{"id":855,"date":"2017-10-17T16:09:50","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T14:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/?p=855"},"modified":"2017-10-17T16:10:05","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T14:10:05","slug":"a-neuroscience-researcher-reveals-4-rituals-that-will-make-you-happier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/?p=855","title":{"rendered":"A neuroscience researcher reveals 4 rituals that will make you happier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eric Barker op\u00a0businessinsider.com<\/span>: 4 lessen uit de boeken The Upward Spiral en Your brain at work.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

A neuroscience researcher reveals 4 rituals that will make you happier<\/h2>\n

You get all kinds of happiness advice on the internet from people who don\u2019t know what they\u2019re talking about. Don\u2019t trust them. Actually, don\u2019t trust me either. Trust neuroscientists. They study that gray blob in your head all day and have learned a lot about what truly will\u00a0make you happy.\"upward-spiral\"<\/p>\n

UCLA neuroscience researcher\u00a0Alex Korb<\/a>\u00a0has some insights that can create an upward spiral of happiness in your\u00a0life.ere\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0what you and I\u00a0can learn from the people who really have answers:<\/p>\n

1. The most important question to ask when you feel down<\/h3>\n

Sometimes it doesn\u2019t feel like your brain wants you to be happy. You may feel\u00a0guilty or shameful. Why? Believe it or not, guilt and shame\u00a0activate the brain\u2019s reward center.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Despite their differences, pride, shame, and guilt all activate similar neural circuits, including the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, insula, and the nucleus accumbens. Interestingly, pride is the most powerful of these emotions at triggering activity in these regions \u2014 except in the nucleus accumbens, where guilt and shame win out. This explains why it can be so appealing to heap guilt and shame on ourselves \u2014 they\u2019re activating the brain\u2019s reward center.<\/p>\n

And you\u00a0worry a lot, too. Why? In the short term, worrying makes your brain feel a little better \u2014 at least you\u2019re doing\u00a0something<\/em>\u00a0about your problems.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In fact, worrying can help calm the limbic system by increasing activity in the medial prefrontal cortex\u00a0and decreasing activity in the amygdala. That might seem counterintuitive, but it just goes to show that if you\u2019re feeling anxiety, doing something about it \u2014 even worrying \u2014 is better than doing nothing.<\/p>\n

But guilt, shame, and worry are horrible, long-term solutions. So what do neuroscientists say you should do? Ask yourself this question:<\/p>\n

What am I grateful for?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah,\u00a0gratitude<\/a>\u00a0is awesome \u2026 but does it really affect your brain at the biological level?\u00a0Yup.You<\/span>\u00a0know what the antidepressant Wellbutrin does? Boosts the neurotransmitter dopamine. So does gratitude.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The benefits of gratitude start with the dopamine system, because feeling grateful activates the brain stem region that produces dopamine. Additionally, gratitude toward others increases activity in social dopamine circuits, which makes social interactions more enjoyable \u2026<\/p>\n

Know what Prozac does? Boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin. So does gratitude.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

One powerful effect of gratitude is that it can boost serotonin. Trying to think of things you are grateful for forces you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. This simple act increases serotonin production in the anterior cingulate cortex.<\/p>\n

I know, sometimes life lands a really mean punch in the gut and it feels like there\u2019s nothing to be\u00a0grateful for. Guess what? Doesn\u2019t matter. You don\u2019t have to find anything. It\u2019s the\u00a0searching<\/em>\u00a0that counts.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not finding gratitude that matters most; it\u2019s remembering to look in the first place. Remembering to be grateful is a form of emotional intelligence. One study found that it actually affected neuron density in both the ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortex. These density changes suggest that as emotional intelligence increases, the neurons in these areas become more efficient. With higher emotional intelligence, it simply takes less effort to be grateful.<\/p>\n

And gratitude doesn\u2019t just make your brain happy \u2014 it can also\u00a0create a positive feedback loop<\/a>\u00a0in your relationships. So express that gratitude to the people you care about.<\/p>\n

For more on how gratitude can make you happier and more successful, click\u00a0here<\/a>. But what happens when bad feelings completely overtake you? When you\u2019re really in the dumps and don\u2019t even know how to deal with it? There\u2019s an easy answer \u2026<\/p>\n

2. Label negative feelings<\/h3>\n

You feel awful. OK, give that awfulness a name. Sad? Anxious? Angry? Boom. It\u2019s that simple. Sound stupid? Your noggin disagrees.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

[I]n one fMRI study, appropriately titled \u201cPutting Feelings into Words\u201d participants viewed pictures of people with emotional facial expressions. Predictably, each participant\u2019s amygdala activated to the emotions in the picture. But when they were asked to name the emotion, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activated and reduced the emotional amygdala reactivity. In other words, consciously recognizing the emotions reduced their impact.<\/p>\n

Suppressing emotions doesn\u2019t work and can\u00a0backfire on you.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Gross found that people who tried to suppress a negative emotional experience failed to do so. While they thought they looked fine outwardly, inwardly their limbic system was just as aroused as without suppression, and in some cases, even more aroused. Kevin Ochsner, at Columbia, repeated these findings using an fMRI. Trying not to feel something doesn\u2019t work, and in some cases even backfires.\"your-brain-at-work\"<\/p>\n

But labeling, on the other hand,\u00a0makes a big difference.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long<\/a>:<\/p>\n

To reduce arousal, you need to use just a few words to describe an emotion, and ideally use symbolic language, which means using indirect metaphors, metrics, and simplifications of your experience. This requires you to activate your prefrontal cortex, which reduces the arousal in the limbic system. Here\u2019s the bottom line: describe an emotion in just a word or two, and it helps reduce the emotion.<\/p>\n

Ancient methods were way ahead of us on this one.\u00a0Meditation<\/a>\u00a0has employed this for centuries. Labeling is a fundamental\u00a0tool of\u00a0mindfulness<\/a>. In fact, labeling affects the brain so powerfully it works with other people, too.\u00a0Labeling emotions is one of the primary tools used by\u00a0FBI hostage negotiators<\/a>. To learn more of the secrets of FBI hostage negotiators, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Okay, hopefully you\u2019re not reading this and labeling your current emotional state as\u00a0bored<\/em>. Maybe you\u2019re not feeling awful but you probably have things\u00a0going on in your life that are causing you some stress. Here\u2019s a simple way to beat them.<\/p>\n

3. Make that decision<\/h3>\n

Ever make a decision and then your brain finally feels at rest? That\u2019s no random occurrence. Brain science\u00a0shows that making decisions reduces worry and anxiety \u2014 as well as helping you\u00a0solve problems.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Making decisions includes creating intentions and setting goals \u2014 all three are part of the same neural circuitry and engage the prefrontal cortex in a positive way, reducing worry and anxiety. Making decisions also helps overcome striatum activity, which usually pulls you toward negative impulses and routines. Finally, making decisions changes your perception of the world \u2014 finding solutions to your problems and calming the limbic system.<\/p>\n

But deciding can be\u00a0hard<\/em>. I agree.\u00a0So what kind of decisions should you make? Neuroscience has an answer. Make a \u201cgood enough\u201d decision. Don\u2019t sweat making the absolute 100% best decision. We all know being a perfectionist can be stressful. And brain studies back this up.<\/p>\n

Trying to be perfect overwhelms your brain with emotions and makes you feel out of control.<\/p>\n

Via\u00a0The Upward Spiral<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Trying for the best, instead of good enough, brings too much emotional ventromedial prefrontal activity into the decision-making process. In contrast, recognizing that good enough is good enough activates more dorsolateral prefrontal areas, which helps you feel more in control \u2026
\n[…]<\/p>\n

Voor de rest van het artikel: klik\u00a0hier<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eric Barker op\u00a0businessinsider.com: 4 lessen uit de boeken The Upward Spiral en Your brain at work. A neuroscience researcher reveals 4 rituals that will make you happier You get all kinds of happiness advice on […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":3263,"featured_media":856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[134,81,127,23,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-happiness-at-work","8":"tag-boek","9":"tag-english","10":"tag-featured","11":"tag-geluk","12":"tag-neuroscience"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=855"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":858,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions\/858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hpbbnieuws.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}