I’d like to drop a little more brain-science on you today – this time looking at the effects of “good” things happening…

By the way… if you missed last week’s newsletter – “Stress Ate My Brain” – be sure to check it out.

OK.  So what happens when something we perceive as “good” happens?

Just like how we’re hard-wired with the fight-or-flight response (originally to protect us from life-threatening situations), we’re also hard-wired with a secondary circuit known as the reward circuit.

“The reward circuit is the driving force behind emotions such as love… lust… happiness… loyalty… empathy… and trust.  When the brain is in the reward state… dopamine… the novelty neurotransmitter… so important to peak performance, is released which leads to positive sensations.”*

That’s one of the great benefits of exercise – it releases dopamine… which feels great…so much so that we will want to do it again and again…

Basically… dopamine makes us feel good and… in turn… makes us crave another “hit.”

And that’s where this reward circuit gets interesting…and potentially dangerous…

You see, there are some not-so-good-for-you things that also release dopamine…like heroin and cocaine!  And… many studies have shown that SUGAR lights up your brain even more!!

Interestingly (and scary), over time you need more and more of the stimulus to release the same amount of dopamine…

So… a drug user needs larger and larger doses to get the same high.  Same applies to sugar… caffeine… and anything else that releases dopamine…

By the way… guess what a big dopamine-releasing addiction is in society today?

Social media.

Yup.  Every ‘like’ and comment you get on a post gives you another hit of dopamine.

Part of game/app design is the science of stimulating dopamine – the developers goal is to actually get you addicted!

Now… where this really hit me in a new way was when I read the following in relation to requiring more positive experiences to release the same amount of dopamine:

“This explains why you typically need a higher bonus this year than the one you received last year.”

Remember… dopamine is part of the reward circuit…so when you achieve something like a new milestone (weight loss… fitness goal… business objective… etc.) or earn a reward for something “good” you did…you get a hit of dopamine.

Now it’s easy to understand how we can become “numb” to our successes – they’re no longer “enough.”

This is helpful when it drives us (in a healthy way) to achieve the next level. But I’m sure you can also see where this can backfire if you don’t understand or recognize what’s going on…

I’ve certainly seen it both ways for me.  It’s helped me achieve great things in my life… AND it’s also made me lose site of those very same accomplishments causing me to struggle with happiness at times.

There’s one more reason having a daily gratitude practice is so beneficial. 😉

By the way… some healthy ways to release dopamine are:

• Exercise
• Supportive nutrition
• Sleep
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Massage
• Upbeat music
• Supplement with Resveratrol
• Hug someone 🙂
• Play with your dog
• Walk in nature
• Hang out with positive people like us at TheLIFTGym 😉
  
  

Now… SMILE (another way to release dopamine) and go have yourself an awesome day!
And if you’ve got a moment… I’d love to know your thoughts on the reward circuit and how it’s served and/or hampered you…