“Just ten minutes of exercise had significantly altered their dopamine circuits and increased their willpower. Yes, pedaling a couple miles on a stationary bike while reading the latest issue of People won’t solve all your problems, but for your brain, it’s a heckuva lot better than just sitting there, and it’s a great kick start to an upward spiral.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“Rules are not immutable—they can be rewritten.”
Source: Subversive Acts of Humanity : A Survival Guide for Choosing Evolution over Self-Destruction
“Setting Goals to Increase Dopamine. People are often at their best when working toward a long-term, meaningful goal that they believe is achievable, like earning a degree or getting a promotion. That’s because not only is dopamine released when you finally achieve a long-term goal but it’s also released with each step you make as you move closer to achieving it. Having a goal also allows the prefrontal cortex to more effectively organize your actions. And most importantly, achieving the goal is often less important to happiness than setting the goal in the first place.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“Another study showed that humor appreciation also activates the dopamine-rich nucleus accumbens, as well as the brain stem region that produces dopamine, which explains the enjoyable aspect of humor. It also activates areas of the dorsal striatum, which suggests that there is something habitual about humor appreciation. It is something you can practice, something you can get better at. At the very least, you now have a scientific reason to watch funny videos on YouTube.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“There's no need to feel like you're failing because you're not happy all the time. The absence of cheerfulness is not a disorder. Your goal is not to be constantly happy or revel day and night in the dopamine-coated candy of immediate gratification.”
Source: The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power
“Keep an exercise plan. Add exercise on your to-do list or calendar and check it off when you complete it. Planning activates the prefrontal cortex, and checking it off the list releases dopamine. Win-win.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“Once you start being productive, dopamine is released in the striatum and parts of the prefrontal cortex. Suddenly you’ll have more energy and motivation to do the thing you really need to do.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“Serotonin helps with impulse control, willpower, and resilience. Dopamine is important in enjoyment and habits. Norepinephrine modulates focus and concentration. Oxytocin is essential to close relationships. Other neurotransmitters are important too, like GABA (antianxiety), endorphins (elation and pain relief), and endocannabinoids (appetite and peacefulness). Other chemicals, like BDNF, help grow new neurons, and even proteins in the immune system play a role.”
Source: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“The neurobiological side of the hypothesis is proposed that a) the feats cause, at the brain level, a rise in dopamine b) delusions are feats of fantasy and fantasy shield feats that cause this same award, or relieve punishment c) the neuroleptics show efficacy in reducing delusions since they inhibit dopamine receptors and take away the prize for self-deception”
Source: THE SHIELD FEATS THEORY: a different hypothesis concerning the etiology of delusions and other disorders.
“Tell me the rest of the story. I can't wait. I just can't." And hadn't he known this was coming? Yes. If someone had delivered all twenty reels of the new Rocket Man chapter-play to Annie's house, would she have waited, parcelling out only one a week, or even one a day?
He looked at the half-demolished avalanche of her sundae, one cherry almost buried in whipped cream, another floating in chocolate syrup. He remembered the way the living room had looked, with sugar-glazed dishes everywhere.
No. Annie was not the waiting type. Annie would have watched all twenty episodes in one night, even if they gave her eyestrain and a splitting headache.
Because Annie loved sweet things.”