Habits of Happy brain: Summary, Lessons, Action steps. (2023)

What do you get in this post: in this post, I have covered all chapter’s lessons, the Top 10 lessons, action steps, and many more.

It also includes at the end of the chapter What action do you need to take?

Are you excited like me?

So, stay tuned till the end.

For just 1 page summary you can click here.

Table of Contents

Why do you have to read the Habits of Happy brain book summary?

Reason:

You must read this book summary if you want to learn which hormones are responsible for happiness.

Benefits:

After reading this book summary, you will gain knowledge about the specifics of each hormone, including how it is made,

which hormone is appropriate for which mood, and how to produce it on your own.

So, stay with me if you want to learn everything in detail.

Want to know how?

Favorite quote:

“You can increase your pleasure if you’re willing to do things that don’t feel good at first.”

Let’s get started.

For just 1 page summary you can click here.

Habits of Happy brain Book summary in 3 sentences.

The way happy hormones give us happiness, the sooner these hormones drop and we don’t feel that happiness again.

Each happy chemical triggers a different good feeling:

Additionally, it is crucial to experience sadness in order to understand what is right and wrong.

The five key takeaways from Habits of Happy brain.

FOUR HAPPY CHEMICALS

Dopamine: helps in obtaining desired outcomes.

Endorphin: help reduce the pain of an affliction

Oxytocin: helps in building good relationships with people

Serotonin: increases social security.

HAPPY SURVIVAL MOTIVES

Dopamine: seek rewards

Endorphin: ignore physical pain

Oxytocin: build social alliances

Serotonin: get respect from others

You’re Unique . . . but You’re Human

Your feelings are unique, but the chemicals that cause your feelings are the same

as everyone else’s.

Notice the good feeling stimulated by the following opportunities to lower your guard:

Someone protects or supports you

You protect or support someone

The touch of someone you trust

The physical proximity of someone you trust

The Memory of Pain Has a Purpose.

Chapter 1: YOUR INNER MAMMAL (How our brain works)

Our mind cares for your happiness in the same way that it cares for your physical issues.

It is associated with all past experiences, which is why your happiness and your emotions keep fluctuating.

Let’s get to know how chemicals make you happy.

Dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin, and serotonin are four unique brain chemicals that contribute to the emotion we refer to as “happiness.” These “happy chemicals” become active when your brain detects an opportunity for your survival. When something positive comes your way, they will be ready to activate once more because they will then turn off.

Each happy chemical triggers a different good feeling:

Dopamine

When your needs are satisfied, such as when you’re hungry, have eaten, want to play, or do play, dopamine is released.

Endorphins

are produced when you concentrate on the positive aspects of things, which usually helps you to feel the pain caused by them.

Oxytocin

This hormone is released when you feel at ease with someone.

Serotonin

This hormone is released after receiving respect from others.

When you are proud of yourself this hormone is released, you can refer to it as pride.

FOUR HAPPY CHEMICALS

Dopamine: helps in obtaining desired outcomes.

Endorphin: help reduce the pain of an affliction

Oxytocin: helps in building good relationships with people

Serotonin: increases social security.

You now understand how happy chemicals do function.

Happy chemical control comes from a small structure in the brain, which are the same in everyone.

The hippocampus, amygdala, pituitary, hypothalamus, and other parts of the brain are called the limbic system.

the limbic system releases neurochemicals to signal the body,

When something is good for you, move toward it, and if something is bad for you, stay away from it,

Chapter 2: MEET YOUR HAPPY CHEMICALS

Let’s now examine each happy chemical individually.

Dopamine

Dopamine explains what you need, demonstrates how to get it, and makes you feel the pleasure you will experience if you do.

Because of dopamine, when a lion sees his hunter, he feels compelled to hunt him and begins to feel happy before hunting.

A sportsperson experiences great happiness when he wins, but he has already experienced it.

He moves forward because of the feeling, and he experiences the same feeling when he succeeds.

Because of how he feels, he is only driven to continue.

Dopamine is to blame because it makes you happy and helps you meet your needs.

Meet your Endorphin

When you get hurt, the endorphin hormone helps you for that time so that you can survive.

It doesn’t make you away from pain, it just makes you get rid of that pain in the time of emergency so that you can survive.

You must have noticed that when you get hurt, it doesn’t hurt that much.

But after some time too much pain starts, it is due to endorphins.

Meet your Oxytocin

When you trust someone or when someone trusts you, oxytocin is released, which makes you feel good.

The oxytocin hormone is released when you feel completely confident in someone because you like their behavior.

Meet Your Serotonin

When you feel respected, serotonin is released; this serotonin hormone inspires you to carry out more deeds of kindness.

Chapter 3: WHY YOUR BRAIN CREATES UNHAPPINESS

Additionally, it is crucial to experience sadness in order to understand what is right and wrong.

If you realize that your past experiences have taught you a valuable lesson, you should avoid making the same mistake again.

Even though we feel sad at that time, it is necessary for your survival only.

For instance, you must have experienced the death of a friend or family member.

Perhaps the result of an alcohol or smoking habit. whatever the cause may be.

You felt so depressed at the time, and although it might still exist today, you took this experience as a lesson not to smoke or drink.

Therefore, whatever occurs is solely for your survival.

Chapter 4: THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF HAPPINESS

The way happy hormones give us happiness, the sooner these hormones drop and we don’t feel that happiness again.

As if you went out to eat at a new restaurant and really enjoyed it; you were glad afterward; but if you went there every day, after a few days your mind would grow tired of that meal.

You won’t experience the same level of pleasure you had at first, so you’ll need to find another way to satisfy your needs.

And it’s only for the better because if you continue to find enjoyment in the same things, you won’t be able to think of anything new and you’ll remain in the same place.

You strive to advance and conceive of new ideas to get this bliss.

Chapter 5: HOW YOUR BRAIN WIRES ITSELF

It is your prior experiences that your mind stores, therefore you do not need to constantly tell it what is right and bad.

Additionally, the mind makes an effort to keep you away from something if it has caused you trouble in the past or if you have such an experience.

Similarly to this, your brain encourages you to work hard if you received a reward for doing something that made you extremely happy.

But if you get that reward without doing anything, then your mind will show you such ways, that’s why you should always work hard and take the reward only by walking on the right path.

Chapter 6: NEW HABITS FOR EACH HAPPY CHEMICAL

Dopamine strategies: Learn to enjoy each small victory you achieve; if you think that if you achieve large accomplishments, only then will you be happy, then you will never be.

To reach your goals, practice taking daily little steps and celebrating each small victory.

Endorphins strategies: Always keep laughing, when you do, your mind will find ways to make you laugh. Laughing heartily releases endorphins.

Make fitness enjoyable by trying new activities and locations.

You should cry occasionally since it helps your heart feel better, but don’t keep crying all the time.

Oxytocin strategies: Making yourself trustworthy will release oxytocin. Try to learn to trust others as well.

Additionally, receiving massages releases the hormone oxytocin. For this reason, maintain scheduling massages. You can also arrange for your friends to massage you and vice versa.

You will always be joyful if you do this, and your body will release oxytocin.

Serotonin strategies: Learn to take pride in your work, and don’t let yourself feel small.

Additionally, try not to worry too much about things you cannot control.

Your mind becomes frustrated as a result. Just focus on the things under your control.

Chapter 7: YOUR ACTION PLAN

Create a daily schedule that you may follow to discover happiness.

Although it will be challenging at first, as you advance, you will feel happy. By doing this, you can constantly maintain a positive outlook.

Create a new habit that makes you joyful each day.

Form a habit that you should keep up for 45 days; doing so will help you find the work easier. Try not to stop doing the task before that point; if you do, you must restart from day one.

Try new things; your mind is naturally drawn to them, so constantly remind yourself that you are learning and doing something new.

Always choose the long run above the short run because temporary may bring enjoyment in the short term, but the latter is not worthwhile over the long term.

Therefore, always choose the long term. It may seem boring at first, but it will be worthwhile.

Chapter 8: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO HAPPINESS

Do not consider yourself responsible for others’ unhappiness and in the same way do not give responsibility to others for your own unhappiness.

It is entirely up to you how to maintain your happiness.

Keep in mind that knowledge is power, therefore you should know how to be happy.

If your happy hormones drop, you should also know how to get them back.

You are the only one who can do this; if someone else tries, it will not work.

Because your brain is only focused on you and not on others, if you keep yourself happy, other people will naturally start to feel happier as well.

So, start being happy.

Chapter 9: RELY ON TOOLS THAT ARE ALWAYS WITH YOU

Mirror

Mirror people who already have the habits you want.

Find someone who already has the habit you want to develop and observe them.

Balance

Your brain wants all four of the happy chemicals.

You undoubtedly excel at some remodeling projects more than others, so it can be tempting to pick one in that area.

graft You can attach a new branch to the roots of an existing joyful circuit.

Energy

Your brain only has a limited amount of energy.

Exercise, rest, and a healthy diet can improve it, but it will still be limited.

More energy is used by new activities than you anticipate.

You promise to make that energy available when you commit to a 45-day rewiring project.

You will find excuses to break your daily commitment if you run out of energy before completing it.

Make your new habit the primary priority with your energies for 45 days, even if that means letting go of another one.

Fun

Repetition is easier to tolerate if you can make it fun.

Chunk

Because it can only comprehend a limited number of stimuli at once, the brain constantly divides things into manageable bits.

The majority of the time, we aren’t aware of this chunking method, but you can use it consciously to feel like your issues are more manageable.

Plan

Build a new circuit before you need it.

Before you get tired of your current vegetables, try some new ones.

Do someone a favor before you need a favor from her.

Develop new sources of pride before you retire and get wrinkles.

You might feel too busy right now to do these activities, but once they start to release happy chemicals, you’ll be pleased you did.

Plan to “do something” rather than wait for the feel-good chemicals to arrive.

Top 10 lessons from Habits of Happy brain book.

Even as it sees it’s young being eaten alive, a lizard never considers that there is something wrong with the world. Because it lacks the neurons to imagine the world being anything other than what it is, it does not tell itself that “something is wrong with the world.” It does not hold the world accountable for not living up to its standards because it does not anticipate a world without predators. It does not hold itself accountable for failing to raise its young. Humans demand more, and we act to meet those expectations. Because of this, we end up concentrating on our failures rather than celebrating our successes.

To feel safe, we look for signs of threats, and when we find them, our dopamine levels increase. The sense of being in the right can also increase serotonin, and connecting with others who perceive the same threat can increase oxytocin. This is why it seems strangely satisfying when evidence of impending doom is discovered. However, the joy is fleeting as the urge to “do something” reclaims your focus. Even if you are successful in your efforts to survive, you may still experience a lot of bad feelings.

It’s challenging to break the habit of blaming others for your unhappiness because it releases chemicals that make you feel good. When you fight perceived injustice, you feel important (serotonin), and you connect with other people who feel similarly deprived (oxytocin). When you look for and discover proof that your justifiable share of happiness has been withheld, you become ecstatic (dopamine). Endorphins may even be released if you accept physical discomfort as a sign of your deprivation. Feeling wronged causes you to keep creating a circuit for seeking happiness.

Dopamine: the happiness of discovering what you’re looking for. Endorphin: the pain-masking numbness. Oxytocin: the consolation of social connections. Serotonin: the assurance of social significance

If you’re willing to do activities that don’t feel good at first, you can enhance your level of pleasure.

Your constant creation of fresh expectations prevents reality from living up to your expectations.

Although repetition develops behaviors with fewer negative side effects, it takes time. Repeated exposure to something can cause it to “grow on you.” Even if you don’t like something right away, you can learn to like it with time. But if something doesn’t feel nice, who wants to do it repeatedly? People typically don’t, which is why we frequently rely on experience-related accident-built circuits. Unless you start repeating actions voluntarily, you will be molded by accident.

More esteem, more remuneration (dopamine), more safety (endorphin), more social support (oxytocin), and more physical security (serotonin).

Your sad chemicals draw your attention when dopamine levels drop. When the urge to “do something” strikes, you must choose what to do. Accepting the unpleasant chemicals and determining what causes them are two options. Another choice is to swiftly divert your attention to something else that you know will make you feel more dopamine. THINK ABOUT THIS When anything goes wrong, consider whether being unhappy may have prevented it.

An endorphin high is known as a “runner’s high.” However, a daily run won’t give you a daily high. Only when you go over your limits to the point of distress do endorphins begin to flow.

Action steps from Habits of Happy brain.

When something is good for you, move toward it, and if something is bad for you, stay away from it,

You won’t experience the same level of pleasure you had at first, so you’ll need to find another way to satisfy your needs.

Create a daily schedule that you may follow to discover happiness.

Create a new habit that makes you joyful each day.

Try new things; your mind is naturally drawn to them, so constantly remind yourself that you are learning and doing something new.

Make a list of renovation initiatives that might be beneficial to you in each of the following categories:

Express pride in what I’ve done

Enjoy my social position in each moment

Notice my influence

Make peace with something I can’t control

Giving yourself the go-ahead to enjoy yourself can actually benefit other people.

It can trigger their mirror neurons and spark their happiness.

CONSIDER THIS

When anything goes wrong, consider whether being unhappy may have prevented it.

Make a list of the equipment that will make your new happy habit more convenient.

Thank you for your time.