The Happiness Hack_ How to Take Charge of Your Brain and Program More Happiness into Your Life ( PDFDrive )

ess Hack n it would take to plot a three- wiring. According to Princeton astian Seung, who creates “slice e way neurons connect in the te of information—the equiva- he world—to reveal the wiring of digital information. A letter, kes up one byte of computer ,000,000,000 bytes. nty-five billion sixteen-gigabyte mation. e pounds, but it truly is among e world. York Times, May 26, 2014, https://www its-are-busy.html?_r=0.

Getting to K Brain Basics 0101 1010 0101 10101 10101 We can cluster the brain’s funct MANAGING OUR BODIE The brain, obviously, largely co tions we’re not always aware o thseylstimembic cotrhteex

Know Your Brain 01010 10101 01010 01010 01010 tions into three basic categories. ES: THE HINDBRAIN ontrols the body. It directs opera- of (like heart or breathing rate) or hindthberain 7

the The Happine the limbic s hindbrain don’t know how to be aware of (tr for yourself ). It regulates appetite our biological desires to eat or slee processes, balance, and hormone lev These functions and countless different parts of the brain. Howeve oriented parts of our brains span th column from the back of our necks The body management parts of and the ones most similar to other a are highly efficient and largely in conscious of nor in control of most and toward the forehead, the brain human, and less autonomous, in th 8

xess Hack system the corte ry activating your spleen to see e and sleep cycles, and guides ep. It also coordinates digestive vels. others integrate across many er, generally speaking, the body-­ he regions stacked on the spinal to the center of the brain. the brain are the most ancient animals’ brains. Their functions nvisible to us: we are neither t of their work. As we move up n areas become more distinctly heir processing.

Getting to K HOUSING MEMORIES A THE LIMBIC SYSTEM Feelings and memories are ess life. They’re so important the b center: the limbic system, a fis central core of the brain. The limbic system’s location both body and cognitive proce Our ability to interact with oth actions, helped early humans su responses—­personal perspectiv world around us, even without it, but our memories and emot of, and take action in, our mom o+urheommuoesmtiionorgniess processing information + thought

Know Your Brain AND EMOTIONS: sential tools for navigating human brain manages them in a dedicated st-s­ized region nestled around the n hints at how integrated it is with esses. Humans are social animals. hers, and to use feelings to guide our urvive. Memories, sensitivities, and ves inform our relationship to the our awareness. We may not realize tions guide the way we make sense ment-­to-­moment experiences. mbanoodaugireins g 9

The Happine Layers upon Have you ever made a rubber band b found wrapped around newspapers your shoeboxes closed—m­ aybe even at you from across the playground— other, building outward. Maybe you started with a pebbl wad of paper. Or maybe just a firs building, for weeks, months, even ye recall what’s at the center of the b every layer wrapped around it. So it goes with memories and emo visible to you and easy to identify. S not entirely visible or identifiable— you (and your brain!) navigate your structure of that rubber band ball. Psychologically speaking, that’s memories and emotions. We laye ones, even upon old ones we can outside is one thing; often, we’re aw older stuff that tends to go invisible Yet we build our new memories when we don’t sense or remember wh PROCESSING INFORMATIO THE CORTEX The brain processes massive am emotions, the senses, prior learning 10

ess Hack n Layers ball? You take the rubber bands s, bunches of carrots, or holding n one the schoolyard bully shot —a­ nd wrap them around each le in the center. Maybe a little st rubber band. And you keep ears. After a while, you may not ball. But it’s still there, affecting otions. Some are on the surface, Some are hidden a bit beneath, —b­ ut as important to the way r experiences as they are to the kind of how the brain builds er new perceptions upon old n’t see. Knowing what’s on the ware of the newer stuff. It’s the e. and emotions upon them. Even hat’s hidden inside, they’re there. ON AND THOUGHT: mounts of information from g, and much more as it directs

Getting to K what to do next. This is the wo covering we often think of whe common images of the brain ten bly of wrinkly tissue, the cortex domains, each with specific fun the outside world, language, pe processed here. Most of this processing—as some theories—happens witho everything it’s mapped so far to react. Only a fraction of our thin “thoughtful and aware” sense. W fast. After all, speedy decisions— about—have saved our ancestra fumnocttioorns sesnoms cogegnneitriaoln fmuhneignchtteiaorln slyitmshtbeeimc hbitrnhadein- cotrhteex

Know Your Brain ork of the cortex, that lumpy outer en we visualize the brain. Although nd to show it as a continuous assem- x is actually made up of numerous nctions. Sensory information from erception, thought, and more are all s much as 90 percent, according to out our awareness. The brain takes and calculates, in an instant, how nking is actually intentional in the Why? Well, the brain is made to act —ones we don’t even have to“think” al bacon since the dawn of time. msaattiiocn soamsasotcoisaetnisoonry provicseusasilng coordination regbuoladtyion 11

The Happine Yet some of our brains’ fast de we’d choose if we had, or took, tim due respect to the brain’s ability to the speedy reaction isn’t the best when you’ve snapped at a friend, b or chomped down that extra slice unintentional the brain’s fast decisio Fast thinking—often the repetit taken or thoughts you’ve had befor But it doesn’t always lead to our mo preamroeator motpo prceforrotnetxal smpoeteocrh For those, we need to shift gears effort. Intentional or mindful thi and less habitual than the brain’s u thinking often leads to more sati routine reactions deliver. Generally ing happens in the most recently 12

ess Hack ecisions may not be the ones me to think about them. With o act fast, there are times when t. Think about the moments blurted out the wrong answer, of pizza and you’ll sense how ons can be. tion of actions you’ve habitually re—is the brain’s default mode. ost satisfying outcomes. porirmcaorrytex taste asossmoecsitahteitoinc cvoisrutaelx ssepneseocrhy s, and that takes awareness and inking is slower, less efficient, usual routines. Yet this sort of isfying long-term results than y speaking, intentional process- y evolved part of the human

Getting to K the pfc frontal lobe pari frontal lobe pari cortex prefro cortex: most of the brain’ information-p­rocessing capacity of the brain—t­ hat gray, wrinkl where information perception generally called the cortex, oc mass. In the cortex, you’ll fin make sense out of the outside w when things don’t make sense. integrate, process, and decide h (default) and slow (intentional brain: the prefrontal cortex, or behind your forehead. Rest yo pointing in, and you’ll pretty m the home of complex cognition i

Know Your Brain ietal lobe temporal lobe ietal lobe occipital lobe ontal cortex cebrreabienllsutemm+ ’s real estate is dedicated to this y. What we generally see in a picture ly, bicycle helmet–­shaped stuff? That’s and processing happens. This area, ccupies about 75 percent of the brain’s nd everything you need to sense and world, along with the areas you call on In other words, it’s where you receive, how to act on information in both fast l) ways. r PFC. The PFC occupies the area our palms at your temples, fingers much cover its territory. The PFC is including planning, critical thought, 13

The Happine and impulse control. It’s where we evaluate trade-offs, and where we actions and choose the ones we real These types of thinking are ofte tive functions.” They’re the willful t and reflect on when we mindfully d the brain’s automatic processes deci Although we can roughly descr within these three contexts—­body memory processing, and interpret it’s not quite that simple. The brain It integrates information from m relatively simple processes. This t general picture of what the brain do can apply that understanding in the Mindfulness “Mindful” is a word often applied t ing: that“held in mind” thought we We can think of mindfulness as the tendency toward routine, reactive we shift, intentionally, to aware, dir Consider the basic brain areas bodily functions, housing memory information. All three of these modes work to can flow, shift, or even be jolted from 14

ess Hack make conscious decisions and e find ways to resist the easy lly want. en referred to as “higher cogni- thoughts we hold in our minds direct decisions rather than let ide for us. ribe the functions of the brain y management, emotional and ting information and thought, n is a complex, cohesive system. multiple areas to perform even three-p­art framework paints a oes, and where it does it, so you e chapters ahead. to willful or intentional think- e direct to the prefrontal cortex. e act of interrupting the brain’s e, and fast processing. Instead, rected thinking. and their functions: managing y and emotion, and processing ogether and simultaneously. We m one mode to another. For the

Getting to K most part, our body functions a omous. Normally, for example, w we can. We can control our bre can learn to breathe differently to the point where it becomes breathe that way. But most of th functions, happens at a level tha Memory, emotion, percept Although generally these levels have a different level of agency w way we breathe while we’re asle We can, for example, work ou and gain insight into how they a ing our emotions, finding new sadness, negativity, or fear. We to tune out background noise, o spicy foods. We can also learn to be awa at least), shifting them to wher letting them mindlessly control A fun way to think about this engineering marvel: a full-f­eatu with bells and whistles. Gener mode, managing speed, monito and alerting you when it need have to think about it. You’re si Now, sometimes you’d overr scenic vista caught your eye as y could flip the turn signal and pu

Know Your Brain are invisible to us: completely auton- we don’t think about breathing. But eathing rate, or hold our breath. We y (think swimming or meditation) unconscious or even automatic to he time, breathing, like other bodily at we don’t, and even can’t, control. tion, and thought are different. s of processing are unconscious, we with them than we do, say, with the eep. ur way back to memories or feelings affected us. We can practice manag- w ways to process things like anger, can train our perceptions, learning overcome a fear of heights, or enjoy are of our thoughts (some of them, re we can control them rather than l us. s is by imagining two cars. One is an ured, fast, automated beauty loaded rally speaking, it runs in driverless oring traffic, optimizing your route, ds something. But you don’t really imply along for the ride. ride that car if you wanted to. If a you cruised down the highway, you ull over to take in the view. 15

The Happine But unless you took action, tha wouldn’t be concerned with helping work to get you where you’re going, as you got there. Then, imagine another car: a slo guzzled gas, needed regular maint started—but got you to places you If you could, you’d flip between You’d slide into the driverless car fo do the work so you could relax whil 16

ess Hack at car would keep rolling on. It g you enjoy the scenery. It would , on time—and to keep you safe ow moving off-road vehicle that tenance, and took work to get couldn’t reach any other way. n these cars for different drives. or everyday commutes, letting it le it navigated the road.

Getting to K Sometimes you’d override i agenda and taking a different ro it take over again. Yet for some drives, you’d fi your hands on the wheel, point go. You’d feel confident it was took to drive. You’d know it ha you places that sleek cruiser cou But you might check the oil Here’s some good news: bo your cranial garage. There’s even better news. T together, ready for you to shif depending on your needs. No own the road, cruising along w Now and again it might com place without an available map to the off-road vehicle, shiftin been navigated.

Know Your Brain it, challenging the preprogrammed oute than it suggested, then letting ire up that off-road buggy and put ting it exactly where you wanted to up to the job, despite the work it ad the features and functions to get uld never go. first. oth of those vehicles are parked in bang These two vehicles tend to travel ft—or be shifted—between them, ormally, the driverless car would without needing a thing from you. me across a bumpy passage, or a p. Then it would shift things over ng back once the tricky part had 17

The Happine Generally speaking, a driverless The person in the driver’s seat is act Sometimes, though, a driver wa its car’s preprogrammed plan, fam may be. There’s scenery to notice about something more than getti skill and enjoyment of driving a ha at it with practice. So it goes with our brains. Most automatically following the program The thing is, the routes they’ve l be the ones the driver wants to keep to take back the wheel and head in the gears might feel at first. This kind of driving puts the ski of the driver. Try It O Take a cookie break while you think an imaginary cookie. Grab one, fast, the cookie is gone, you’ll barely even Next, take a nice little bite, ma window at the view outside. Pay the taste of the cookie. Sip some in flavors. Then, slow down and take an the texture on your teeth and lay on your tongue. 18

ess Hack car doesn’t really need a driver. tually more of a passenger. ants something different from miliar and efficient as that it e. A path less followed that’s ing there fast. Or simply the ands-o­ n car, and getting better t of the time, they’re driverless: mmed routes. learned and optimized may not p traveling. Sometimes we want n a different direction, tricky as ill, and the work, into the hands Out about this, even if it’s only with , and chomp into it. By the time n know you’ve eaten it. aybe while you look out your attention to the scenery and coffee and savor the contrast even smaller bite, examining yers of subtle flavors melting

Getting to K That’s what it’s like to shift g ness we can bring to an exper between brain modalities. Who Runs the Sh The brain runs the show, right? Well, if you’re in that drive charge. Managing your body a thoughts and actions? Thank g cruiser for that amount of work After all, the brain is a hungr 2 percent of our adult body m of our energy supply. It runs o oxygen, and it’s ravenous for b moment, and the brain slows d danger. Drops in glucose corr memory, and impulse control. dangers. Four to six minutes wi irreversible damage—o­ r even d By operating efficiently, the b keeping it available for whatever So it operates in automatic mod it runs the show. But if you’re shifting to that take over. That thing seems to t behind the wheel. Mindfulness activates that th the control away from the progr

Know Your Brain gears, exploring the range of aware- rience—­and sensing the transitions how? ? Isn’t that what it’s for? erless car, then yes: the brain is in and processing some 90 percent of goodness we’re in a state-o­ f-t­he-­art k. ry organ. Although it occupies only mass, it consumes some 20 percent on glucose (metabolized sugar) and both. Take either away, even for a down. Go longer, and there’s actual relate with problems in thinking, Lack of oxygen? We know those ithout oxygen and the brain suffers death. brain conserves glucose and oxygen, r might be coming around the bend. de whenever it can. In other words, t other car, something else seems to take charge, at least when it can get hing, whatever it is. It takes some of rammed processes and puts it in the 19

The mind co brain contro — D­ AVI D RO CK , AUT THE NEUROLEADE

ontrols the ols the mind. THOR, FOUNDER OF ERSHIP INSTITUTE

Getting to K hands of a “driver”: one with an from what the automatic car wo Many religious, spiritual, about this driving force. Some spirit, or the soul; some the sup is simply another brain functio to only one thing: that no one r And we don’t have to know. a friendly term to describe this reference to “whatever it is” that but is separate from those thoug or driver of those cars, sometim Sometimes it’s along for the rid In either mode, it can be watchf the Watcher is mindful. Putting the Watc The Watcher sounds useful, ri awareness, guides big-­picture th on the other hand…” It is useful. We all have exam work by resisting the easy, defa car’s programmed route) and t feel good about those moments we acted fast, reacted autom quences later. But the Watcher can’t be Watcher as a highly paid worke

Know Your Brain n intention or agenda that can differ ould choose. and psychological traditions talk call it the mind. Some may say the perego. Others assert that the force on. These differing voices can agree really knows. . Yet one practice, Buddhism, offers force: the Watcher. This is a simple t watches our thoughts and actions, ghts and actions. Like the passenger mes it’s active and sometimes it’s not. de and sometimes it owns the road. ful, and aware. Passively or actively, cher on Watch ight? Something that directs us to hinking, and coaches us to say,“But, mples of times when we did our best ault approach (like that automatic thought through a better way. We s and less so about the times when matically, and regretted the conse- on duty full-­time. Think of the er. “Watcher” thinking activates the 21

WAT C H I N G , “The Watcher,” called, “the obs refers to the inh capacity of a Sometimes mindfulness, thi a separate thing cultivate the ob More accurately of what we consciousness… mind, but awar mind tha —PAMELA WEISS TEACHER A

OBSERVING or, as it’s often serving mind,” herent knowing awareness. in teaching is is spoken of as g, as in “You can bserving mind.” y, it’s a function call mind or …not the thinking reness itself: the at knows. S, ZEN BUDDHIST AND COACH

Getting to K brain’s newest and often less eff tal cortex, or PFC. prceforrotnetxal Of all of the brain’s parts, t Which gives us a clue to wh automatic mode. Science is still much extra juice the PFC dem look at energy consumed by the our furrier relatives tend to energy to fuel their brains, we PFCs—seem to use around twi The PFC gets tired fast. If y a complicated problem, had you were tired, or thought “My bra session, you’ve felt that depletio After all, in the world we evo things other than orchestrating during a long day at the office,

Know Your Brain ficient area: that “off-road” prefron- the PFC is the least fuel-efficient. hy the brain tends to stay in that l cracking the code on precisely how mands, but we get a hint when we e brains of other primates. Whereas use around 10 percent of their e humans—the ones with the big ice that. you’ve ever gone blank while solving ur temper flare pointlessly when you ain hurts” after an intense planning on. olved for, we needed our energy for g long-term projects, staying sharp or navigating a world of constantly 23

Without str discipline, o run rampant o Because w learned ho carefully ma goes on insid we remain v not only what think about u advertisin political ma —JILL BOLTE TAYLOR STROKE SURVI

ructure or our thoughts on automatic. e have not ow to more anage what de our brains, vulnerable to t other people us, but also to ng and/or anipulation. R, NEUROSCIENTIST, IVOR, AUTHOR

Getting to K buzzing distractions. Mostly, w ing meant saving energy. The b Being prepared to fight with o around the corner (or rustlin energy. If a task wasn’t geared there was some resistance to do Today, we often face decision tion than by lightning-f­ ast react our brains has not gone away. However, if we’re looking to b to align with purpose, or to feel need a different path. It involve standing of how today’s reality us feeling less than happy—­or i Understanding that means l is. It also means thinking about ness, the kind we all hunger fo disconnecting from some thin because they’ve become automa and forgotten to be watchful. Routing our path to happine to put our hands back on th looking at routes that have beco thinks they are the way, not me the energy, and the practice, in can fall out of use when we get the brain’s most powerful and e It’s easy to fall into automatic take back some control turns o

Know Your Brain we worked on surviving, and surviv- brain’s first job was to keep us alive. or run from whatever was lurking ng in the grass) meant conserving for survival, our brains made sure oing it. ns served better by thoughtful reflec- tions. Yet the resistance ingrained in bring more happiness into our lives, l more mastery and self-­control, we es the Watcher as well as an under- can scramble our signals and leave in charge. looking at what happiness actually t the things that lead to real happi- or. Finding those things may mean ngs we’ve assumed or simply done atic habits. We’ve defaulted to them ess means learning how, and when, hat metaphorical wheel. It means ome so familiar our automatic mode erely a way. And it means investing n activating parts of our brains that too swept up in automatic mode—­ efficient way of working. c mode. We all do it. Yet learning to out to be a path to more happiness 25

The Happine and satisfaction than we can find i work of taking the wheel, it turns ou the practice of doing that helps bo more of it. This is mindful work, t something anyone can learn. There are many ways to start acti route hinges on something so basic take it for granted or forget to ac these busy, often distracting times, i often slips by the wayside. It’s a si well-b­ eing and satisfaction that it’s happens when we build connection Chemistry More than a hundred un through your brain at a levels and activity are r of factors: everything ics to what's happenin ment to how you've liv Here, meet some of the well-understood brai neurotransmitters and happiness, health, and s 26

ess Hack in the habitual paths. Even the ut, helps us enjoy the road. And oost the brain’s capacity to do the work of the Watcher—a­ nd ivating this practice. One proven to human nature that we often ctively nurture it. Especially in it’s a time-h­ onored benefit that imple thing, yet so core to our s worth working to reclaim. It ns. nique chemicals flow any given time. Their regulated by a range g from your genet- ng in your environ- ved your life so far. e most common and in chemicals—both hormones—affecting social interactions.

Getting to K Happiness dopamine Dopamine: Ah, the th of a worthy goal…eve “Like”! Meet dopam enjoyment and gratific in guilty pleasures). T our happiness when we can draw us in to too mu Serotonin: There’s no the top! Fulfillment, a pride of long-term accom the neurotransmitter oft esteem and life satisfactio enjoy, and reflect positi achievements that have sha

Know Your Brain Modulators serotonin hrill of the chase…the pursuit en the ping of an incoming mine: sparking feelings of ation (as well as indulgence This neurotransmitter boosts pursue or reach a goal…but uch of a good (or bad) thing. othing like the view from alignment with purpose, mplishments: serotonin is ten associated with self- on. It helps you appreciate, ively on the moments and aped the journey. 27

The Happine Stress Mod endorphins Endorphins: You can do when we’re exercising, helping tance…or even pain. The runn rush: they’re what we get wh on the job. Good news: they al laughing, and all-around help and less pain. Cortisol: Although our bodies, watch out: with long-term stress an health. Cortisol levels ris ically exposed to negativ Good news: healthy diet, ness practices can all he 28

ess Hack dulators cortisol it! Endorphins kick in us power through resis- ner’s high, the athletic hen these hormones are lso show up when we’re p us feel more pleasure normal levels help regulate this hormone can build up nd affect mental and physical se over time when we’re chron- ve or threatening situations. , exercise, rest, and mindful- elp to reduce cortisol levels.

Getting to K adrenaline Bonding M oxytocin an Bonding, caring, affectio hormones” draw and keep us takes the lead in making t vasopressin. Either way, th keep the closeness coming. hormones act as part of the g help attract, draw, and kee

Know Your Brain Adrenaline: Defend your turf or run like the wind! Excitement, arousal, danger: this hormone gets us up and moving…fast. Stressful situa- tions fire it up as it prepares us for fight-or-flight. Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, shifts us into high gear in situations that are threatening, stressful, and/or physically exhilarating. Modulators nd vasopressin on, connection: our “cuddle s together. In women, oxytocin the magic happen. For men, it’s hey help us feel the love…and Aside from feeling nice, these glue of human connection. They ep us together. 29

The Happine Which Do You EXPLORING THE TWO SI True happiness…is not a gratification but through fide —H­ E L E N K E L LE R , AUT GROUNDBREAKIN What is happiness? It’s a question m alone. Philosophers, pundits, and grappled with this question since ou 30

ess Hack u Choose? IDES OF HAPPINESS ttained through self-­ elity to a worthy purpose. THOR, SPEAKER, NG ACTIVIST many ask today, and they’re not everyday people alike: we’ve ur earliest time.

Getting to K The Greeks puzzled over happ according to the philosopher pleasure—­and as much of it as Values, to him, had no real wor Aristippus’s beliefs inspired a label often given to impulsiv temporary relief of urges. In contrast, “eudaimonic hap 322 BCE), elicited a deep well-b­ e conquering obstacles, and achi from a virtuous life and the Tequila shots or video games w (if they’d been around in anci easy indulgences were not on t Aristippus and Aristotle ma cognitive neuroscience, but th we now know is true. Different the presence of distinctly differ Hedonic pleasures, generally chemical frequently associated Indulging urges, being distract generally dopamine-s­piked be lasting satisfaction. Eudaimonic rewards, on the ent chemical: serotonin, whi ness, belonging, and self-e­ ste endurance athlete and author