make it harder to stay motivated by everyday challenges such as learning, exercise, reading and face-to-face social interaction. Understanding dopamine—the brain chemical involved in motivation, reward and learning—can help young people make healthier choices. This talk teaches practical, evidence-informed ways to build motivation naturally through movement, quality sleep, good nutrition, time outdoors, meaningful relationships and purposeful activities. Children can build healthier habits that support learning, resilience and lifelong wellbeing.

Dopamine is key to motivation and mental well being

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Different ways to drive dopamine

Dopamine is an important part of our brain’s motivation and reward system, but not all rewards are equally helpful. Instant-gratification activities such as social media, junk food, alcohol, gambling, drugs and binge-watching can provide quick, easy rewards, which can encourage us to keep seeking the same stimulation. With every dopamine high there is always a bigger dip. In contrast, activities such as exercise, quality sleep, time outdoors, meaningful experiences, rest and working towards goals often require more effort or patience but stimulates longer sustained dopamine release which supports healthier, more sustainable reward and motivation patterns.

The role of Dopamine

Dopamine plays an important role in motivation, attention, reward and our drive to take action. When dopamine signalling is working effectively, we are more likely to feel energised, motivated, focused and engaged. When dopamine activity is lower or poorly regulated, we may struggle with motivation, concentration, energy and experiencing pleasure or reward. Understanding dopamine helps explain why our drive and focus can change depending on how interesting, stimulating or rewarding something feels.

Additional Information

About Andy Stone

Andy Stone is a professional speaker, neurodiversity and addiction mentor, and Guinness World Record holder who uses his extraordinary personal journey to educate and inspire others. Having experienced significant challenges growing up with ADHD and autism, struggles within mainstream education and later addiction, Andy transformed his life through recovery, self-development and a greater understanding of how his neurodivergent brain works. In 2022, he completed an incredible 70 × 70.3-mile triathlons in 75 days, earning a Guinness World Record. Today, Andy delivers educational talks and teacher training on ADHD, neurodiversity, wellbeing and addiction, combining neuroscience, practical strategies and lived experience to help people understand that, with the right environment and support, neurodivergent minds can achieve extraordinary things.

Andy combines three qualities that rarely exist in the same speaker: an extraordinary personal story, genuine lived experience and practical education audiences can use after they leave the room.

His presentations can therefore move seamlessly between storytelling, humour, neuroscience, vulnerability, practical education and inspiration.

Most importantly, audiences don't simply leave thinking “That was an incredible story.”

They leave understanding themselves – or the people around them – a little better.

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Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Links

Understand dopamine and the brain

Explain the role dopamine plays in motivation, reward, learning and everyday behaviour.

Recognise how dopamine feels

Identify how periods of higher and lower dopamine activity can influence motivation, mood, energy and the ability to focus.

Spot the “dopamine hijackers”

Understand how smartphones, social media, gaming, sugary foods and other highly stimulating activities can encourage repeated reward-seeking behaviours.

Recognise dopamine crashes

Identify how repeatedly chasing quick rewards can be followed by periods of reduced motivation and make less immediately rewarding activities feel harder.

Make healthier everyday choices

Develop greater awareness of their own habits and learn how to balance screen time, gaming, food and other stimulating activities with healthier sources of reward.

Improve focus and learning

Discover practical strategies that can support concentration, motivation and engagement with schoolwork, reading, exercise and other longer-term goals.

Use the Six Pillars of Health

Understand how nutrition, exercise, sleep, community, circadian rhythm and de-stressing can support brain health, focus and overall wellbeing.

Build healthier, sustainable sources of happiness

Recognise the value of movement, time outdoors, friendships, purposeful activities, achievement and healthy routines in developing resilience, motivation and lifelong wellbeing.

Cost

Please contact us below to obtan a quote. Please kindly note that we charge for all events and are unable to attend for free.

Testimonials

Andy was absolutely incredible! There was nothing but praise for his engagement, stories, and sheer appeal. I had students who were neurodiverse speaking about how fantastic he was, engaging with him after for more questions. I had students who would normally not stay in the hall due to their needs, staying for all the talk (some teachers came back a second time). The teachers, then asking me throughout the day where I ‘found him’. He was amazing and there are not enough words to say thank you to him. He pitched his talk perfectly for both the Year 5/6s and Year 7/8s.All the teachers I have spoken said he was brilliant, and I know, as throughout his talk where was a lot of standing room only in the hall!"

Michelle Bailey, Teacher Edwinstree Middle School

Andy is currently working with some of our students, helping them through problems they are facing, listening and motivating them. He is absolutely brilliant and a great support. For anybody working with young people I can highly recommend him working with your learners and staff to help them develop strategies and an understanding.

Tracey Holland, Director of Martec Training (College)

Event Days

Sports Day, World Mental Health Day

Available Regions

This service is available internationally

Anywhere in England

Anywhere in Scotland

Anywhere in Wales