Loretta Breuning on Show #104: The Science of Happiness 

Loretta Breuning founded the Inner Mammal Institute with the aim of guiding people in naturally rewiring their brain chemistry.

She has also penned a number of books that have brought her knowledge and expertise of the subject to the public consciousness, including the best-selling Habits of a Happy Brain. 

She has been featured in numerous media outlets and online publications, such as Forbes, NPR, Fox, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, Psychology Today, Cosmopolitan, Inc, Men’s Health, Fast Company, and Dr. Oz. 

Loretta joins me today to discuss her research and published work with regard to how brains work in animals and in human beings.

She shares her insights on how society has shaped our idea of happiness, how animal behavior is reflected in human behaviour, and why it’s important to set short-term, middle-term, and long-term goals.

She explains the functions and effects of neurotransmitters (dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin) on the human body, and how and why they affect our behaviour. She also shares some tips on how to control our impulses and achieve a state of happiness in our day-to-day activities. 

“Many people are effectively motivated by big dreams, but the problem is often that the dream is too big, and then the person doesn’t see progress.”

Loretta Breuning

This Week on The Power to Live More Podcast: 

• What Loretta does for a living, working from her home office. 
• Why she decided to do extensive research and write books in the field. 
• The fallacy about happiness that we’re conditioned to believe. 
• How understanding animals can also help us understand why we make ourselves miserable.  
• How the animal brain reacts to stimuli in the environment, affecting the chemicals it releases into your body. 
• Understanding how neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin affect our moods and bodies. 
• The hierarchical tendencies of animals and how that reflects in human society. 
• The field of ethology — the science of animal behavior. 
• The core thing that we need to focus on when studying human behaviour. 
• The endless self-criticism that is often marketed in the mindfulness world – and why Loretta isn’t a fan of it. 
• The capacity to anticipate consequences which sets us apart from animals. 
• Why it’s hard to build a new pathway in adulthood — and what it takes to successfully do that. 
• The need for a long-term goal, a short-term goal, and a middle-term goal. 
• How our unrealistic expectations lead to the dissolution of trust and the emergence of disappointment. 
• Taking small steps towards happiness and personal wellbeing. 
• Tips and ideas for people to rewire their brains and return to a happier state. 
• The concept of creating “self-soothers” that could cheer you up at a bad moment. 
• The sense of threat and how you can avoid it. 
• The idea of “victim olympics” and how society rewards anxiety instead of handling it the right way. 
• Why you should model the behaviour you want. 
• What Loretta does when she has a bad day, from a rational perspective. 
• What a day of “living more” looks like to her. 

Connect with Loretta Breuning: 

• Inner Mammal Institute 

Connect, Share, Inspire 

Thank you for joining me for this week’s episode of the POWER to Live More Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help support the show, please head over to iTunes or Stitcher, subscribe to the show and leave your honest review! You can also help me reach even more amazing business owners and leaders by sharing your favourite episodes on your social media channels. 

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Show notes provided (brilliantly, my words not theirs!) by Lidwell Writing Services, LLC