There are thousands of psychological tips and techniques to help you feel happy and learn to rejoice with each new day. But what if our own body had something to say about it?
Today, We present some discoveries from neuroscientists, people who know exactly when and why your brain can give you a feeling of total satisfaction.
How to Be Happy
Learn To Say “Thank You.”
What happens: When we thank a person, or even fate, for something, we focus on the positive aspects of life. Pleasant memories trigger serotonin production in the anterior cingulate cortex. This technique is often used to treat depression.
Solve Problems One At A Time
What happens: Our brain never stops looking for solutions to all the problems that concern us. This requires a lot of energy; therefore, whenever the brain tires and the problem remains unsolved, we experience anxiety and irritation.
On the other hand, for every successful decision, our brain is rewarded with a dose of neurotransmitters that calm the limbic system and help us see the world in better light again. So it is really helpful to try to solve one problem at a time.
Don’t Keep Things Pent Up: Talk About What Bothers You
What happens: The processes of wordlessly going through something unpleasant and talking about your situation involve using different parts of the brain. In the latter case, negative emotions have less impact on your well-being.
It is, therefore, advisable not to keep your problems pent up. When you talk about them, your brain triggers serotonin production and may even find some positives in the situation.
Touch and Embrace
What happens: For us humans, social interaction is really important. Various forms of physical support especially touch and embraces, can speed a person’s recovery from illness.
If you eliminate tactile interaction from your life, the brain will perceive its absence in the same way that it perceives physical pain: the same brain areas are activated in both cases.
This, in turn, triggers processes that affect your mood and contribute to the development of depression.
Learn, Learn, And, Once Again, Learn!
What happens: For the brain, acquiring new knowledge means a permanent adaptation to a changing environment. Through this process, our brains develop, rewarding their own attempts to absorb and process new information with dopamine, the hormone of joy.
If you want to be happy, don’t be afraid to try something new, change the environment, learn new things.
Play Sports
What Happens: Physical activity is stress for the body. As soon as the stress is over, your body receives a reward: a dose of endorphins, released by the pituitary gland. The effect is similar to that of opiates (eg, Morphine), which reduce pain and elevate mood.
You don’t have to run marathons to achieve this result, even a regular walk can do wonders! In fact, many writers and composers consider walking to be an indispensable part of the creative process.
Always Try To Get A Good Sleep
What happens: While we sleep in the dark, our body releases the hormone melatonin. This hormone slows down all body processes, helping you to recover and increase the serotonin level in the hypothalamus.
If the brain detects a change in lighting, it triggers the release of the stress hormone to quickly wake up the body. Therefore, it is important to sleep 6 to 8 hours a day and only in dark environments.
Engage In Pleasant Expectations
What happens: The process of expecting something nice, like food or sex, is similar to the learned salivation response. Our brain really experiences pleasure simply by anticipating a pleasant event.
That is why we like to count the hours and minutes for a special moment, be it a birthday or a wedding, a meeting with a friend or simply the end of a long day at work.
