In my post The Neurochemistry of Mediation I talked about how different neurochemicals affect the brain.  These chemicals play a huge part in how we act and react to different situations in our lives.  Now I am going to talk about how we can consciously change our brain chemistry to have the positive effects we want in our lives.  There are five activities that will allow us to do this.  1. Enjoyable Activities, 2. Achievement Activities, 3. Meaningful Activities, 4. Physical Activities, and 5. Social Activities.  These five activities act upon the dopamine signaling in our brains.  In turn these new dopamine signals affect the habit and reward center of our brains.  Incorporating these activities into your daily routine on a consistent basis will give you a significant boost in the right direction to improve your life.

Enjoyable Activities

These include things that are fun, calming, exciting, or can you just lose yourself in.  Examples include reading a book, watching a movie, going on a trip, listening to music, eating, cooking, or whatever you find pleasurable.  Working more of these types of activities into your life will allow you to create more happiness.

Achievement Activities

These activities include things you improve at, complete a task, or move toward a goal.  They can also be things you’re good at.  They can include learning a new skill, getting chores done, or even just going to work.  If there is a sense of progress, then it can be characterized as an Achievement Activity.

Meaningful Activities

These activities contribute to a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.  They connect you to other people, ideas, or causes greater than yourself.  Some examples include spending time with family, participating in religious activities, volunteering at a local charity, making a gift for someone, accomplishing something on your bucket list, or creating art.  These activities help ensure you do what is important to you whether they are enjoyable or not.

Physical Activities

These are activities where you get your body moving.  They do not have to be formal exercise.  They can be going for a walk, hike, bike ride, or playing a sport.  It can even include something as small as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  These activities have a profound effect on our brain circuits.  They enhance the production of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins making the limbic system more resilient to stress.  They also improve sleep.

Social Activities

These activities you do with and round other people.  Interacting with other people is a key part of wellbeing.  Either by just interacting with them or forming a deeper connection with them.  Being around others helps fight social isolation, but forming deeper connections is key to reducing loneliness.  Reducing both is important to your overall wellbeing.

There are several activities that can span more than just one of the categories listed above.  For example, a family vacation can be enjoyable, meaningful, and social.  Another example is reading a book can be both enjoyable and an achievement.  One more key thing to be aware of is that you do not have to do equal amounts of each type of activity to benefit from them.  Each person has their own balance that is just right for them.  Finding your balance will give you the desired effect you want.