The Neuroscience Secret to Happiness No One Is Talking About

[Excerpted from You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type by Daniel G. Amen, MD]

You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and brain health expert Daniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, he reveals how to discover your brain type and tailor happiness strategies best suited to your brain type. This book also shows how to improve your overall brain health to consistently enhance your mood, protect your happiness by distancing yourself from the “noise” in your head, and make 7 simple decisions and ask 7 daily questions to boost your happiness.

Brain health is the missing link to happiness, great relationships, and peak performance. My friend Tony Robbins and many other self-help teachers give useful strategies for optimizing the software of your mind, but if the hardware is not working right, you’ll never be or feel your best. The foundational neuroscience secret to happiness that no one is talking about is that you must first optimize the physical functioning of your brain. When you do, you are much more likely to implement the other secrets of happiness and be happier on a consistent basis.

One of the most important lessons from our work at Amen Clinics over the last 30 years is if you want to keep your brain healthy, or rescue it if it is headed for trouble, you must prevent or treat the 11 major risk factors that steal your mind. The good news is that most of them are preventable or treatable. To help you remember these risk factors, I created the mnemonic BRIGHT MINDS. I have written extensively about these factors in my books Memory Rescue and The End of Mental Illness, so I will only summarize the main points here and show you the intriguing ways these risk factors relate to your happiness.

BRIGHT MINDS FOR BRIGHTER MOODS

Blood Flow

Low blood flow is associated with depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia. It is also the #1 predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. In my experience with our patients, I have found that when they improve blood flow to the brain, it can make them happier.

Retirement and Aging

Brain imaging work reveals that your brain typically becomes less and less active with age. I hate that! One of the most astonishing things I’ve discovered from looking at SPECT scans is that your brain does not have to degenerate. The right plan can delay or even reverse the aging process. Now, that should make anyone feel happier.

Inflammation

You may know that too much inflammation is associated with cancer and arthritis, but did you know that it is also linked to depression, autism, and dementia?

Genetics

Depression, anxiety, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and other mental health and cognitive issues run in families the same way heart disease does. Emerging research shows that your overall sense of well-being—aka happiness—also has a genetic component.

Head Trauma

Head injuries, even mild ones that occurred decades ago, are a major cause of depression, addictions, and memory problems. If you’ve had a head injury, the good news is that many things can help it heal, even years later.

Toxins

Exposure to any toxin can damage your brain and your happiness. Toxins are some of the most common causes of depression, anxiety, brain fog, irritability, sleep disorders, confusion, memory loss, and aging. At Amen Clinics, our patients who have been exposed to toxins are some of the unhappiest because they feel like they have lost their personality.

Mental Health Issues

Untreated mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ADHD, addictions, and chronic stress can hurt the brain and make you unhappy.

Immunity and Infections

Your immune system protects you from outside invaders, such as viruses like COVID-19, and internal troublemakers, such as cancer cells. Having any kind of illness saps the joy out of your life.

Neurohormone Issues

Neurohormones are like Miracle-Gro for your brain and essential for stable moods, a strong memory, and a healthy mind. Without healthy hormones, you feel temperamental, tired, and foggy, and your hippocampi will become smaller and weaker, further impacting your mood.

Diabesity

Diabesity is a double-barreled threat to your brain. It involves being overweight or obese and/or having a high blood sugar level (being prediabetic or diabetic). Diabesity does not lead to happiness.

Sleep

An estimated 60 million Americans have sleep-related issues. Chronic insomnia, sleeping pills, and sleep apnea significantly increase the risk of brain health problems and make you feel moody, irritable, and foggy.

In my book, You, Happier, I provide specific strategies to prevent or treat the 11 BRIGHT MINDS risk factors, so you can have a healthier brain and a happier life.

If you want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already learned how to have a happier brain and a happier life at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.