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)
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