HAPPY AND UNHAPPY CHEMICALS AND OUR PSYCHOLOGY
MANAGING THEM FOR GREATER HAPPINESS
WE ARE RUN BY THESE CHEMICALS!
We are run by these chemicals, though mastery will enable us to manage these for greater happiness, but we will not be able to violate the rules of the body/mind. We use the rules, not abuse them.
USE THE CHEMICALS/HORMONES LIST AND THE CONTROL DASHBOARD!
Below are a Control Dashboard for seeing overall what to do for various conditions, plus a listing and definition and use for various chemicals and hormones - a hugely useful overview to work with, and from which to get basic understanding
THESE AFFECT OUR PRODUCTIVITY, OUTLOOK, AND HOW HAPPY WE ARE IN LIFE!
Technically, on this site we are dealing with deep, enduring happiness. But we will be happy to "feel better" and happier in the moment if we manage our chemicals, not for just the short term but also for the long term - and never letting the short term happiness destroy the long term happiness, to the degree we can do that (which is quite a high degree!). And if we feel better in the moment, these moments will add up and our mind will then generalize that we are happy souls - and if we believe we are generally experiencing happiness, then we have an undercurrent in our life of thinking we are living a happy life.
And if you'll recall, one of the key elements composing deep, enduring happiness is that we feel good about our life in general - that we believe it is good and positive.
Also, as we manage to feel good most of the time, we will also think more clearly and we will produce more of what we want and be better able to manage ourselves. When one feels bad, the brain is turned off or down and we end up with "conflicting needs", as we are focusing on resolving our bad feelings, stopping them, trying to return to a balance. (Recall this is a mandatory function of the human mind and body, to see a balance that is called Homeostasis.
To understand how all this works, you need to read first the summary of how our brain chemicals are used by the body/mind for what it sees as promoting survival (feel good chemicals) and what it sees as necessary to stop non-survival or unsuccessful behaviors (bad feeling chemicals, cortisol). See for additional needed perspective before proceeding with this: The Story Of Our Happy And Unhappy Chemicals - A Tale Of The Mechanisms For Survival . (See also The Biochemistry Of Love.).
working on!
USE THESE TO REGULATE HOW YOU FEEL!
Serotonin (Respect/pride chemical) - Emotion/anxiety/worry control, perceptions and mood modulation in response to stressful events. Sleep better. High carb, high fiber diet, no sugar or refined carbs, eat foods with tryptophan (used to make serotonin).
Endorphins - Mask pain, "euphoric", pleasureful. Exercise!
Oxytocin (the bonding chemical) - Safe feeling - touch others/self
GABA (braking, filters out "static") - Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter (reduces anxiety). 5 HTP and/or theanine.
Dopamine (the "reward") - Feeling of well-being, desire, energy. From sex, happy thoughts. Phenylanine from high-protein foods such as eat, colltage cheese, wheat germ.; Boost dopamine and also norephinephrine: apples, bananas, beets, chicken cheese, eggs, fish, watermellon, beans, legumes. (Smoking kills dopamine receptors!)
Adrenaline (Energy!) - Excited, pumped! Sense of well-being - Don't overuse and abuse!
Melatonin (Makes you sleepy, which is good if it is at the right time), converts from tryptophan.) Supplement if need. Dark triggers it, go to bed 2 hours before midnight could double the effect.
Tryptophan - Sleep better, body repairs, immune system - See list under Melatonin
LIMIT THESE STRESS HORMONES!
The Stress Hormones - Not stressful if only used rarely and for actual physical threats. If these are prolonged and aren't stopped or burned off, they screw us up royally! Otherwise they serve a good function.
Cortisol (The "stress hormone", if prolonged) - The killer! Feels really bad. Cardiac, insulin, aging problems, cancer, overweight, memory loss, bone loss, immune system decline, stores toxins, poisons body...Designed to force us to change from a contra-survival activity to correct to a survival enhancing activity.
Norepinephrine (attention/focus, responding/actions control; fight-flight; excitatory) - If activated too long, revs our engines too much; lose body balance, causing malfunctions and poor health.
Adrenaline
THE CONTROL "DASHBOARD"
FEELING DOWN FEELING ANXIOUS, STRESS FEELING TIRED
Generate Generate GABA , oxytocin Generate
Serotonin Manage Cortisol Dopamine
Dopamine Norepinephrine
Norephinephrine Hydrate lots, breath deeply, rest/nap/relax
Correct the thoughts Correct the thoughts Actually tired?
Distract Distract Appropriate rest
Exercise, move Exercise, move Exercise, move Stop sugar overdoses!
Proper sleep, sun, Vit D.
This is for informational and strategic purposes only. You must use a medical professional so that you do not screw this up!
