Where does the feeling of joy, satisfaction with life come from? What causes happiness, and what, on the contrary, sharply reduces its level and makes you feel in danger? Says a neuroscientist.
Have you ever wondered why we get warm feelings when we return home? Does it feel good after we laugh? Or why do so many avoid exercise despite its benefits? Neuroscientists are trying to answer these questions.
Neurobiology is an amazing but relatively young science. So the results of most studies need further development and do not provide categorical answers. In addition, the development of this field is hampered by a financial factor: studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging are very expensive, which limits the number of participants in studies and, as a result, the accuracy of the results. It is also worth recognizing that the features of the brain activity of each individual person largely depend on individual personality traits and environmental conditions.
But despite all these limitations, we already know something about what makes the human brain happy. The first concept associated with happiness in the brain is home. Why is it nice to come home in the evening after work or a trip, why do we feel homesick when we are far away?
Home and safety for the brain are interconnected. The brain helps you learn and enjoy things that are important for survival by releasing hormones that improve your well-being and mood. It also explains why homesickness is on the rise: being away from home can be dangerous, so the brain lets us know so we stay alert in unfamiliar, potentially dangerous surroundings. On the first night out of the house, we often find it difficult to sleep.
But how do we distinguish «home» from «not home»? Special cells in the brain help, which allow you to recognize the boundaries of “your territory”. When we approach the boundaries of «home», such as the fence of our garden or the front door of an apartment, they signal that the safe zone is ending.
Of course, everyone needs to cross these boundaries in order to explore the world. Curiosity is one of the engines of biological development. But we will experience less anxiety while exploring the world if there is a safe place to return to, that is, home.
Many factors influence the brain and its happiness: work, laughter, love, passion, age. For example, we find it funny when we meet something unexpected and ridiculous — like an elephant shopping in a supermarket. When we understand a joke or solve a riddle, we experience a pleasant feeling. The explanation is simple: the ability to find new solutions is an important skill for survival, so the brain rewards such activity.
Unfortunately, not everything that is pleasant for the brain is useful and noble in nature. Happiness has a dark side. For example, we become happier when we rejoice in other people’s failures or rise in our own eyes by humiliating others. Obviously, the reward system in the brain is not always kind to others. We need to know this, even if we hate to admit it.
If you’re looking for a formula to be happy, you won’t find it. The main thing is that other people are very important for our happiness. We are highly social beings. We are wired to recognize what others think of us and feel about us. The brain is well equipped to read what is happening in the social environment and reward or punish depending on the events.
People influence happiness in all areas of life. If you get along with your boss and colleagues, you will enjoy your work more. If you have problems in the family, returning home will bring tension instead of joy. Therefore, we must cherish relationships and try to keep them, this is the key to happiness.
About the author: Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist and author of Happy Brain. Where and Why Happiness Comes From, and Why, WW Norton & Company, 2018.