Manage Frustrationand Enjoy More Happy Chemicals
Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhDInner Mammal Institute
Your mammal brain rewards you with a good-feeling chemical when you see a way to meet a survival need
But it defines survival in a quirky way
It cares about the survival of your genes, and it relies on neural pathways you built in youth
Brian’s frustration #1The brain releases the great feeling of dopamine when you approach a reward
but your dopamine soon returns to neutral and you have to do more to get more
Brian’s frustration #2The mammal brain cares about your status as if your life depended on it.
It rewards you with serotonin each timeyou boost your status, but it alarms you with cortisol when you see a status threat.
Brian’s frustration #3The brain releases the nice calm feeling of oxytocin when you enjoy the safety of social support.
But your oxytocin droops with each step away from the herd, and that feels like a survival threat.
Brian’s frustration #4The brain releases the bad feeling of cortisol when you see an obstacle to meeting your needs.
A disappointment of expectations = cortisol = threat.
dopamine oxytocin endorphinserotonin
Happy chemicalsare not designed to flow all the time
They evolved to reward youwith a good feeling when you meet a need(physical or social)
Frustration is natural
• Rewards are unpredictable so our quest for happy chemicals is often disappointed.
• Disappointment triggers cortisol, which alerts your brain to recalibrate with new information.
• Frustration is your inner mammal’s way toredirect energy to best meet survival needs.
The neurochemical roller coaster does not mean something is wrong with your or your world
It means your brain isdoing the job it evolved for
1. Self- acceptance
2. Focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want
3. Build a frustration plan
The brain evolved to make tough choices
• When you step towardgreener pasture (dopamine),you move away from the safety of social bonds (oxytocin).
• When you step toward social importance (serotonin)you may get disappointment (cortisol)or a strain on social bonds (oxytocin).
• Expecting these recalibration is more realistic than expecting a steady surge of happy chemicals.
Survival rates are low in the state of nature, yet your ancestors did what it took to keep their genes alive.
Celebrate yourinner survivor.
Anything that hurt you in the pastbuilt a big pathway that turns on your
cortisol when you see something similar
a. realistic expectations
I can survivewithout that expected reward; it just feels urgent because my brain evolved to work that way.
c. focus
You can train yourinner mammal tofocus on the rewardsyou have instead ofthe rewards you lack
When his expectations are disappointed,his inner mammal feels threatened
but he knows that’s not necessarily a threat
free resources from the Inner Mammal Institute
learn more aboutyour happy chemicals
podcastsvideosinfographicstraining certificationslide shows (incl this)5-day Happy-Chemical Jumpstart
www.InnerMammalInstitute.org
Habits of a Happy BrainRetrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin
Beyond CynicalTranscend Your Mammalian Negativity
I, MammalWhy Your Brain Links Status and Happiness
Books by L. Breuning, PhD