Diet for a happy brain - Part 2

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In the 1st part of this blog, I talked about how a healthy brain is the source of all happiness. Brain health is an integral part of mental health. The thoughts we think and the emotions we experience create physical changes in our brain. So, it's important to have a physically healthy brain for it to be able to release the chemicals (neurotransmitters) necessary to make you happy. Last blog was about building a healthy brain. This one is about building happiness.

Creating the environment:

Here, I am not talking about the physical environment around you. We already know that changing the external environment helps. I am talking about changing the internal environment. Before we go ahead. Let's do a small activity together. It'll will only take 2 minutes but it will help you understand the concept better.

Close your eyes. Rest your head, let your eyes and shoulders relax. And think about one of the happy moments you experienced in your life. Play the scene in your mind. Try to remember exactly what happened, if there was a particular fragrance that you remember, or maybe you were eating something. In that case, try to remember how it tasted like. Or maybe you heard something. Play the entire scene from your memory. And once done, gently open your eyes. Go!

Now if you went through that exercise, you just relived a happy memory. To put it in other words, you just reused one of the circuits in your brain. When we experience something, any emotion weather it is pride, joy, happiness, sorrow, worry, our brain releases chemicals called neurotransmitters. When this happens, our brain makes physical connections between neurons. It's like building a new road towards a new destination. Destination being the memory or the emotion. A new connection was formed when you first experienced the happy memory (which you just visualized again). This connection is not very strong at first. But every time you visualize the memory again, you end up using that same weak circuit over and over again, making it stronger. It's like when the road was build first, it was just unevenly carved, made from poor quality material and you using the road over an over again has caused it to be rebuilt into a concrete highway. And just like it's easier to drive faster on a highway than on an uneven road, electricity flows smoothly through the thicker connections, and thus easier to release neurotransmitters. This is how habits are formed. We knowingly or unknowingly think or do the same things over and over again until the connections in the brain become so strong that electricity flows freely through them and the activity becomes automatic.

If we think about the same happy moments over and over again, we build a habit. A habit that makes us think about positive memories. A habit that teaches us to think only the positive about people, including us. By thinking about good memories and seeing the positive side of things, we build new connections in our brain which release happy chemicals every time those connections are used.

1 good thought = 1 new connection = 1 happy chemical

1 good memory = reusing old connection = 1 happy chemical

Repeating happy thoughts = using the already build connections = more happy chemicals

This way, we change the environment of the brain. You brain is now filled with neurons (connections) which fire when you think or see something good. And when you repeat it every day, those connections become highways and you have build yourself a new habit of thinking positive, which releases happy chemicals making you feel, well, happy and also calm, composed and satisfied. Who does not want a habit to be happy?

Building a habit to see and think positive is one way to bring happiness and it also lasts long as you are literally changing the brain physically. Another way to build a happy brain is to trigger these happy chemicals which I have been talking about so much intentionally.

Happy Chemicals:

These chemicals I have been talking about are nothing but neurotransmitters. Chemicals that are released by one neuron which send information to the other neuron. When we talk about connections, 2 neurons are not physically connected. There is a small gap between them (synapse). Information flows from one end of a neuron to its other end as electricity. Once it reaches the end, it releases neurotransmitters which are chemicals which cross the gap and carry the information to the other neuron. The other neuron then converts the information to electric current and the current flows to the other end. These neurotransmitters are released every time a neuron is used (when electricity flows through it when you think or do the same thing again, like playing drums or think about something) and are responsible for our emotions.

These happy chemicals (neurotransmitters) are Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin and Serotonin.

1. Dopamine: It is released when something small makes you happy. The sound of receiving a new message, that feeling you get when you cut one thing off your to do list, even scrolling on Instagram. It's a chemical of instant gratification. That feeling when you're waiting for your amazon parcel to arrive, the happiness when it finally gets delivered, is because of Dopamine. Dopamine is released when something that you expect is about to happen and lowers after you get it. It's released when you are about to receive your parcel and goes down when you finally receive it. A way to trigger dopamine release is to celebrate small victories. If you have a to do list, then keep the first 3 items as quick and easy tasks. Divide a difficult task into very small steps. And don't fall into bad habits as dopamine is addictive. I want you to be happy, not addicted.

2. Endorphin: Have you heard about runner's high? It's a sense of high you get when you exert yourself physically. This is why the feeling after a workout is so satisfactory. Endorphins mask physical pain and give pleasure. Go out with your friends and family to play some outdoor game. Exercise, have fun, play and laugh. Laugh openly and laugh often. The kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt. Because that releases endorphins which make you happy. And once you're done, stretch, move your body, and relax.

3. Oxytocin: This one is my favorite and you will understand the reason soon. It's a hormone of social and physical connection. It's a hormone associated with trust, empathy, and physical connection. It is released when you be more trustworthy. It is released when you shake hands with someone. It is when you hug your partner or a friend. It is also released during sex, the ultimate connection between two souls. So be trustworthy, take your chances, greet your friends and family with a warm hug. As I have always said, we a are social animals evolved to live in communities amongst people we trust. Not locked down in a cage made up of brick walls. It makes us stressed, sad and depressed. Reach out to them. Reach out to your friends and talk to them. And if you're stressed, talk to someone about it. Look at your partner in the eyes before you make love, and express your feelings. Be more present. Build connections!

4. Serotonin: It's the hormone of pride, respect and log term happiness. That happiness and calm you feel when you hear about an NGO who did great work in helping people. It's released when you hear a news about someone who spent a lot of time and money to get oxygen to people affected with COVID. It's released when you accidentally trip and fall and someone comes to help you get up. It's the hormone released in your as well as your parents' brain when you share a proud achievement like graduation or a promotion. It makes us help others. It is released when you realize your position in a social group. It's the leadership hormone. Help someone, show a sense of pride in your achievements, share your good deeds and notice your influence on the people around you. All these will release serotonin in you as well as others and make you happy and peaceful in the long run.

Our brain doesn't release a happy chemical until it sees a way to meet a survival need, like food, safely, and social support. Creating that needs is all we have to do. Out of the 4 chemicals mentioned above, dopamine and endorphins are short term happiness providers whereas oxytocin and serotonin are more for long term happiness and satisfaction. Just do the activities that triggers them, do them often and you will cultivate happiness.

When we think about diet, it's not just about the food we eat but what we put in our mind as well. Just like we have food that's useful or harmful for our body, there is information that has a positive and negative effect on our mind. Just like we have happy neurotransmitters, we have neurotransmitters and hormones that make us stressed. Actively notice when you find yourself in a stressful situation and try to get out of it, or hold on for a little longer and you'll come out of it. The lack of happy neurotransmitters for a long time also causes anxiety and depression. And you can actively prevent yourself from slipping into such a state.

It's not easy to change your habits and thoughts. I am not saying simply 1 thought will change the way you feel. I am saying that there's only one person who is responsible for your joy, your bliss and that's you. Accept the fact that there will be many instances where you will lose your calm and drift into a negative stream thoughts. It can last for days, weeks or even months. What others say to will will affect you for sure. Words have the power to move mountains. But don't forget that the most important words that you can hear are the ones you can say to yourself. So be your own motivator and do things that make you happy.

Hope this post helped you. Try one of the tips mentioned above. And if it works for you, share this post with someone you care for. Till then -

Eat Good, Stay Strong, Live Free

Cheers,

Sushil Dhokne