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Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels Paperback – December 16, 2015

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A revolutionary approach to enhancing your happiness level!

Get ready to boost your happiness in just 45 days! Habits of a Happy Brain shows you how to retrain your brain to turn on the chemicals that make you happy. Each page offers simple activities that help you understand the roles of your “happy chemicals”—serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin. You’ll also learn how to build new habits by rerouting the electricity in your brain to flow down a new pathway, making it even easier to trigger these happy chemicals and increase feelings of satisfaction when you need them most. Filled with dozens of exercises that will help you reprogram your brain, Habits of a Happy Brain shows you how to live a happier, healthier life!
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    238 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 16, 2015
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.6 x 8.44 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1440590508
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1440590504
  7. See all details
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  1. Dopamine produces the joy of finding things that meet your needs—the “Eureka! I got it!” feeling. Endorphin produces oblivion that masks pain—often called euphoria. Oxytocin produces the feeling of being safe with others—now called bonding. Serotonin produces the feeling of being respected by others—pride.
    Highlighted by 142 Kindle readers
  2. Celebrating small steps triggers more dopamine than saving it up for one big achievement.
    Highlighted by 126 Kindle readers
  3. When cortisol surges, we call it “fear,” but when cortisol dribbles, we call it “anxiety” or “stress.”
    Highlighted by 123 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This scientific look at habit changes can be valuable in many ways.”

—Bowling This Month

About the Author

Loretta Breuning, PhD, is the author of Habits of a Happy Brain and The Science of Positivity. She 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. Her work has been translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Turkish.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Adams Media; 1st edition (December 16, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 238 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1440590508
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1440590504
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,613 ratings

About the author

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Loretta Graziano Breuning

Loretta Graziano Breuning

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Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She's the author of many books on happiness, including: Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin levels.

As a teacher and mom, Loretta 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. So she began creating resources to help people manage their inner mammal. Her work has helped thousands of people rewire themselves for more happy chemicals.

Dr Breuning's work has been featured in major media and translated into many languages. She speaks publicly on many webinars, podcasts, and conferences. Details on her website: innermammalinstitute.org

Before teaching, Loretta worked in Africa for the United Nations. She offers zoo tours on animal behavior after volunteering as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. She holds a BS from Cornell University and a PhD from Tufts University. In her free time, she travels to historic places and studies foreign languages.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,613 global ratings
Habits of a Happy Brain is a profoundly simple
5 Stars
Habits of a Happy Brain is a profoundly simple
Habits of a Happy Brain is a profoundly simple, but breakthrough approach to describing daily experience and mapping it to the cocktail of neurotransmitters being released. By knowing exactly which behavior or thinking pattern releases serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin, we have power over our own experience. I hope that this book spurs on other research to describe other phenomena like Jealousy, malaise, boredom etc.. and a mental technology to diffuse negative states to quickly recover into a positive frame. Here are some gold nuggets from the book:Dopamine rewards you for the effort of steps toward your needs. You can stimulate the joy of dopamine by taking steps toward a goal.Oxytocin rewards you for finding the safety of social support. You can stimulate the pleasure of oxytocin with small acts of trust.Serotonin rewards you for getting respect from others. You can stimulate the pleasure of serotonin by finding the good in what you have.Endorphins rewards you for action that relieves pain. You can enjoy endorphin through laughter and exercise.This book truly is a leg up to understand yourself better as well as a gift for those who truly aspire to self mastery and positive fulfillment.
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Top reviews from the United States

ar_berkeley
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple language, well researched content
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024
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I liked this book! In particular the simple and clear language it was written in. I'm actively trying to incorporate some of the recommendations - I keep thinking 10 minutes a day is doable!
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Alfatross
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend reading this book
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
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Reading this book and exploring the accompanying website The Inner Mammal Institute will bring you more insight into your own behavior and the behavior of others. I highly recommend exploring your inner mammal with this book. I got so involved I even taught a class to older adults on the subject after I became a certified trainer. Understanding the chemical processes of your brain doesn't mean your'e stuck in that behavior, it means that once you recognize what is happening you can train different neural pathways.
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Potatos
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, easy read
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
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Loved this book! It was thrilling. I couldn’t put it down and finished it without hours of getting it. It goes through what your happy chemicals are, why we have them, how we stimulate them, why that stimulation sometimes actually decreases our overall happiness, and how to build patterns to stimulate them in new ways. The author does not presume to know how you want to stimulate your happy chemicals, just gives a guide for how to do it. I’m still searching for a book that can apply this to some relatable life experience and give me concrete ways of breaking patters. For example, how do I get out of the habit of comparing myself to people. It’s human, sure, but it’s decreasing my overall happiness how do I make it stop. How can I use this info to deepen my relationships with my loved ones. I know I need to stimulate my oxytocin and serotonin but how can I do that in a healthy way? How do you maintain romantic relationships when the dopamine wears off? Can you stimulate dopamine in a long term partnership? I need a follow up that gives me guides for improving my life.

One note. The author kinda shows a side of herself at the end that, even she admits, goes against the grain. She had calculated the risk of not being part of the herd and has probably found some small group of people that feel the same way she does to stimulate her own totally human serotonin. But for people who care about political and social movements, maybe skip the last chapter. There’s kind of this idea presented that each individual is in charge of their own happiness (I agree) and that the world today is not broken at all (hmm ok) and that we indoctrinate people into believing the system is rigged (??). Going so far as to put the word privileged in quotes (yikes). The book absolutely ignores learned helplessness, abuse, oppression, and all the ways our mammal brain hurts people. It’s a fend for yourself world in this book. That’s fine. Personally I feel like there can be balance. You can acknowledge that you won the genetic lottery and that it doesn’t make you happier. Just that it gives you more access to resources that will. She states that in today’s world, there’s no use for cortisol to alert you to existential dangers like death, pain, and starvation so we focus that cortisol on social dangers like rejection, betrayal, and shame. Completely ignoring that for a LOT of people on this planet, that’s not the reality. Even going so far as to put a little shame on some people for prioritizing the happiness of many over their own. I’m aware as I type this that I’m getting a little serotonin bump from feeling like I’m making the better herd choice. So human. But yeah. That part made me bristle but not enough to ruin the book.
62 people found this helpful
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James Till
5.0 out of 5 stars By “doing nothing.”
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
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While I wasn’t getting drunk everyday, I was drinking copious amounts of alcohol on the weekends which I would come to regret doing so by Monday. This went on for a decade. I really felt STUCK in a cycle. As someone who is extremely introverted, drinking and partying on the weekend was something I deemed as necessary to socialize/be one of the group. I felt that I need to drink to actually survive in a world I didn’t feel comfortable being myself in. I eventually stopped partying but the drinking stayed. It was apparent that the drinking had became something I did out of habit now. How I learned to cope with stress. I wondered if I could ever stop the cycle. I didn’t want to have to go to AA even though I felt like it would be the only thing that would help until I did, as the book suggests, learn how to “do nothing” when I felt that urge to “do something.” At first, it was hard sitting around on a Friday/Saturday night with my own thoughts, bored out of my mind. I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. Every time I felt like I was going to give in I just reminded myself that the urge I was feeling has a basis in survival and that I can rewire my brain to learn new ways to survive. Anyways, I would definitely recommend this book.
34 people found this helpful
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Ros
5.0 out of 5 stars Tools to trigger your happy chemicals
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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I enjoyed Reading this book. I learned some tools that triggers the happy chemicals that lead to Being happy. I started reading this book based on my coach's recommendation To learn how the brain is always searching for the next level happiness And what you can do to enhance this process or be aware of what's happening so you don't end up being caught in the vicious cycle.
2 people found this helpful
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Moonlight
3.0 out of 5 stars I was less than happy with this book
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2016
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I was less than happy with this book. Although it did describe the different ways that your brain gets happy, it really was less than satisfactory in telling how to help your brain get happy in those ways, especially in regards to seratonin. There was a lot of repetition. When I finished the book, I still felt like I needed more information. It is good for a for a general introduction to the different things that affect your brain, but if you are looking for a way to move forward, this may not be your best choice. On the other hand, I haven't found anything better, so maybe I am looking for something that doesn't exist.
86 people found this helpful
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kenan
5.0 out of 5 stars Effective and wonderfully written book
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
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The book is effective and wonderfully written. Since I started reading it, I feel happier and more at peace with the world. I've particularly enjoyed how the author shares her personal experiences, making it easier to relate the theoretical aspects to everyday experiences.
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nightowl
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand view of a complex subject
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2023
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Years of working in my depression and habits and I finally have a framework I can visualize to create actionable plans for dealing with both. Having an easy to relate to model of brain chemical interactions was the missing piece understanding why certain techniques work, and understanding the why is essential for me to form a long term commitment to change.

Experts in psychology and motivation may have a different view. But, I know if I explain things in my area of expertise with all details and nuance a non-expert would be lost or bored before finishing. This author chunked the knowledge and delivered it in just the right detail for me to finally understand my internal struggle for balance.
8 people found this helpful
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Ginny
5.0 out of 5 stars A helpful book to break away from procrastination
Reviewed in Canada on July 8, 2022
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An easy read with so many good information. I’m excited to try the 45 day challenge and build new path for my brain.
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Cliente Kindle
3.0 out of 5 stars Interessante, mas não tanto para humanos
Reviewed in Brazil on December 20, 2021
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A autora do livro é especialista em mamíferos e os exemplos usados pra explicar a estrutura cerebral e certos aspectos dos seres humanos e sua química é sempre dentro desse contexto de comparação entre animais como um todo. A leitura é fácil interessante, mas acho que me decepcionei porque às vezes os exemplos ficaram "animais demais" e comecei a me perguntar até que ponto é relevante saber detalhes da química cerebral de outros mamíferos que não os humanos, apesar dos vários pontos em comum. Acho que se tivesse lido um livro escrito por um neurologista, mas com a mesma proposta temática, talvez tivesse sido mais proveitoso.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindled Spirit
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 chemical siblings and their lasting impact on human happiness
Reviewed in India on December 24, 2023
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The book raises the importance of 4 key brain chemicals and how deeply they impact behavior. Happiness is a result of aligning oneself to these.
Content is well organized, simply explained and easily relatable. Within a short while, it becomes clear which one is predominant (in excess or in lack thereof) in ourself. Ways to improve are given, but it's not exhaustive. Also just relying on these 4 chemical-behaviors for happiness doesn't work.
In this book I would have loved to see some more such as Leptin, Ghrelin which control satiety and contentment.
Overall a wonderful read and so much to learn from these 4 chems.
One person found this helpful
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Emma
5.0 out of 5 stars A really clear insight into basic neurochemistry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2022
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A very clear explanation of how our basic neurochemistry affects our happiness and the way we live our lives. Lots of 'So that's why...' moments. As a therapist, I find this extremely helpful when working with those who are deeply entrenched in negativity and feeling helpless. I would highly recommend it. It isn't an easy fix but its logical approach is refreshing and practical.
10 people found this helpful
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Anna Terekhova
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read
Reviewed in Spain on April 20, 2021
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makes you understand yourself better, a very nice one
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