When was the last time you felt truly happy? Like your life had purpose, or waking up every day feeling joyful and energetic,ready to take on the world. Do you remember the last time you were wholeheartedly grateful for being alive? All those moments were forms of happiness.
Your feelings take different forms depending on the situations you encounter and the way you react to them; for example, changes in your relationships, financial standing, and career.
Some people find it easy to be happy, while others find it hard to push through issues like depression and anxiety in order to adopt a positive outlook.
Aside from all these factors, there is one more aspect to happiness: science.
Most people grow up thinking that happiness is a feeling that is elicited when we achieve our desires. However that is only partly true. Happiness, in its most fundamental sense, is a chemical reaction in the brain.
Let’s look at this in more detail.
Understanding Brain Chemistry—The Magical Mix Of Serotonin And Dopamine
Early human life was based on primal instinct, which included two things: survival and pleasure. And because our bodies and brains are built to support our needs and desires, the need to survive led to the evolution of an internal defense mechanism that keeps us away from pain.
We were also left with the desire to seek pleasure, which triggers the release of certain chemicals and neurotransmitters at appropriate times that make us feel good.
Two such chemicals that are involved in these processes are Dopamine and Serotonin. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Serotonin
Also known as “the confidence molecule,” this neurotransmitter is released in the brain, as well as the intestine. It contributes to happiness by boosting self-esteem.
People with higher levels of Serotonin report higher self-esteem and hence, are happier because they are more content with who they are and take full responsibility for their actions.
Because of higher confidence levels, these people also have an easier time handling rejection and taking criticism creatively and positively.
Dopamine
Dopamine makes sure that you’re able to perform your daily tasks smoothly, affecting your movement, ability to concentrate, focus, and memory.
Your body releases dopamine when you achieve a goal,inducing a feeling of achievement and satisfaction and encouraging you to strive more, grow, and improve. This is how your body knows when you work hard and achieve a goal. This is why some scientists like to call it“the reward molecule.”
Even though happiness is a chemical reaction and depends on your body releasing the required neurotransmitters in order to generate a feeling, the release of those chemicals depends on the way you view things—sometimes, painful experiences in the past can generate a negative outlook toward life.
Luckily, this can be fixed. Because negative feelings are mostly linked to unfulfilled needs, the best way to dissolve them is to go right to the root, and satisfy those needs. Reframing is a method that allows you to do just that, even in adult life by giving your unmet needs a brand new context.
To try out reframing, you can easily download NIKU, an app available on both, the Apple App Store and the Google PlayStore. This app works on ‘reframing of needs’ principal and functions as an online psychological counselor or a life coach, helping you look at life with a fresh, new perspective.
