Loretta Breuning: Why You’re Not Happy (and What to Do About It)

If you’re not happy all the time, do you feel like you have a problem?

No matter how much you achieve, does it feel like it’s never quite enough? 

This is totally normal. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the pursuit of happiness, but it’s critical to understand that even in the best case scenario, happiness is fleeting. It’s not something we ever get to keep. 

We’re conditioned to think that if we don’t feel happy, we’re failing at life. The traditional approach to addressing unhappiness is flawed, however, as it assumes we’re meant to live in some perfect state of perpetual bliss. But that doesn’t jive with biology or reality. 

The truth is that our mammalian brains are wired for survival, not to feel happy all the time. 

Feelings of happiness and achievement are short-lived, and it’s meant to be that way. 

But by harnessing proven principles of brain science and evolutionary biology, you can use dissatisfaction, pain and discomfort to propel you to your next epic success. 

Today we’re back with our friend, Loretta Breuning, PhD, author, Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay, and Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why our brain's happy chemicals are only released in short spurts, and quickly habituate to rewards
• How to untangle your emotional wiring by tracking down patterns from childhood
• Why our natural "herd impulse" can lead to groupthink and the suppression of individuality (and how to counteract it)
• Simple strategies to manage anxiety and fear
• How to spark small joys and harness dopamine triggers in the brain’s reward system to create meaning and purpose in your life
• And much more…

Read the show notes: https://fatburningman.com/loretta-breuning-why-youre-not-happy-and-what-to-do-about-it/ 

Get Loretta Breuning’s latest book, “Why You’re Unhappy: Biology vs Politics”: https://innermammalinstitute.org/why/ 

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