[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Each of us is unique because each of us was built from the random chance of their early experience.” – Loretta Breuning“]

The Chemicals That Make Kids Happy and Motivated with Loretta Breuning

In this episode, we're joined by Loretta Breuning, Ph.D., the author of Habits of a Happy Brain and The Science of Positivity. Loretta shares, motivation is a highly sought-out feeling by just about every human on this planet. Driven by a chemical process in the brain, motivation has been crucial to the survival and evolution of both humans and animals.

With kids, the experience of feeling happy and excited can dictate the decisions they make later in life. Being mindful of supporting kids in developing these chemical pathways in a healthy way can set them up for huge success in the future.

Loretta is the Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. As a teacher and mom, she was not convinced by prevailing theories of human motivation. Then she learned about the brain chemistry we share with earlier mammals, and everything made sense. She began creating resources that have helped thousands of people manage their inner mammal. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Real Simple, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, and on Forbes, NPR, and numerous podcasts.

Check out this week's episode of Old Souls and Seekers to learn more about the neurochemicals that impact your well-being and the well-being of your kids.

Want to learn more and go even deeper? Download this meditation here.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”It's so hard for electricity to flow into neurons that haven't already been paved by past experience.” – Loretta Breuning”]

Important Notes:

• It's not realistic to have endless happy chemicals while sitting on the couch for no reason.
• Serotonin rewards you with a good feeling when you assert and prevail, also known as “calm confidence”.
• If you feed your brain new experiences, new pathways will build.
• Oxytocin is what creates social trust.
• The mammal brain keeps score to keep a one-up position. When this is not met, it creates anxiety.
• Better decisions are made when you're in a clearer, happier mindset.
• Deciding where to invest your energy in a healthy way is crucial to not draining yourself for little things.

Time Stamps:

8:17 – Loretta's introduction

10:00 – Overview of chemicals

13:04 – Habits of a happy brain

15:18 – Loretta's next up and coming book

18:30 – Chemical processes firing in our own

brain

19:42 – Pathways get created when you're young

25:17 – Mindset work and personal development

28:00 – How to break a habit

43:35 – Chasing highs when feeling broken

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Every minute of every day, our senses are flooded with more information than we could possibly process, so we have to decide which information to focus on.” – Loretta Breuning”]