Pillars of Happiness: Body

Each Tuesday, I'm reflecting on how aspects of our lives and society relate to happiness and how we can increase our happiness. This week, I'm looking at the first pillar of my framework Pillars of Happiness - body. This is an exploration how body parts and processes are responsible for our happiness.

The Pillars of Happiness is a framework I've developed over the years to understand happiness and its determinants. This post is about the first pillar, Body. Why is it important to understand the body when we want to increase and stabilise happiness? Because that's where it all happens, isn't it? There are hormones that let us feel good or bad. There is the nervous system, which is either on high alert or rest-and-digest mode. There is the brain, which is responsible for what happens in our mind and body. And there is our general health, which promotes or prevents happiness. Let's have a look at these four.

The Brain

Understanding some basics about our brain can really accelerate our ... let's call it.... happiness journey. I know journey is overused, but happiness is not a destination. Pick a word that suits you. So, what about the brain? I simplify the complex structure of the brain and categorise it into three parts. There is the reptile brain or brain stem, which is responsible for basic functions like heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and arousal (and probably other things, but let's keep it there for now).

Then we have the limbic system, which is - again simplified - where our emotions sit. This brain part is non-verbal. So, if you experience a load of murky emotions or feel strange but can't put a finger on what it is - well, emotions don't come with labels. They are arising, and when we don't label them, say 'hello, nice of you to come by and alert me about something' and then act or dismiss, they keep hanging around with all their murkiness.

Finally, there is the prefrontal cortex. That's what makes humans special (not better, just their speciality). That's where the words and what we experience as thinking happen. This brain part does the "logical thinking", impulse control (overwriting limbic system commands), categorising, planning and forecasting. No, it can't preview the future; it can only suggest a number of possible outcomes, usually negative, because it likes to alert us to possible threats. This often makes us feel like we can see the future and all its problems. We can't see the future, though. Accept that and you'll be immediately a bit happier. There are a myriad of different possible outcomes, and it's never exactly as the brain predicted - usually it's more positive.

Neuroplasticity

Since this becomes important in other pillars, I introduce the term neuroplasticity. This means that the brain can change how it works. The brain works with chemicals and electricity between brain cells, aka neurons. Humans are born prematurely with a pretty empty brain, which develops until we are in our early twenties (yes, toddlers cannot control their limbic system emotional breakdowns because they don't have enough prefrontal cortex impulse control or executive functions yet). In our childhood, we are like sponges. Indeed, we seem to have a lower brain frequency (theta) associated with intuition and relaxation until we are about 7. The brain isn't judgmental, it's just soaking it all in. This includes beliefs that are later in life unhelpful (e.g. you don't deserve love, don't talk to strangers).

What happens is that the brain forms pathways for the electrical communication so it can conserve energy (it needs a lot, so it really likes to conserve). These are like highways, and let's call them beliefs. These beliefs guide our lives and decision-making. Something happens, and in our brain, the electricity goes down the well-trodden highway to react. Easy to drive, energy conserved. Yay? No, because you don't actually go where you want to go. You just go to Doughnut Town or Lonely City or Glass of Wine Mountain when you really wanted to go to Salad Town, Social City or Fill-in-Something Mountain. If you want to go to these latter destinations, you need neuroplasticity to find the little overgrown path that leads to these destinations. Walk that again and again, and suddenly it becomes easier to walk. Then you have a new belief, and decisions will be made accordingly.

Hormones

Phew, that was already a lot. I'll still move on so we get a good look at some other mechanisms. Hormones trigger emotions (which make our body do something to ensure survival). There are four so-called happy hormones:

Dopamine: This pleasure hormone is responsible for motivation. It is triggered by anticipation and its task is to ensure a better future (i.e. enough food, shelter and mating opportunities). For our happiness learning, it is really important to note that Dopamine only focuses on the future. It is not triggered when you achieve whatever it wanted you to achieve. Also, when we achieve, let's say, more money, status, house, yacht etc., we get used to it. The good news is that we also get used to loss. It's called Hedonistic Adaptation. Don't worry, there are ways we can deal with all this, and I will write in a later post (Desire & Dreams) about that.

Oxytocin: Humans have most likely survived this long because they cooperate, help and support each other (yes, we do - look around). Oxytocin is the bonding hormone that builds relationships and trust. It's triggered by hugs, eye contact, sex and connection. If you really mean it, you can trigger Oxytocin by just sending a text to a friend checking in. Of course, Oxytocin will also keep you in abusive relationships - so, again, none of these hormones are good or bad per se, but really useful if you know how to leverage them.

Serotonin: Humans cooperate, so they form groups. There needs to be some hierarchy - who goes into the middle of the group when the sabre-tooth tiger comes? Who is the first to drink from the water hole? Serotonin is a status hormone that is triggered by comparison (competition). There is always a one-to-one comparison between humans to understand how they relate to each other. The one in the upper position gets the Serotonin, the other the stress hormone Cortisol. Interestingly, it's a perception, so it's no problem if both are in the upper position. So, if you are checking someone out and think "oh no, more rich/clever/beautiful than me" think again like "but I'm good in xxx". Whoop, Serotonin for you and possibly for the other person.

Endorphins: The body produces its own painkillers - cool, hey. Endorphins are the body's morphine, so they're calming and make you feel better without a hangover. No, you don't have to break your leg to get some of those painkillers. Exercise, walking, laughing or crying hard all help. And apparently, so do massage, meditation and - my favourite - eating dark chocolate.

The Nervous System

Have a happy week!

Anja