In this episode, I break down the neuroscience of happiness and what goes on in the brain when we are happy. Some good stuff in this one!

How the Brain operates

Neurons

86 billion    Building blocks of the brain

Glial cells

86 billion (hold neurons together)

Axons – send signals from neuron

Dendrites – receive signals from other neurons

Synapses- between end of axons and dendrite

Neurotransmitters – jump across synapses

Myelin Sheath (Myelination) – protects new pathway

Neural plasticity refers to the ability of neurons to change in form (structural) and function in response to alterations in their environment.

Neural Connections / Repetition  /Synaptic Pruning (removing unnecessary connections) / The Growth Mindset

Neurons that fire together, wire together

Donald O. Hebb

EVOLUTIONARY HAPPINESS:

Happiness helped us be fitter, more attuned to our environment, more social, more energetic—and because happy people were more apt to survive, they were more likely to pass on their happiness genes.

EMOTIONS AND BRAIN:

Classical View of emotions:

Emotions happen to us

Emotional Hijacking (Amygdala)

Constructivist View:

Our brains create emotions

Our brains predict what’s happening

Our body experiences affect

Our brain builds concepts to understand

EMOTIONS are created from concepts which are predictions that give meaning to your affect in your envioronment

Increase our range of emotional concepts

Change your Context

Body Budget

NEUROCHEMISTRY

Serotonin (content)

Dopamine (achievement)

Endorphins (Pleasure)

Endocannaboids (Pleasure)

Oxytocin (love)