The Science of Happiness
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| Photo: Tim Nunn |
The good medicine.
Any surfer knows that being in water, nature and riding waves brings an incredible sense of happiness.
What is creating that feeling, why do we continue to crave it? Is it healthy to have an addiction like this?
The chemical responsible for this feeling is primarily Dopamine, a neurotransmitter. It is responsible for delivering the sense of pleasure or happiness.
Here is what happens:
Electrical impulses travel down a nerve and hit a connection which causes Dopamine to be released and this spreads to the next connection and rapidly spreads through the brain. We release lots of dopamine as kids but sadly it slowly decreases with age after teenage years are passed. If it degenerates too quickly, you develop Parkinsons disease.
The body however is able to adapt, so the "use it or lose it" philosophy can be applied to the brain in some situations.
So it is important to seek out activities that release Dopamine, or that you require Dopamine to do. The things that do that often involve physical activity and therefore aerobic exercise is a great way of staying "happy", especially if you do it in unusual ways!
Doing activities that are difficult or demanding heighten the sense of "flow", they allow total immersion in a Dopamine world of control and selflessness.
People tend to think that "good" and "bad" events shape their lives and their personalities from then on. This is not true. It is how quickly you get back to your genetic "base level" that counts. That is why people generally do really well in times of crisis. It is the recovery from adversity that is critical.
The brain responds best to contrasts and that is how it learns, adapts and develops. That is why "variety" is critical in life.
We are often taught that money will bring happiness. What is interesting is that with economic growth over the last 50 years, levels of happiness however have remained stagnant.
Money can buy you out of homelessness and starvation, but actually once you have basic needs met, greater wealth actually brings less happiness, more insecurity and seclusion.
One of the main enemies to happiness is the "Hedonic Treadmill". This is the phenomenon whereby the more you have...the more you want. Research shows that people on this treadmill become more depressed, anxious and insular......unhappy.
So what is the solution?
Work enough to stay secure, make sure you fill your life with social activities, exercise, good food and friends. Research shows that random acts of kindness and community involvement bring the greatest sense of happiness.
......and go surf more.
