Whether you're happy, sad, angry, creative, stressed or something else entirely, it all ultimately comes down to your neuroscience. The wiring and chemistry of our brains is what defines our every experience and our every behavior and as such, the best way to understand any aspect and unravel of the human experience is to look inwards towards the brain.
If you're trying to improve your mood and be consistently happier, this is particularly useful. When you feel truly content and at peace, what is going on inside the brain. And what can you do to try and get your stubborn brain to be like that more often?
Understanding the Mechanisms of Happiness and Neurochemicals
Happiness or sadness are ultimately defined by our neurochemicals or 'neurotransmitters'. That is to say that there are chemicals that make us happier and chemicals that make us stressed or sad and getting into a good mood is all about triggering the right ones. Serotonin is what you need if it's happiness you're looking for.
Ultimately our mood comes down to chemistry-- specifically it comes down to neurochemicals or 'neurotransmitters' which are produced in the brain in response to certain other activities in the brain. When you think of something or experience something that is happy, sad, stressful or scary, the brain responds in kind by producing the relevant neurotransmitter. These transmitters include serotonin, cortisol, norepinephrine, dopamine, oxytocin, adenosine and many others.
When it comes to happiness, we want to increase the number of 'feel good' neurotransmitters which include oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine. These are chemicals that make us feel alert, happy, content and even loved. On the other hand, we want to reduce ones like cortisol (which makes us stressed).
Simple Natural Ways to Boost Happiness
As it happens, we know plenty of things that can boost serotonin and the other 'endorphins' (happiness chemicals) immediately. One of the very easiest ways to do this is by spending time in the company of good friends. And in fact, even just smiling can make us feel happier thanks to the rush of endorphins it releases.
Healthy habits for health include more sleep. Analysis or studies show that the happiest people get an average of 8 hours a night. Get outside in the sun (moderate exposure of course) as sunlight boosts synthesis of serotonin. Spending time outside, preferably in the sun or a well lit area, for just 20 minutes can instantly boost your positive mood.
Exercise is great for a boost. Exercise has long been professed to be a cure-all for everything from depression to memory loss, unhealthy heart conditions to Alzheimer's disease. When you exercise it has been widely touted what is provided effectively is such a wonderful burst of self-confidence and good feelings, and you probably know that basis being the endorphins which are released.
Additional Sense of Euphoria from endorphins as a reaction to stress
Did you also know that as soon as you begin to strenuously test your body physically, your brain notices this as a moment of stress?
Your heart pressure increases and your brain instantly responds with a "fight or flight" awakening. An amazing protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is released to protect your brain from what it perceives as stress, endorphins are sent out inside your brain to minimize discomfort and feelings of pain, and you experience a sense of euphoria. And all this happens when you exercise or walk for as little as 7 minutes, making you feel happier pretty much instantly.
Rewire Your Brain Through Meditation
Meditation has for centuries been touted as displaying incredible curative powers. Aside from improving your focus and clarity, practitioners of frequent meditation also refer to a sense of calm and peacefulness they experience during and after meditative sessions. Meditation can lower cortisol levels, blood pressure while improving immune response.
Reviewing Key Points
Ultimately our mood comes down to chemistry-- specifically it comes down to neurochemicals or 'neurotransmitters' which are produced in the brain in response to certain other activities in the brain. When you think of something or experience something that is happy, sad, stressful or scary, the brain responds in kind by producing the relevant neurotransmitter. In exercising, an amazing protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is released to protect your brain from what it perceives as stress, endorphins are sent out inside your brain to minimize discomfort and feelings of pain, and you experience a sense of euphoria.
Stimulating the Brain
Passive Brain Fitness® Audio is commonly used to stimulate a profound “relaxation response” or improve focus and attention. Each module is designed to stimulate a specific range of electrical brain activity as it relates to cognitive and emotional health and well-being.
It can also be used to induce the deepest of meditative states similar to those of a practiced master in just minutes. :You can learn more from Jeffrey Gignac's Super Mind Science website,
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