A huge thanks for Montgomery Jameson for writing the book “Brain Power, The Best Ways to Improve the Flow of Neurotransmitters”.
The author provides “35 tips how to stimulate the substances and hormones in your brain that create happiness and trigger an overall better well-being in your brain.”.
The book is around £3 on Audible (43 minutes) and Google Play Books (43 pages), worth every pennies and minutes invested.
After reading or listening to the book feel free to use the summary of the book below and use the check list to take action daily.
Oxytocin the “love-hormone”
It positively affects both men and women psychologically and physically.
Stimulates attachment, creates feelings of calm, closeness, and trust.
Promotes sleep.
Enhances sexual feelings.
Reduces addictive cravings.
Triggers protective instincts against outsiders who threaten the group of loved ones.
Improves social skills.
Release oxytocin more often:
Tip 1: Cuddle and Make Love to Your Spouse
Tip 2: Make Eye Contact
Tip 3: Compliment and Express Loving Words
Tip 4: Give
Tip 5: Laugh More Often
Tip 6: Listen to Soothing Music
Tip 7: Pet a Pet
Tip 8: Sit in a Hot Tub
Tip 9: Take a Walk
Dopamine the chemical messenger and attention booster
It is responsible for passing information from one neuron to the next.
It creates euphoria, motivation, and concentration.
Triggers pleasure centre of the brain.
Helps to reduce urges and chance of addiction
Influence emotional response to situations.
Reduces risks of depression, Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s
Natural ways to regulate dopamine:
Tip 10: Eat Meat and/or Fish
Tip 11: Thrill-Seeking, Getting out of your comfort zone (eg exercise challenge)
Tip 12: Stay Away From Illegal Drugs
Tip 13: Stop Drinking Caffeine
Tip 14: Lower Your Stress Level
Tip 15: Take Multi - Vitamins
Tip 16: Eat Bananas and other food high in tyrosine (almond, apple, eggs, beans, yoghurt, cherries)
Tip 17: Set a Routine Schedule. Sleep 7-8 hours
Tip 18: Decrease Sugar Intake
Endorphins are the euphoria that disguise physical pain or discomfort. They block out pain and give us a pleasurable feeling.
Responsible for reducing anxiety, depression, aggression.
Modulates our appetite.
Strengthens immune system.
Releases sex hormones.
Stabilise emotional well-being.
Create endorphins:
Tip 19: Work Out Together
Tip 20: Eat Spicy Food
Tip 21: Make Love to Your Spouse
Tip 22: Meditate
Tip 23: Acupuncture
Tip 24: Eat Chocolate... a Little
Tip 25: Sniff Vanilla or Lavender
Tip 26: Use Ginseng
Tip 27: Laughter
Serotonin is the key hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness. This hormone impacts your entire body. It enables brain cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with each other.
Tip 28: Get Enough Light
Tip 29: Get a Massage
Tip 30: Eat Healthy Fats (oily fish, seeds and nuts, flax oil etc)
Tip 31: Relive Happy Memories
Tip 32: Plan Your Life
Tip 33: Put Inositol in Your Smoothies
Tip 34: Take Vitamin B
Tip 35: Pretend That It Is Summer
How did you find this? I think most steps are easy to act on and only takes a little effort to create a habit of doing them regularly, for a much happier life. If you are a visual person like I am, the chart below will help you to take actions daily. Tick the boxes to feel a sense of achievement and write notes to create memories and notice a pattern in your behaviour. Which steps are you more motivated to do? What hormones are you trying to stimulate more?
Have fun with it 😊
