Neuro… What??
All About Neurotransmitters, Neurons, Neurochemicals, and more…
When using mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), it’s possible for us to change the way we react to stressful events and to essentially reprogram our stress response. Likewise, we can use this to improve our happiness, to get to sleep more easily, and so much more.
When we do all this, what we’re doing is affecting the chemistry of our brains. We’re changing the neurochemicals in our brain and that in turn is changing the way we feel and even the way we perform.
So let’s better understand, and look at what neurotransmitters really are and how they work.
What Are Neurotransmitters?
Your brain is made up of a large network of different cells called neurons. This network is sometimes called your ‘connectome’ and essentially, each of these cells represents a thought, an idea, a memory, or a sensation.
As we think, or experience the world around us, these cells ‘fire’ by releasing an electrical signal like a circuit. That signal travels over the synapses — the gaps between brain cells — and this then allows them to create the rich experiences that we’re familiar with in a kind of cascade.
In terms of the way that a cell fires, it can either be ‘on’ or ‘off’. That is to say that there aren’t ‘levels’ of firing. After a certain amount of excitement, a cell fires and then stops firing.
But, that’s not to say that the signal is entirely binary. Because at the same time, the brain also releases chemicals called neurotransmitters which color various aspects of the signal. This can alter how likely it is for the cell to fire again, it can strengthen the connection between two cells, or it can make us feel happy or sad about that thing.
Your Brain Chemistry
Your brain is filled with neurotransmitters that affect receptors on brain cells and have a short lifespan. At the same time, hormones like testosterone and cortisol can also similarly affect the brain acting like secondary neurotransmitters.
These hormones and neurotransmitters are moderated partly by our thoughts. If we change which cells fire, we change which hormones and neurotransmitters get released.
But it’s much more complex than this.
For starters, our hormones and neurotransmitters are tied closely to our lifestyles and various biological factors. For example, when we’re hungry, low blood sugar encourages the release of cortisol — the stress hormone. This in turn encourages the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone.
When we have high blood sugar though, we release insulin and this increases the tryptophan in the brain. That tryptophan is converted to serotonin, making us feel good, and this is later converted into melatonin — the sleep hormone.
In short, our physical health is directly linked to our mental state and vice versa, putting us firmly at the mercy of our biology. But, that said, by using mindfulness, it is possible to regain control over this situation and to decide exactly how we want to feel and when.
“If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.”
– Emerson M. Pugh.
This article was originally published on my site at https://donnapresents.com/neuro-what/.
Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I completed the no-cost Action Habits Challenge by Connie Ragen Green, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, independent publisher, and serial entrepreneur. You can check it out here.
If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.
I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies on how to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
