The Neuroscience of Happiness

How Neuroscience Can Help You Feel Happier

The neuroscience of happiness is all about what’s happening in your brain to make you feel good & experience pleasure.

Did you know your brain is basically a parrot? Whatever you tell it, it repeats back to you in your actions. Say to yourself "I'm indecisive", & surprise, surprise, you’ll act with indecision. You can read more on self-doubt here.

I was chatting to someone recently & she said, "At work, I’m really decisive. But in my personal life, I’m not".

So, I pointed out to her that she already has the skills... Her brain knew how to be decisive, it just needed permission to apply it to the rest of her life!

Using the Neuroscience of Happiness to Shape Your Reality

Your brain is constantly listening to what you say, & it takes your words as instructions. If you tell yourself you’re bad at something, your brain will find ways to prove you right...

This isn’t just "woo woo" mindset talk, it’s actually neuroscience!

Self-affirming language activates the prefrontal cortex, helping you manage stress & also, make better decisions (Cascio et al., 2016).

How to Recognise the Language You're Using (& Make It Work for You)

• Listen to your self-talk: Are you saying things like "I'm always stressed" or "I'm terrible at decisions"? Your brain takes that as fact. 

• Reframe your words: Instead of "I'm bad at this," try "I'm still learning this." Small shifts, big impact. 

• Catch the ‘but’ trap: "I want to change careers but I'm too old." Try "I want to change careers, & I bring a wealth of experience." 

So, use the neuroscience of happiness to your advantage! Repeating positive, future-focused statements can actually rewire your brain over time, making confidence & also, resilience second nature.

The Story You Tell Yourself Matters

Your words shape your reality more than you think. So, what story are you telling yourself? And more importantly, is it one you actually want to believe?

The neuroscience of happiness shows that by simply changing the way you talk to yourself, you can shift your mindset, boost happiness, & open doors to new opportunities.

Give it a go & enjoy the results

Food for thought 🧠💡