Using Neuroscience to Stay Happy In Isolation
Many of us are struggling with prolonged isolation, while the pandemic continues to keep us trapped in a modified existence. We are social creatures that crave human interaction. There are things you can do to help counter the effect of social distancing. These same life hacks that can help now will supercharge your life if you make them a consistent practice.
Gratitude
Start and end each day with gratitude to give your brain a boost of Serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the human body. It is known as the happy chemical because it contributes to our well-being and happiness. Thanking others, thanking ourselves, or Mother Nature – gratitude can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier. It has a healing effect on us. The connection between gratitude and happiness is multi-dimensional. Expressing gratitude not only to others but also to ourselves, induces positive emotions, primarily joy.
Meditation/prayer
Meditation is a simple way to release oxytocin into your brain naturally. Oxytocin is also associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building. It is sometimes referred to as the "love hormone" because levels of oxytocin increase during human touch and intimacy. It may also have benefits as a treatment for several conditions, including depression and anxiety. The expression of love, meditation, and human touch are natural ways to boost your oxytocin naturally.
Movement
Move your body in the morning instead of pouring that first cup of coffee. Do yoga, jog, or take a walk. Start your day with something that gets your blood circulating. This activity boosts dopamine in your brain. If you are tracking workouts or streaks of consecutive days, the small act of checking a box is another way to give yourself a win each day. Even something as simple as making your bed every morning task completed that causes your brain to release dopamine into your system. Dopamine is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter—a chemical that ferries information between neurons. This essential neurochemical boosts mood, motivation, attention, and helps regulate movement, learning, and emotional responses.
Sleep
We all know that it's essential to get 6-8 hours of sleep every night, yet most adults fail to meet the minimum. Being tired is not a badge of honor; it's a way to age faster, move slower, and die younger. Our body needs sleep to rejuvenate. Adequate quality shut-eye helps your brain fire on all cylinders when you're awake, so you can think and respond faster and with fewer mistakes. Sleep is an opportunity for the neurons that you've been using all day to take a break and repair themselves before you start calling on them again tomorrow.
There are some simple habits we can embrace now that will help us through these challenging times and beyond. By creating the practices known to have a positive impact on our state-of-mind, we can improve it. To learn more about the neuroscience behind staying happy, check out Mike Simonsen's talk Hacking Happiness.
