When I finish doing a lot of chores or one big one!

Night time stream high

When the code finally works, the computer issues are fixed, the kitchen is cleaned.

Being of use to someone else - something as simple as opening a door or something as hard as helping someone change a tire on the road. That karma is like a hit of the stuff I don’t do anymore.

Excuse me for my English. Approximately one and one half meters. Smaller highs are very ordinary but higher highs scare me

A surprise half day at work. Outside, it’s beautiful. Bonus if it goes into your weekend.

Runners high!

Tasty cold beverage after long physical activity (day hiking or biking)

This might sound weird, but sleep deprivation. I know it’s unhealthy, I only did it when young, but it was a rush to not sleep reading or gaming all night, then go to work/school. My record was 72 hours awake (Friday to Sunday) and while my head was wonky, and sometimes I would get very mild shakes, it was a high feeling still in control.

I’ve only felt a similar rush while fasting for several days, but for me it was much harder not eating compared to not sleeping.

Fresh clear water when you’re alarmingly thirsty.

finally beating a really tricky level/boss in a video game (but not so tough that by the time you beat it you’re just over it)

Eating your favorite meal you haven’t had in a long time

Sex

Feeling loved and appriciated.

Can’t believe no one has said “flow state” yet.

I wait tables, and I’m damn good at it. When everything goes just right on a really busy shift, it’s common for experienced waitresses to hit flow state and it’s one of many addictive patterns that keeps people, especially people with ADHD, in this job.

For those unfamiliar, flow state is a qualitative shift in consciousness that increases awareness of task-related stimuli and decreased awareness of irrelevant stimuli while speeding up reaction time, draining away uncertainty, and making every small success feel like it’s propelling you forward. It’s got some of the energy of an adrenaline rush without the comedown — flow state gracefully fades out without a crash. It’s like you just became more efficient, everything you need is right to hand, and triaging and prioritizing the subtasks in front of you becomes effortless.

It is the second-best part of my job, even better than the feeling of genuinely helping people.