Overview
We can’t have a healthy, high-functioning mind without a healthy, high-functioning brain. Yet, in a world where many people feel unhappy or downright depressed, most of us aren’t prioritizing time each day to upgrade our brains and be intentional about our mindset.
I’m here to tell you that if you want to feel happier and more empowered, it’s time to start. Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I talk to my good friend and colleague Dr. Daniel Amen all about the scientifically proven ways he’s discovered to increase happiness. When we eat junk food, engage with negative people, or believe our fears and self-limiting thoughts, we are literally dampening the happiness pathways of the brain. Just like staying physically fit takes some practice and regularity, so does happiness.
Dr. Amen explains how incorporating simple practices into our daily routines can support the brain and boost happiness in the process. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Amen entered a field with a very unique and unfortunate characteristic—he was learning to treat a part of the body that is never actually seen. We talk about how he revolutionized how we treat and understand the brain through the utilization of brain scans, and how that’s guided his work in upgrading specific areas of brain function.
Through his extensive research, Dr. Amen has identified five different brain types that can give us some helpful clues on how to become happier. Some people had a harder time with the social changes around Covid-19 than others; Dr. Amen explains how the different brain types reacted to the pandemic and some important considerations for fostering relationships and happiness even in tough times. I’m willing to bet all of us can relate to having a negative voice take over in our heads, at one time or another. We discuss what kinds of experiences this voice arises from, why it’s important not to believe what it says, and how to get rid of it. If we truly want to increase our happiness, we need to help our minds get there without so many roadblocks. Dr. Amen’s research is an incredible tool for how to do that and create a healthier, higher-functioning brain in the process.
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