10 ingredients for a happier brain

Just do these 10 things and see the magic!

Abira Abid
6 min readDec 9, 2020

When the word “happiness” comes, the first thing that comes to our mind is having money, fame, or an extraordinary lifestyle. It is not a thinking style of today’s humans, since Aristotle’s time, Happiness is considered a sum up of two key factors: hedonia (pleasure) and eudaimonia (a well-lived life). After enough research, scientists find out the aspect of life that works best to determine what makes humans happy. It might wonder you, but Happiness’s neurobiology has very little to do with the components many of us think.

A picture by New York Times

The Greek philosopher Aristotle observed that all human beings wish to be happy and search for Happiness.

But it’s not platinum, gold, or silver that is searched and purchased. Happiness is a state of mind, achievable by everyone irrespective of outer life situations and materialistic things.

We come across people who always stood high, no matter how much lemons life gives to them; they are contented, resilient, and determined; they soar high after every tiring flight and never give up. This potential is attainable by following the most straightforward formula of Happiness.

The pleasant news is you can upturn the level of Happiness just by doing these ten easy things:

Recipe of a happy brain:

  1. Happiness is a two-way thing:

The realm of Happiness lies in GIVING. Giving is the best contribution you can make to bring true Happiness. Happiness keeps on multiplying when you transfer it further. As a result, you will start receiving more Happiness. Genuine Happiness Comes from buzz from the heart, and it enlightens the soul. According to neuroscience, we feel virtue in giving, and that is the power nested in giving.

True happiness lies in GIVING

2. Manage brain chemicals:

The brain produces chemicals responsible for controlling emotions and mood. It is impossible to be happy all the time. But you choose to be happy all the time. So what you can do when you feel blue, change the neurochemicals. And you are probably thinking about how this is achievable. Food can do this as they have a direct impact on our brain and psychology.

There are four crucial brain chemicals linked with Happiness, i.e., Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and endorphins. Food and our day-to-day activities have an immediate influence on our brains and eventually control behavior, mood, and emotions. Dairy foods, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts (walnut and almonds), and dark chocolates increase dopamine. Oxytocin is a “love” or “cuddle” hormone. Spending time with loved ones, hug or kiss them increase oxytocin levels. Oxytocin also rises by taking magnesium and vitamin-rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Brain serotonin can be uphill by taking L-tryptophan-rich food, salmon, tuna, spinach, dark leafy vegetable, chia seeds, and nuts. Endorphins reduce pain. Naturally, endorphin levels can be enhanced by more laugh, smelling sweet fragrances, sniffing some vanilla or lavender, taking chamomile or ginseng tea, and eating something spicy.

3. Laugh more:

Smile, it's contagious!

Sometimes changing your body physiology boosts mental well-being. Laughter act as a cleaner for the brain, aids in detoxing negativity, and fill more joy into life. Even an enforced laugh or even smile changes the physiology of the body, reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and relieves pain. You can make it your habit by adding three or more cues reminding you to laugh, making humorous friends, reading funny memes or jokes on the internet.

4. Sleep well:

Sound sleep, sound mind. Sleep is essential for optimum health. Sleep improves cognition, sharpens memory, and declutters the brain. A cheerful person is full of energy, and vitality and sleep play the leading role in it. Getting to bed at a similar time each night helps to set down your body’s biological clock and make you habitual to sleep on time.

5.Travel:

Seeing the surrounding wonder can help you to construct a happy brain. Traveling has three significant benefits:

i. More curiosity to learn new things
ii. Creative ideas occur more in the natural environment
iii. A greater sense of independence.

Traveling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories, breaking routine, and allowing you to meet people from all over the world.

6. Live a life of purpose:

“Life without purpose is like a body without a soul.” A positive purpose that adds value and meaning to life works as a driving force, a force that propels you to move forward, work with a healthy state of mind, and once you achieve your purpose, you will feel happy.

If you want to look at it on a micro-level, take an average day. You go to work, make some money, eat some food, interact with friends, family, or co-workers, go home, and watch some TV. Nothing terrible happens, but you still can’t shake a feeling of stress or worry, or inadequacy, or loneliness.

7. See positive in any situation:

Happiness is an intangible thing. It is a word that portrays a feeling, a human emotion. To see good in every matter changes the perspective to see and handle the complicated issues. It gives you a way out to resolve the matter and provides you a happy state of mind. Practice seeing good!

Happiness is around us, just feel how much blessed you are, enjoy the little blessings, and let the happiness flow towards you

8. Be thankful!

Take a few minutes every day to acknowledge all that you have to be thankful for. You can do a small exercise each night, write ten things that you are grateful for. This simple exercise 2X the speed to attain a happy, healthy mind. Showing just a little gratitude can transform your life in many ways. Gratitude shields you from negative energy, heal you, diminish stress, improve sleep, improve relationships, and boost self-confidence.

9. Exercise:

Exercise is a natural element for a happy mind. By doing a 60 minutes workout you will get relief from mental fatigue; your mood gets better because your body releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood during exercise. It can also get you out in the world, help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, and put you in touch with other people. Workout makes your body figures better, and it also boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel more lovely.

10. Learn new things:

“A person high in openness to experience is intellectually curious, independent, and imaginative; they prefer variety over routine and enjoy learning and trying new things,” writes Dr. David Hambrick from Michigan State University in Scientific American.

Learning new things makes you more happy, healthy, and wealthy. Learning engages your mind, adds a sense of accomplishment and pride, the open door of opportunities. Learning challenging skills is sometimes not very easy, but the payoff is phenomenal.

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Abira Abid
Abira Abid

Written by Abira Abid

A Bio-scientist and content creator by profession and passion. I love to connect science, technology, and the arts.

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