Podcast appearances and mentions of loretta breuning

Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol-free life! This week's podcast guest is an Art Therapist.    Sami has been running her private Art Therapy practice for the past 20 years. She's worked with people who struggle with stress, addiction, depression and also people wanting to discover more meaning and purpose in their lives.  She has also worked with many people in recovery.   In this Episode Sami began by defining Art Therapy which involves “using art materials to help a client to communicate and express themselves with the guidance of a qualified therapist". We discussed how as adults many of us have lost the ability to play – we tend to get caught up in productivity and ticking boxes. We need to get back in touch with our creativity and art therapy can help us to do that. Some people feel intimidated at the thought of Art Therapy thinking that they need some artistic skill. This is not true at all and in fact Sam loves clients who come to her with no knowledge or aptitude for “art” – Art Therapy is in fact a way of getting in touch with our creativity and playfulness. Art therapy can play in important role in our recovery – it can help us to reconnect with ourselves and better understand who we really are. It can help us to decrease our reliance on alcohol and build new and different pathways and coping mechanisms. As drinkers some of us spent years numbing our feelings. Art therapy will help us to get back in touch with our feelings - and to express ourselves creatively. Sami sees the Art as the Bridge between what is inside and what is outside – it's simply a way to express ourselves. We discussed the fragility of early sobriety where Art Therapy can play the role of holding a safe space where we can “check in”. We talked about the power of vulnerability and how art therapy allows us to express our vulnerability Sam explained the concept behind the vision board sessions which help us to reconnect with our passions using images, art materials etc – I've done one of these sessions and can really recommend it – a vision board allows us to express ourselves and then the power of manifestion will come into play. Our subconscious will register our vision and help it to become a reality. The vision board workshop is particularly useful for people in sobriety as it helps them to get back in touch with what they really enjoy doing. We have extra time on our hands when we stop drinking so we need to find constructive ways to use that time.  Sam is quite happy to run a group vision board session for people in recovery so do get in touch with myself or Sam if you are interested. Sam explained that addictions mean that we are always busy focusing on our next fix which prevents us from being in the moment. Art Therapy can help with mindfulness and mental health generally – focusing on a creative project will enable us to get “in the flow”  which can give our minds a welcome break from stress and anxiety.  Art therapy can help us to build resilience and help us to recognize our triggers – all of which will help to prevent relapse. We often say that “connection is the opposite of addiction” here at Tribe Sober and we are referring to community. Sam helped me to realise that we also need to connect with ourselves – to get to know who we really are. Understanding ourselves better means that we can find new ways of coping – instead of using alcohol. At Tribe Sober we love learning about neuroscience, happy brain chemicals and our Lizard Brains – our gurus have been neuroscientist Staci Danfield who you can hear on episode 67 of this podcast and author of the Happy Brain, Loretta Breuning who is on episode 55. Sami explained that Art Therapy will also trigger our happy brain chemicals and will give us a boost in early sobriety when we can be plagued with a low mood. Loretta Breuning explained to us that we need a project in early sobriety to stay happy and focused. That's why we designed the Tribe Sober Success Path – to give you a project – the project of self discovery Sam and I both run our workshops on Zoom these days and agreed that they work really well and we enjoy opening them up to people all over the world. Sam works with individuals and with groups. Sometimes an individual will need personal attention for their growth, healing or recovery. However the group sessions can be special – she believes that groups come together for a reason – they bring their life experience and of course a key part of the workshop is about sharing our stories. Jung calls this the “collective unconscious” – the people who need to be together come together.  I loved that and it made me think of our workshops and the synergy and bonding that I've witnessed during the 6 years of running workshops. For more info about Sam and her courses just go to her website which is arttherapy.co.za  Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today - here is the link.  Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  You can join our private Facebook group HERE PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

Cultural messaging and suggests you should be happy all the time. But your "happy chemicals"—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin—evolved to motivate survival behavior, not make you happy. In fact, unhappiness is your brain's default state. On today's show Dr. Loretta Breuning argues that you can manage your happy chemicals when you know how they work in the state of nature, and she's here to show us how. Here's a preview: [9:00] Serotonin is about social dominance. Enter comparison and competition [13:00] Want a dose of oxytocin? Be part of a herd [15:30] Endorphin is the brain's natural opioid. But you can habituate to it! [18:00] Just got something you want? That flood of happiness is dopamine's doing, but dopamine runs out [25:00] We are living in an era of immense abundance. So why aren't we happy?   Resources mentioned: Why You're Unhappy: Biology Versus Politics Become a subscriber on Substack!   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Dr. Loretta Breuning was unconvinced by prevailing theories on human motivation & after researching the animal origins of our brain chemicals, wrote the book Habits of a Happy Brain. Here she shares why we find ourselves saying, “I shouldn't be so unhappy! I have everything I need” or doing late-night shopping at the expense of your savings account, drinking more than we said we would, or going back into that bad relationship. She breaks down each brain chemical in plain language,  philosophical vs physical happiness, & why our expectation of constant happiness can be a source of chronic distress.This episode originally aired November 21, 2022.If you liked this episode, you'll also like episode 58: DEPRESSION OR SADNESS? HOW TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCEGuest:  https://innermammalinstitute.org/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/ | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232 | https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ 

What are the biological processes that govern our moods and behaviors? Are we wired to be unhappy? On this episode, Dr. Loretta Breuning discussed her book, Why Youre Unhappy.

This week we're celebrating our 250th podcast by taking you through our top 10 podcasts. The episodes that have had the most downloads since we started the podcast back in 2020. So coming in at number 10 with 2,500 downloads is Sobriety Coach Lori Massicot. Lori is the host of a podcast called 50 and Beyond and like me she's convinced that ditching the booze is one of the very best things we can do for ourselves as we get older. Her episode is called Why We Need to Ditch the Drink in Midlife, and we released that one in December 2021. Here's a clip. I did a second episode with Laurie when we listed the 15 signs that you need to take a break from the booze. Signs that Laurie and I ignored for far too long. That one was released on January the 27th 2024 Coming in at number 9 is Dr. Loretta Breuning, who helped me to unpack the cause of my own early sobriety blues. Have a listen to the first interview I did with her, which was in August 2021. Here's a clip Loretta also did an interview with me very recently to talk about her new book, which is called Why You're Unhappy – that one was released on 20th January last year Since we last ranked our top ten which was in February last year we've had 2 new entries One of those entries has come in at number 8 with 2756 downloads its called:- Alcohol and your Body Fat with James Swanwick James had some great advice around Alcohol's Effects on Sleep and Weightgain He explained how Alcohol consumption can compromise sleep quality, metabolism, and overall health.  It can also disrupt the body's natural processes, leading to weight gain, reduced productivity, and increased cravings for unhealthy foods. Heres a clip Our other new entry along with James came in at number 7 with 2800 downloads and is called RECOVERY IT'S A BRAIN THING – which is the name of the book by my two guests – David & Susan Kenney They run a program to train Recovery Coaches and one of our Tribe members Darren was so impressed by their approach he signed up for their course. Darren is now a qualified Recovery Coach so if you'd like to book in for a free consultation you can go to his website which is pauserecovery.com – Coming in at number 6 is Stanford Psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke with 2851 listens Anna has written a top selling book called Dopamine Nation. It's an awesome book, which I highly recommend if you're interested in the science of addiction. Her explanation of the pain pleasure balance is superb. That episode is called, Why We Get Addicted, and it came out in November, 2023. Here's a clip. At number 5 we have Neuroscientist Staci Danford with 2890 downloads Stacy taught us about our lizard brain and how we need to manage it before it manages us. She even recommended that we give it a name. She calls hers Ernie. My interview with Stacy came out in August 2021. Here's a clip Next up at number 4 is a firm favourite with Tribe Sober – Ken Middleton who had 2,906 downloads for his “How Drinking Limits our Potential” episode He's the author of Bamboozled, which has the clever subtitle of How Alcohol Makes Fools of Us All,  Do grab a copy if you haven't yet read it. Such a brilliant description of how we've been manipulated by big alcohol for decades. I often quote Ken, who says, "even if alcohol doesn't destroy us, it will limit our potential".  His Tribe Sober episode is called How Alcohol Limits Your Potential - released in April 2023 here is a clip. Ken was also one of our guests back in November 2020 when he shared his own story and explained the science behind alcohol dependence. And why drinking regularly for 20 years means you're very likely to develop a problem Next up at number 3 is me, with our very first podcast episode, which was released in May 2020 to celebrate my fifth soberversary. – that got 3,135 downloads At number 2 we have the brilliant William Porter with 3,675 downloads William is a lawyer with a passion for the science behind alcohol dependence, and he's written two books, Alcohol Explained and Alcohol Explained 2. They're both essential reading, and I think the more we understand the damage that alcohol does to our bodies and brains, the less likely we are to want to drink it. His episode is called, Managing Cravings, and came out in December 2023. Here's a clip Finally, hogging the number one slot with an incredible 3, 877 downloads is Australian sobriety coach, Catherine Elliott. It's called "How to Stop Binge Drinking" and came out in June 2022. Here's a clip Like me, Catherine's had breast cancer, which prompted us to do an episode together recently. Because neither of us had realized that our heavy drinking was putting us at risk of breast cancer, so we celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month by having a conversation about it, spreading the word to other women that more than three glasses of wine a week increases your risk of breast cancer. We called it "Drink Less for Your Breasts" and it was released in October 2023. So that's our top 10. I'd like to say a big thank you to all our listeners. Thanks to you, the Tribe Sober podcast has had nearly  400, 000 downloads, which keeps its global ranking in the top 2 percent of all podcasts. More importantly, nearly 20 percent of our members found their way to us via the podcast. So don't forget to make a playlist of our Top Ten and you might want to check out our Top 100 Playlist  So if you want to join our tribe and connect with others on this path, just hit Join Our Tribe  More Info We're including a free Masterclass, Membership and Coaching session to the next few people who book into the Tribe Sober Retreat in Bali in October Talking of payment we have a 3-part payment plan – first payment reserves your spot then second and third payments are later in the year. Check out the Bali Retreat info via this link and then email me on janet@tribesober.com and we'll get you started on this life changing journey Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).  

Seaon 06 Episode 11: The collective sighs - let's talk about s-X, babyLet's talk about…. sex as a primal survival urge. The WhyWork Podcast reflect on their debate about the Australian Tradie's underwear ads discussed in Season 05 Episode 04. Sara makes a joke about performance drivers much to the chagrin of the boys, when Trajce quotes a Talking Heads lyric, “We're on the road to nowhere…”Sara explains primal inner-mammal neurobehavioural drivers of human activity, philosophies advanced by researcher Dr Loretta Breuning , and the ways in which these ideas are used in gaming technology, could improve road safety compliance, and can advance work design strategies.Alan loves the linguistics with words like ‘ontological framework' and ‘salutogenesis' and Trajce expounds on these ideas because of his interests in social science. “Your mind works like a prism,” Trajce remarks, “while my mind is like a kaleidoscope.”

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/  Join the Abel James' Substack channel: https://abeljames.substack.com/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/fatburningman  Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fatburningman  Follow on X: https://x.com/abeljames  And click here for your free Fat-Burning Kit: http://fatburningman.com/bonus  Brought to you by: Wild-caught seafood from MarithymeSeafood.com - Get 10% off your first order with code EATWILD The Relax Infinity app at RelaxInfinity.com - Save 20% off with the promo code WILD

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, Dr. Loretta Breuning.

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, Dr. Loretta Breuning.

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/  Join the Abel James' Substack channel: https://abeljames.substack.com/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/fatburningman  Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fatburningman  Follow on X: https://x.com/abeljames  And click here for your free Fat-Burning Kit: http://fatburningman.com/bonus 

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/  Join the Abel James' Substack channel: https://abeljames.substack.com/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/fatburningman  Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fatburningman  Follow on X: https://x.com/abeljames  And click here for your free Fat-Burning Kit: http://fatburningman.com/bonus  Brought to you by: Wild-caught seafood from MarithymeSeafood.com - Get 10% off your first order with code EATWILD The Relax Infinity app at RelaxInfinity.com - Save 20% off with the promo code WILD

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview with Author Loretta Breuning. Loretta Breuning, PhD, is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels.   As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Breuning's work has been translated into sixteen languages and is cited in major media. Before teaching, she worked for the United Nations in Africa. Loretta gives zoo tours on animals behavior, after serving as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Tufts. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Details are available at InnerMammalInstitute.org.

Disclaimer: We were having difficulties with our audio. We apologize for the poor sound quality. Loretta Breuning, PhD, is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Breuning's work has been translated into sixteen languages and is cited in major media. Before teaching, she worked for the United Nations in Africa. Loretta gives zoo tours on animals behavior, after serving as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Tufts. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Details are available at InnerMammalInstitute.org. Website: https://innermammalinstitute.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorettaBreuningPhD X: https://twitter.com/InnerMammal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/InnerMammalInstitute Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/ New book: Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics https://innermammalinstitute.org/why Promo Code: 20% off my course with the code HAPPY20 https://innermammalinstitute.org/course

Dr. Loretta Breuning is a PhD researcher & author. Since becoming unconvinced by prevailing theories on human behavior, she has researched everything from monkeys to the mafia. Now she's not only helping people hack their brain, she's shedding light on how the altruistic outlook may be popular, but ultimately damaging.In this episode, she explains WHY we believe that if we are unhappy something is wrong, how simply “getting back to nature” can backfire, the problem with happiness studies & (this is important) how to start your own happiness plan.If you liked this episode, you'll also like episode 162: WHY AM I NOT HAPPY? ANCIENT BRAINS & MODERN EMOTIONSRequest to join my private Facebook group to give your opinion & participate in giveaways https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrcuriousinsiders/Guest: https://innermammalinstitute.org/ | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232 | https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/ | https://innermammalinstitute.org/course/ | https://www.facebook.com/LorettaBreuningPhD | https://twitter.com/lbreuningHost:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

Loretta Breuning returns, with her new book - Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics. In this episode, we discuss that book - debunking various myths about happiness and teaching you how to surf the continuous waves of unhappiness. Take back control over your brain by taking small repeated steps toward goals that fulfill your biological and existential needs. Stop waiting for, chasing, or expecting a constant high. That is the recipe for a life of cortisol, disappointment, and disaster. Your mind is not broken. Society is not broken. It's time to see through the lies of "Science" and politics and embrace the dark yet navigable realities of human biology. Yes, you are unhappy. And that's okay. We are biologically wired to be unhappy. That's simply part of the package of being a big-brained mammal. But with Loretta's new book and this conversation, you can begin to change your expectations, beliefs, and actions, thereby smoothing out your ride down the rocky roads of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and cortisol.   We also discuss: Loretta's trip to Japan (our fun hangout together!), her childhood circuits, mindfulness & meditation, Stoicism, eating behavior, habit change, dating & relationships, connection vs. independence, academia, "happy" countries, naked Tahitian girls, cocky poodles, and your inner fish and reptile.**CONNECT WITH LORETTA BREUNING**       website: innermammalinstitute.orgRESOURCESBOOKS- I, Mammal by Loretta Breuning- Status Games by Loretta Breuning - The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn  - Why You're Unhappy by Loretta Breuning - Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin DOCUMENTARIES - Chimp Empire- My Octopus TeacherPEOPLE  - Flint the Chimp (*personhood status questionable) -  James Altucher  - Jane Goodall- Jean-Jacques Rousseau- Joe Rogan- Max Planck (he's the one who said, "Science proceeds one funeral at a time.")- Thomas Kuhn**Learn more or connect**  website: innermammalinstitute.org    (scroll to the bottom of the page for your FREE '5-Day Happy Chemical Jumpstart') course: innermammalinstitute.org/course       (use discount code HAPPY20 for 20% off) podcast: The Happy Brain   (her interview with me: 'Learning a Foreign Language' (Oct 2023))

  This week we're celebrating our 200th podcast episode by taking you through our Top Twelve podcasts – the episodes which have had the most downloads since we started the podcast back in 2020  There's a clip from each podcast as well as the link to the whole episode Or if you're really organised you can even make them into a playlist! Numbers 10,11 & 12 So coming in with 2,200 downloads each is a trio of ladies who've taught our Tribe so much about how our brains work… Author Dr Loretta Breuning, Neuroscientist Staci Danford and Stanford Psychiatrist Dr Anne Lembke It's important to remember that we are wired for survival rather than happiness and our default state is one of anxiety as we are on the look out for threats.. However once we understand how to trigger our happy brain chemicals we can structure our days to ensure that we get a regular dopamine hit to lift our mood So let's start with Dr Loretta Breuning who helped me unpack the cause of my own “early sobriety blues” Have a listen to the first interview I did with her which was in August 2021  Loretta also did an interview with me very recently to talk about her new book which is called Why Youre Unhappy – that came out on January 20th this year. The next lady in our trio is neuroscientist Staci Danford who taught us about our Lizard brain and how we need to manage it… she even recommended we give it a name.. she calls hers Ernie! That interview came out in August 2021  Here is a link to that episode  The third of our trio is Stanford Psychiatrist Anna Lembke who's written a top selling book called Dopamine Nation It's an awesome book which I highly recommend if you are interested in the science of addiction – her explanation of the Pain/Pleasure balance is superb That episode is called Why we get Addicted and came out in November 2023  Here is the link  Moving away from neuroscience to number 9 in our Top Twelve In that spot we have Sobriety Coach Lori Massicot – Lori is the host of a podcast called 50 and beyond and like me is convinced that ditching the booze is one of the very best things we can do for ourselves as we get older Her episode is called Why we need to ditch the drink in mid life and came out in December 2021 Here is the link  I also did a fun episode with Lori recently when we listed the 15 Signs that you need to take a Break from Booze – signs that Lori and I ignored for far too long! That one was released on January 27th this year Next up we have Melissa Witherspoon – she's the author of a touching memoir called I'm Sober…So Now What? Melissa has relapsed several times and has some invaluable insights into the various stages of relapse She observed that there are 3 stages of relapse Stage 1 is emotional relapse – not even thinking about drinking yet but observing the triggers that seem to be getting more frequent Stay in Stage 1 long enough without taking action and you may move to Stage 2 which is the mental relapse when you start to feel uncomfortable in your skin – and skip activities like connecting with your sober tribe and sticking to your exercise routine – all things that relieve triggers Stay in Stage 2 long enough and you may move to Stage 3 which is physical relapse when you are back in active addiction The advantage of knowing about these 3 stages are that you can keep your radar sharp for Relapse Warning Signs – all different for different people but you need to be able to pick up if you are feeling a bit “off” as Melissa puts it – keeping a journal is a great way of monitoring your emotions For Melissa it shows up in a lack of self care – if she starts neglecting things like her hair washing routine she will see it as a warning sign and tune in to what's going on.. Learn more from Melissa by listening to the episode which came out on September 2022 and is called Relapse Warning Signs Here is the link  So from the three stages of relapse we go to the 4 stages of alcoholism – a very moving share from Tribe member Vanessa Hilton Barber Vanessa divides her drinking career into phases:- the Fun phase (15-19) the Social phase (19-30) the Fairly Desperate phase (30-39) the I Need to Quit phase (39 onwards) This pattern fits pretty well with Ken Middletons theory that 20 years of regular drinking will result in alcohol dependence Here's a link to that episode  Now we're up to our Top Six and at number 6 with 2.3 downloads is the brilliant William Porter William is a lawyer with a passion for the science behind alcohol dependence and has written 2 books Alcohol Explained and Alcohol Explained 2 They're both essential reading and I think the more we understand the damage that alcohol does to our bodies and brains the less likely we are to want to drink it! His episode is called Why we Get Hangxiety and came out in July 2021  Here's the link Next up is another lovely chap who suggests that we identify ourselves as a non drinker…. From Day One He's called Nigel Jones and is the author of a book called Walking Back to Happiness Nigel's professional background is in marketing and PR so he has a deep understanding of the power of messaging and the effect it has on our subconscious mind.  As he says we are in effect being “groomed” by the liquor industry to be loyal and lifelong consumers.  That episode came out in Jan 2023  called How to be a non drinker  Here's the link  Next up is author of the Sober Diaries – a book that has helped so many people ditch the shame and quit drinking. Claire Pooley was a mom of 3 young children when her drinking was at its worst – she was going through 10 bottles of wine a week and knew it had to stop Clare Pooley is a great example of someone who ditched the booze and made her dreams come true She'd always wanted to be a novelist – when she quit drinking she finally had the time and energy to write – the Sober Diaries got her noticed and she was promptly signed by a top publisher to write 3 novels The Authenticity Project was her first and her second book has the inspiring title of How to Age Disgracefully – it will be out in June this year. Have a listen to Clares episode which came out in April 2021 – its called How I Ditched the Drink  Here's the link  I love her life hack of going to bed early, getting up early to cook and freeze the evening meal That's how she avoiding guzzling a bottle of wine as she cooked in the evening! Now its time for the top 3  Coming in at number 3 with 2,500 downloads is the fabulous Ken Middleton – he's the author of Bamboozled which has the awesome subtitle of How Alcohol Makes Fools of us All! Do grab a copy if you haven't yet read it – a brilliant description of how we've been manipulated by Big Alcohol for decades I often quote Ken who says “even if alcohol doesn't destroy us it will limit our potential” and in fact his latest Tribe Sober episode is called “How Alcohol Limits your Potential” – that one was released in April 2023  Here's the link Ken was also one of our guests back in November 2020 when he shared his own story and explained the science behind alcohol dependence – and why drinking regularly for 20 years means you're very likely to develop a “problem” Next up at number 2 is me! With our very first podcast episode which was released in May 2020 to celebrate my 5th Soberversary Here is the link  And finally hogging the number 1 slot with an incredible 3,300 downloads is Australian Sobriety Coach Kathryn Elliott It's called How to Stop Binge Drinking and came out in June 2022 Here is the link Like me Kathryn has had breast cancer which prompted us to do an episode together recently Neither of us realised that our heavy drinking was putting us at risk of breast cancer so we celebrated breast cancer awareness month by having a conversation about it.. Spreading the word that more than 3 glasses of wine A WEEK increased your risk of breast cancer We called it Drink Less for your Breasts and it was released in October 2023 So that's our Top Twelve A big thank you to all our listeners – thanks to you the Tribe Sober podcast has had more than 300,000 downloads which keeps its global ranking in the top 2% of all podcasts Most importantly more than 20% of our members found their way to us via the podcast More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.   Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).  

My guest this week is Dr Loretta Breuning who is the author of The Happy Brain. Loretta was on the podcast back in 2021 and that episode was one of our most popular ones with more than 2,000 downloads.  Here is the link to that podcast episode. So she's back by popular demand and also because she's just released a new book with an intriguing title:- Why You're Unhappy:  Biology vs Politics In this episode:- Loretta's Background: She is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute. Author of "Habits of a Happy Brain," focusing on boosting serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin levels. Shifted from being a college professor in social science to psychology, discovering the role of brain chemicals in animals and its relevance to human behavior. Learned Skill of Happiness: Challenges the notion of automatic happiness, presenting happiness as a learned skill. Questions popular beliefs about automatic happiness in the state of nature and the medical model suggesting unhappiness is a disorder. Default State of Unhappiness: Unhappiness is described as the default state, triggered by perceived threats or obstacles to meeting needs. Importance of Achievable Goals: Emphasizes the importance of small, achievable goals in maintaining dopamine levels. Advises against overwhelming, forever-oriented objectives. Seeking Rewards and Replacements: Discusses the concept of seeking rewards and replacing them when letting go of one, such as alcohol. Highlights the importance of finding inherently rewarding activities. Early Sobriety Blues and Projects: Addresses early sobriety blues and suggests engaging in a project to maintain motivation and prevent the post-goal drop in dopamine. Ongoing Support Groups: Emphasizes the significance of ongoing support groups, social connections, and positive-focused communities for oxytocin release and a sense of protection. Mirror Neurons: Mentions the role of mirror neurons in learning from others' experiences, both positive and negative. Impact of Group Dynamics: Briefly discusses the impact of group dynamics, specifically the common enemy effect, on individuals' well-being. Book Title - "Why You're Unhappy, Biology vs Politics": Challenges the disease model of mental health. Suggests happiness is a learned skill and critiques societal expectations regarding effortless happiness. Antidepressants and Effortless Happiness Model: Briefly touches on the reliance on antidepressants and criticizes the model suggesting happiness should come effortlessly. Empowerment Through Understanding: Emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals, especially young people, by teaching them that happiness is a learned skill. Understanding the brain's chemical processes can lead to greater self-management and personal growth. Connect with Loretta Bruening: Listeners can visit her website (innermammalinstitute.org) and explore various social platforms. She offers a free 5-day Happy Chemical Jumpstart providing insights into rewiring brain chemicals. Loretta's new book is brilliant and I strongly recommend it – called "Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics" – available on Amazon More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.   Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).  

Unlock the mysteries of your mind with  Loretta Breuning Ph.D. as we explore the biological roots of unhappiness and the societal structures that sway our emotions. Our riveting chat strips away the veneer of societal expectations to reveal how our primal instincts for protection and social hierarchy affect our feelings and actions. Loretta Breuning, with her profound insights from "Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics," challenges the misconception that feeling down is a disorder, encouraging us to perceive it as a natural biological function.Prepare to reshape your understanding of neural plasticity as we examine the power that lies within to rewire our brains. The episodes weave through the courage required to question medical and psychological standards to the societal tug-of-war between fitting in and expressing our true selves. We traverse the complex social dynamics that influence our sense of belonging and status and how these are imprinted upon us from our earliest experiences.As we conclude our journey, we delve into the importance of self-awareness on the path toward personal growth and the enriching lessons cross-cultural experiences offer on perceptions of happiness. Loretta's perspectives promise to not just enlighten but also inspire you to harness the knowledge of biology and politics in your quest for a more fulfilling life. Share in the dialogue and extend the conversation with friends, as the quest for understanding happiness and unhappiness is a journey best traveled together.Resources: Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs PoliticsThe Happy Brain PodcastInner Mammal InstituteReading ListEpisode #56 on Apple PodcastsEpisode #56 on SpotifyLEORÊVER COMPRESSION AND ACTIVEWEAR Get 10% off Loerêver Balanced Compression and Activewear to elevate your confidence and performance8 EIGHT SLEEP Save $200 on 8Sleep and get better quality and deeper sleep with automatic temperature adjustmentDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website. Follow @GrandSlamJourney on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or join the community on LinkedIn. This content is also available on Substack and YouTube.

Join host Vikrant Shaurya as he interviews Dr. Loretta Breuning, author of 9 popular books. In this podcast episode, Dr. Breuning shares the exact methods she uses to write captivating books.You'll learn how to:Create an outline to organize your ideas before writingDevelop interesting characters that readers can relate toWrite cliffhangers and impactful endings to keep readers hookedEdit your work to perfectionGet published and promote your bookWhether you want to write fiction or non-fiction, this interview gives you the inside scoop on writing and selling successful books. Dr. Breuning has figured out the formula that keeps readers coming back for more.If you have dreams of becoming an accomplished author, you don't want to miss this exclusive tell-all episode. Tune in now to get priceless tips from a pro!

What if you were given the key to understanding your own emotions and behavior? Prepare to venture on a fascinating exploration of the human brain with our esteemed guest Loretta Breuning Ph.D, the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, an author of 8 books, and a  host of The Happy Brain podcast. We delve into the power of brain chemicals - serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins and the impact of childhood experiences on our neural development, and strategies for managing our emotions. We're not stopping there. We're also diving deep into the role of cortisol - the stress hormone often overlooked in discussions about emotions. We examine our responses to fear and survival, and how these are linked to our evolution. Moreover, we provide practical tips on how to relieve cortisol and shed light on how our brain's operating system functions. In the latter stages, we navigate the complex terrain of negative thoughts, pursuits, and disappointments, expectation setting, unraveling how these scenarios impact our neural pathways. We also discuss the differences in behavior between men and women from an evolutionary perspective, and how our expectations are directly linked to our dopamine levels. Join us as we reveal the power of creating new neural pathways, even in the face of fatigue or hardship. This episode is an essential listen for anyone wanting to decode the intricate science behind our emotions and behavior.Resources: Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphin LevelsThe Happy Brain PodcastInner Mammal InstituteReading ListAnger Management: I Feel PrettyNOBLE COLD PLUNGE Noble Cold Plunge creates health benefits through a hormetic stress response. Save $250 with GSJ2508 EIGHT SLEEP Save $250 on 8Sleep and get better quality and deeper sleep with automatic temperature adjustmentTESLA Use my referral link for Tesla and get up to $250 off and 3-months of Full Self-Driving CapabilityDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website. Follow @GrandSlamJourney on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or join the community on LinkedIn. This content is also available on Substack and YouTube.

What makes us happy? Did you know that you can retrain your brain to boost happy chemicals, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins? Dr. Loretta Breuning joins me on the show today to discuss what motivations cause us to produce happy chemicals and how we're wired based on our upbringing. Do you believe that happiness is a choice? This discussion illuminates how we can control more than we may think through intentional thought and behavioral patterns. If you want to experience more happiness and learn the science behind how to do it, tune in!   Ways to connect with Coach Dez:   Website: https://bornunbreakable.com/  Podcast: https://podfollow.com/bornunbreakable  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrWV9ndR4uCBZTsMqlUSgA  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BornUnbreakable/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornunbreakable/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bornunbreakable/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dezunbreakable  Email: dez@bornunbreakable.com  Clubhouse: @dezmaya   Ways to connect with Dr. Loretta Breuning  Website: https://innermammalinstitute.org/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bIcJE2fzOSfvSuvXPf5kM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/InnerMammalInstitute Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorettaBreuningPhD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/InnerMammal   Please subscribe to the podcast and rate and review this episode!

Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol-free life! This week my guest is Staci Danford - this is the second time she has been on the podcast - you can have a listen to our previous conversation here. Staci is a neuroscientist who loves working with the sober community.  In this episode she shares some really practical and useful information about our brain. In this Episode Staci's husband walked out on her just before her 50th birthday – she was devastated at the time but now the years have passed she is able to look back and see that event as a catalyst for change… a real Wake Up Call Realising that she must take responsibility for her own happiness she went to grad school to study neuroscience Staci has no issues with alcohol but her father was an alcoholic – the whole family had tried to convince him to stop for years but only when he decided to stop himself did it work.. We talked about rehab and Staci explained that the success rate is a shockingly low 13.8% She explained that our brain tricks us into thinking that alcohol is making us happy but in fact it is a depressant – if you've been drinking for years then the alcohol will have altered the balance of your brain which is why you become increasingly dependent. When we understand how our brains work we can work with it – and that's when the magic will happen – a great analogy is to think of how we use our computers – we work with programs that are installed in our computers – not against them! Understanding our brains means that we can understand ourselves better and see what we are gaining by ditching the drink – we need to create a “pattern interruptor” We mustn't try to alter multiple habits at the same time – far better to focus on just the one Here at Tribe Sober we say “Just chase one rabbit at a time – if you chase several the chances are that they will all escape!” Staci advises that we focus on our successes “today I resisted a drink” and don't look too far into the future (or avoid the F word as we say at Tribe Sober!) If you listened to Tribe Sober podcast episode 55 which was called “The Happy Brain” with Loretta Breuning, you may remember that she recommended setting an overall goal and dividing it up into smaller goals – this will keep our happy chemicals flowing as just aiming for a mini goal will trigger dopamine and of course we'll feel good when we reach it. Staci is in agreement with Loretta and used the marathon analogy – if we sign up for a marathon we don't immediately go out and try to run 26 miles – we design a training program and divide it into daily sessions – running a bit further every day.. You can find a great example of this on Episode 15 of the Tribe Sober podcast with one of our Sober Springers Kai – he did SS, achieved 66 AF days, then aimed for 100days, then 6 months, then a year – and now 3 years later he still hasn't had a drink – but still doesn't say its forever! Staci explained how our primitive lizard brain will go on autopilot unless we intervene – she calls her Lizard Brain Earl and calls him out if he tries to hijack her behaviour! She confirmed that our 66 day Sober Spring Challenge is long enough to create a new neural pathway to change our drinking patterns She also said that the “secret sauce” of Sober Spring was the community support We discussed the fact that our “drinking neural pathway will always be with us (if we've been drinking for years) – and that its easy to reactivate if we start trying to “moderate” after a period of sobriety. Staci loves our Goodbye to Alcohol letters and suggests reading them regularly to remind ourselves how bad the drinking got! She came up with a list of quick tips to boost our happy chemicals We start our annual 66 day challenge in September - called Sober Spring here in South Africa but can be Sober Autumn as well Membership also allows you to find your people as we welcome you into our supportive community - and this month new members will get a complimentary Sober Spring Challenge Just go to tribesober.com and hit the "join our tribe" button to read more about the benefits of membership More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com Episode Sponsor           This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then            sign up today           Read more about our 7-step program and subscribe HERE      Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page - we'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Thank you for listening!  Till Next Week Janet x

Watch the video of this episode on Odysee HERE!

What is the science on rewards and threats to the brain, especially to the child brain? On this episode I welcome Dr. Loretta Breuning, an author and Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute to discuss :  How rewards and threats shape the young brain How to build healthy reward pathways in your kids Why yelling, pleading, and bribes can create reward systems and why we want to limit these things  Silverette Join me and countless other moms who have experienced the incredible difference Silverette Silver Cups can make. Just place them over your nipples in-between breastfeeding, and let them work their magic. The silver cups protect, soothe, and promote healing, all while letting your skin breathe. Remember to buy only the original and authentic Silverette. Visit their website today at Silveretteusa.com and use promo code PEDSDOCTALK to save 10% off your order! Find out what The Inner Mammal Institute has to offer at InnerMammalInstitute.org and see Videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart.

What is the science on rewards and threats to the brain, especially to the child brain? On this episode I welcome Dr. Loretta Breuning, an author and Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute to discuss :  How rewards and threats shape the young brain How to build healthy reward pathways in your kids Why yelling, pleading, and bribes can create reward systems and why we want to limit these things  Silverette Join me and countless other moms who have experienced the incredible difference Silverette Silver Cups can make. Just place them over your nipples in-between breastfeeding, and let them work their magic. The silver cups protect, soothe, and promote healing, all while letting your skin breathe. Remember to buy only the original and authentic Silverette. Visit their website today at Silveretteusa.com and use promo code PEDSDOCTALK to save 10% off your order! Find out what The Inner Mammal Institute has to offer at InnerMammalInstitute.org and see Videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Loretta Breuning's upbringing was marked by conflict, which shaped her into an adult who avoided confrontation. Much like many of us, she often felt stuck in her automatic reactions, not understanding their origins. However, her exploration of mammalian behavior unveiled the link between our brains, past experiences, and fundamental chemicals.Through this understanding, Dr. Breuning discovered that we can rewire our brains using targeted psychological techniques. This rewiring process enables us to foster greater self-acceptance and achieve more positive outcomes, both in our professional and personal lives.Loretta Graziano Breuning, Ph.D., is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, and author of Habits of a Happy Brain. Her work has been translated into 14 languages and has helped thousands of people build new neural pathways to produce more positive outcomes. In this episode, Dart and Loretta discuss:- 4 core brain chemicals and how they affect our experience of work- The origin and purpose of serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin- Our “survival needs” in the workplace- How to identify and understand our emotional responses to improve the experience of work- Psychological techniques for hacking our brain patterns - How to use this knowledge to create more happiness – internally and at work- And other topics…Loretta Graziano Breuning, Ph.D., 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. Her work has been translated into 14 languages and has helped thousands of people build new neural pathways to produce more positive outcomes. Before teaching, Loretta worked in Africa for the United Nations. 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.Resources mentioned:Habits of a Happy Brain, by Loretta Breuning: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Happy-Brain-Serotonin-Endorphin/dp/1440590508 Connect with Loretta:www.innermammalinstitute.org 

Did you know you can retrain your brain to be a glass-half-full kind of person? Social researcher and author Loretta Breuning talks to host Amelia Phillips to find out how we can retrain our brain and ignite our happy hormones, even when we're confronted with negative emotions. Join Amelia's Free webinar on low energy, stubborn weight and inflammation: https://www.ameliaphillips.com.au/energy-webinar/  About the host: Amelia Phillips is an exercise, nutrition, parenting and business expert with a career spanning 26 years in health. She's a registered exercise scientist, nutritionist and researcher (with a masters of human nutrition). She is the co-founder of health tech company 12WBT which grew from start-up. After a successful exit, she now consults to health companies, presents and appears in the media. Amelia had four kids in five years and is dedicated to empowering women to build a life after kids on the foundation of health (mental and physical), love and purpose. If you have a question for Amelia, reach out via Insta @_amelia_phillips, email ap@ameliaphillips.com.au or text an audio question to: 0417458772 Find out more at www.ameliaphillips.com.au Credits Host: Amelia Phillips Guest: Loretta Breuning Audio producer: Darren Roth Music: Matt Nicholich Production partner: Nova Entertainment Healthy Her acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD is the author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. She founded the Inner Mammal Institute to help people build new neural pathways to turn on their happy chemicals in new ways. Relevant links:https://www.ergogenic.health/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is a super education one with Dr. Loretta Breuning of The Inner Mammal Institute. She helps explain the primal instincts are brain operates off of, which is largely driven by the desire to create more 'happy chemicals' - such as dopamine and seratonin.Unfotuntaely, sometimes we don't make the best choices to optimize creating more of them or in ways that result in longerterm overall happiness... but since we're more evolved than mammals, we're able to retrain our brain and restructure our life and choices to do just that!She explains what all 4 'happy chemicals' are, what they do, how they work, and how to create more of them, while we break down some of the practices and lifestyle recommendations I give here and to my clients and why they work based on how these chemicals do.Where to Find Dr. Bruening:The Inner Mammal InstituteHer InstagramThings Mentioned:First Person Mushroom SupplementsHead here to download my free manifestation guide, or listen to Episode 8!Like this episode? Share a screenshot of you listening on Instagram and tag me, so I can thank you!My Instagram: @jordanlaurelle - come say hi!For coaching inquiries: jordanlaurellecoaching@gmail.com or book a discovery call here.

Timothy explores how to make your brain happy with Dr Loretta Breuning, author of ‘Habits of a Happy Brain'. They discuss why and how the brain produces unhappiness, and how to rewire your brain to experience more happiness. Dr Breuning shares practical strategies on how to develop your action plan for mental happiness. cliffcentral.com

Timothy explores how to make your brain happy with Dr Loretta Breuning, author of ‘Habits of a Happy Brain’. They discuss why and how the brain produces unhappiness, and how to rewire your brain to experience more happiness. Dr Breuning shares practical strategies on how to develop your action plan for mental happiness. cliffcentral.com

Loretta Breuning: Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. As a teacher and a mom, I was not convinced by prevailing theories of human motivation. Then I learned about the brain chemistry of animals, and everything made sense. I knew this information could help people, so I set about creating resources. I'm thrilled that they've helped thousands of people around the world, and have been translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Turkish and German. Before teaching, I was a United Nations Volunteer in Africa, where I learned about the mammalian custom of bribery. Later, I volunteered as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo, where I gave family-friendly tours on the social behavior of mammals. I'm a graduate of Cornell and Tufts, and the proud mother of tax-paying adults. And every day I appreciate the similarity between the field notes of a primatologist and the lyrics to a love song. More about me below. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/new-mind-creator/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/new-mind-creator/support

How does the fact that we are definitively mammals inform us on our happiness pathways? Our long ancient history as mammals can tell us about how we operate in the world, what makes us happy, the duration of happiness vs other states, and how we can help rewire our brain for a happier existence!Loretta G. Breuning, PhD, is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Breuning's work has been translated into twelve languages and is cited in major media. Before teaching, she worked for the United Nations in Africa. Loretta gives zoo tours on animals behavior, after serving as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Tufts. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Details are available at Innermammalinstitute.orgIn this episode, Dr. Breuning enlightens us on these interesting subjects and shares memorable animal stories. She delves into the limbic brain, the functions of various neurotransmitters, and what triggers us to be happy, along with what the hidden needs are in us…To Connect With Dr. Loretta Breuning:https://innermammalinstitute.org/To Connect With Dr. Joy Kong:http://drjoykong.com/Watch Video Episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZj1GQBWFM5sRAL0iQfcMAQFollow Dr. Joy Kong on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/dr_joy_kong/https://www.facebook.com/stemcelldrjoyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-kong-md-4b8627123/For more information about anti-aging regenerative medicine treatment visit:https://uplyftcenter.com *Our content is for informational purposes only and should not be treated as medical or health advice. Please consult with your doctor / healthcare provider if you have any questions about your medical conditions.*

“Now it's time to update my grandfather's words by explaining them, and, by doing so, changing our understanding of our place on the planet, who we are, and what goes on inside and between us. It's about reconnecting our sense of self and soul with our waterways and oceans. It's about finding our creativity, clarity, and confidence in our deep Blue Minds.” Celine Cousteau, who opens up Wallace J. Nichols' Blue Mind book, with a fascinating look into the depths of the ocean, reminding us of the words that meant the most to her from her grandfather, the great, Jacques Cousteau, that “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. People protect what they love.” Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/wwx1jrHj33c On today's EPISODE #297 "Blue-Mind: The Surprising Science That Connects Our Brain to Water" we will cover: ✔ What made Dr. Wallace J. Nichols connect the mysteries of the ocean, to our brain. ✔ How he gathered research for this book, and made real world connections between neuroscience and the water, never explored before. ✔ Why we are often more connected, emotional and happier around water. ✔ What Dr. Nichols noticed when he wore a waterproof EEC cap and measured his brain while swimming in the ocean. ✔ How Blue Mind can help us to become more self-aware, and move us towards freedom, possibility, wonder and hope. ✔ Easy ways we can all access and practice Blue Mind, especially on World Blue Mind Day, this Sunday July 23rd.        Welcome back to Season 10 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that's finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren't taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I'm Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today's episode #297, we are diving into the depths of the ocean, and learning about some concepts that Dr. Wallace J Nichols[i] has discovered that he calls “Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, or Under Water, Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected and Better at What You Do.”  When I was first introduced to Dr. Nichols, I was on a summer vacation with the family and just packing up our trip next to the clearest, bluest water I have ever seen on Grace Bay, in Turks and Caicos. My friend and Performance Coach Luke DePron, from EP 90[ii] sent me an introduction to Dr. Nichols for our podcast, and when I saw his book, I couldn't have been more excited. I always want to understand the “why” behind certain things, and the ocean (and water in general) is something I've always been fascinated with. I took one look at Dr. Nichols' book, Blue Mind, and I was instantly captivated. He asks some of the questions I've always wondered: What is water, and Why are we as humans so enthralled by it? Then I looked at the cover of the book, and the tagline got me thinking more: What happens to me when I'm swimming in water? Why do I suddenly feel more creative than I do when I'm sitting at my desk? Or more connected to others? What happens to me when I dive down to the bottom of the ocean? Now I'm reading Dr. Nichols' book, hoping to answer these questions, and also a bit surprised that I never thought of the brain/water connection. If you've been following this podcast for some time, you'll know that I've been working on the brain/and learning connection and neuroscience is helping the field of education to make huge strides as we know so much more about how the brain learns best today, than we did 20 years ago. What we are doing essentially, is expanding our level of awareness. Then I read about awareness from the late author David Foster Wallace, who said in a commencement speech in 2005 that “education should be based on awareness. Awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time.” (location 175, Blue Mind). Now my mind is wide open, my level of awareness has expanded, as he says “this is water” and I'm now making the Mind/Brain connection. This is just the beginning. I've got some questions for Dr. Nichols that I hope will expand ALL of our levels of awareness around this thing called water, and how this understanding could possibly make our lives better, by making the brain/water connection. Let's meet Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, and dive deep under water together, to see what we can learn from this unique perspective and movement that he's called Blue Mind. Welcome Dr. Nichols. I'm sure you could see from my emails to you that this interview was very important to me. Something about being introduced to you when I was standing in front of the bluest water I've ever seen! Welcome and thank you for meeting with me today. Intro Q: After I saw the introduction to you from Luke, I quickly bought your book, and started my journey into Blue Mind, that took me on many twists and turns. I've got to begin with the Foreword, because it took me a minute to make the connection between Celine, and the great Jacques Cousteau who I grew up watching on television. What she wrote was profound. Can you talk about what she said about how “the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever” and explain where this journey began for you? What was it the made you even think of connecting the complex mysteries of the brain to the ocean, both being similarly complex?  Q1: While reading your book, I noticed something right from the start and that was the research that you put throughout focused on the leading experts in the field of neuroscience. I noticed each name, because these are the names I've been focused on either interviewing on this podcast, or reading their books.  Dr. Daniel J Siegel[iii] and his Wheel of Awareness Meditation was one of our early interviews EP #28.[iv] I can list countless others (like Loretta Breuning) or even V.S Ramachandran who mentored Dr. Baland Jalal[v] who were interviewed about the mysteries of the dream world.  While you gathered all of the leading experts in the field of neuroscience in your book, like you, I wondered, why is our interaction with water left out of the research? Q2: “There's something about water that draws and fascinates us. No wonder: it's the most omnipresent substance on Earth and, along with air, the primary ingredient for supporting life as we know it.” (Page 8) I related to this as I swam underwater on this vacation, and noticed stronger than usual emotions, feelings and clarity when I touched the ocean floor. Now I'm curious. I never thought of measuring my brain while swimming. Why are many of us fascinated with the ocean? Q2B: Why do some of us feel so emotional around the water? Q3: What were some things you discovered about your brain with the waterproof EEG cap you used to measure your brain activity while swimming? Q4: I've got to dive into some of your findings a bit here, because I think they are important. I just interviewed a former MLB player, Mike Bordick, and he talked about the meditative nature of fishing that he would do after a busy season of baseball. I never thought about the meditative nature of swimming until you mentioned it in your book. Do you think that swimming could cause our brain waves to go from beta, to alpha (more relaxed) to theta where perhaps the creativity would occur? Is this what you saw when you measured your brain while swimming? We covered a program called The Silva Method[vi] that helps people to go into the alpha level during meditation, for accessing higher levels of creativity. Is this what's happening to our brain as we swim? Could the ocean possibly be kicking our brains into the theta brain state? Q5: We've spoken a lot on this podcast about expanding our level of awareness through study and I know that being curious is an important part of learning.  You say that “Blue Mind is deep down, about human curiosity, and knowing ourselves better.”  How can this idea you've discovered, Blue Mind, help us to become more self-aware and advance us forward? Q6: I noticed you called AZ “landlocked” and as someone who loves the water, I've often said the same thing about the state. I left Toronto for AZ, 22 years ago. I'm still here, but notice I'm most creative near the ocean. My writing just comes alive here. You go into this deeply in Ch. 6 but I wonder on the surface level, what have you discovered about the physical effects that a visit to the ocean can have on us? What are some ways we can experience Blue Mind is we aren't near the ocean? Q7: Did I ever relate to your book, especially when you wanted to look into the science behind our emotional connection to water and you were told “Keep that fuzzy stuff out of your science, young man. Emotion wasn't rational. It wasn't quantifiable. It wasn't science. “ I remember Dr. Daniel J Siegel, who you mentioned throughout your book was told the same thing with medicine, (to keep his emotions out of treating his patients) and that was what made him quit, because he wasn't supposed to get emotionally connected to his patients which was so far away from the truth. I was geared towards science in the field of education any time I leaned towards to spiritual side of a person, being told to stay away from anything that science can't prove.  I'm on a mission to draw out this mind/brain/body connection which is why this podcast is called Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning.   What are we missing when we ignore the fuzzy stuff? We covered this question in our discussion: In Chapter 6, Red Mind, Grey Mind and Blue Mind, you go into the health benefits of water. I'm glad to see that you covered Red Mind and Grey Mind in your book, in addition to just the obvious Blue Mind, especially when anxiety is at an all-time high in our country, and I just wrote a question for another author about how stress halts our creative faculties. Can you address how water can help us to transition from the Red Mind of stress or the Grey Mind of numbed-out depression? Where have you seen the life-saving effects of Blue Mind? Q8: Van Curaza asked the question “What is your favorite thing about the beach?” on his popular Facebook page. For someone who has spent his career studying the ocean and water, what would be your answer?? Q9: The health benefits we've talked about are obvious but what touched me was how many ways water can help those struggling with addiction, of autistic children, or those struggling with PTSD. You mention programs that can help almost anyone who's struggling in some way, using the water. Or even those young kids you took over the border to Puerto Penasco. I was reading your book on the balcony, overlooking the sea of Cortez just imagining the look on these kids' faces as they saw the beautiful blue ocean for the first time. What have you seen that's impacted you the most with water's healing effects? Final thoughts. What is your vision with Blue Mind, especially as its World Blue Mind Day coming up this Sunday July 23? I read it while sitting next to the Sea of Cortez over July 4th weekend and it touched me deeply. Not just with how water impacts me personally, giving me answers but the vast research you've done, connecting the brain to the healing effects of water for others, and the numerous groups/organizations who are using the idea of Blue Mind to help others. Dr. Nichols, I want to thank you for your time this morning to share your book and movement, Blue Mind. I don't think you left a stone unturned with your research and how Blue Mind can help the world. Blue Mind is now a resource that I'll add to future episodes, tying in your research that makes a solid case for why being on, near, in or under the water can make us happier, healthier and more connected. Best of luck for where your vision takes you next. Final Thoughts and Reflections If you watch the YouTube version of this interview, you will see a body of water and a shipwreck in the photo. That was taken on our family trip to Turks and Caicos[vii] this past June, of the famous La Famille Express shipwreck that you can visit, and walk through. You can even jump off the back of the ship into the ocean, and in the photo that is throughout the video, I'm covered, but I'm standing on the back of the ship, too afraid to jump. I thought it was fitting to put this image throughout this interview, especially as we spoke about how to use the ocean to increase our level of awareness, happiness and creativity. What am I afraid of? I've always had this fear of jumping into water, and who knows where it came from. What's interesting is that you can see a photo of the crystal clear ocean on the website, showing me now that there would be no rocks or anything that could harm me while jumping into the ocean. Would this new knowledge make me less afraid?  I think it would. When we can see where we are going, the path becomes clearer, but when we are stressed out, what Dr. Nichols calls Red Mind, we can't think clearly. I remember standing on the back of the ship, and I'd thrown my shoes into the water so there was no other way I could walk down (through the rusted ship) but I still couldn't jump in. My RED mind had taken over and there was no ability for me to think or reason. I wish I had read Blue Mind before this experience. I know this increased awareness would have allowed me to blast through this fear. So for me, my biggest AHA moment and take-away is that we all increase of our levels of awareness with whatever it is in our life that's unknown that could be causing us stress, anxiety or worry. Like Dr. Nichols said, if something has got you feeling anxious, just try to find your way to water, and pay attention to how you are feeling. Reflect on what we discussed on this episode and see if you can begin to feel some level of peace, as you practice accessing Blue Mind into your daily life. If you know someone who might be struggling with something, grab their hand, and take them fishing. Sunday July 23rd is World Blue Mind Day. The most important part to this is to go out and practice Blue Mind and then see if it's something you can practice, and see where it takes you. To increased happiness, creativity, problem solving and thinking? Leading us to freedom, possibility, wonder and hope? I'm in…what about YOU?! I'd love to hear YOUR Blue Mind story, and what you think of this book, when you read it. I'll see you next week. RESOURCES: 7th Annual Blue Mind Award featuring the research of Dr. Justin Feinstein and his research around the benefits of floatation.   https://goingcoastal.blue/2023/07/blue-mind-award-2023/ Dr. Justin Feinstein https://www.clinicalfloat.org/Justin-Feinstein-PhD Howard Fields https://profiles.ucsf.edu/howard.fields Jeff Clark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Clark_(surfer) Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain by Antonio Damasio September 27, 2005 https://www.amazon.com/Descartes-Error-Emotion-Reason-Human/dp/014303622X/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=241600596885&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9030068&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7908659952024351971&hvtargid=kwd-132221002&hydadcr=22534_10353871&keywords=descartes+error&qid=1690063224&sr=8-1 FOLLOW DR. WALLACE J. NICHOLS Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wallacejnichols/ Twitter https://twitter.com/wallacejnichols   REFERENCES: [i] Dr. Wallace J. Nichols https://www.wallacejnichols.org/ [ii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EP #90 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/host-of-the-live-great-lifestyle-podcast-luke-depron-on-neuroscience-health-fitness-and-growth/ [iii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EP #28 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/clinical-professor-of-psychiatry-at-the-ucla-school-of-medicine-dr-daniel-siegel-on-mindsight-the-basis-for-social-and-emotional-intelligence/ [v] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EP #224 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/harvard-neuroscientist-drbaland-jalalexplainssleepparalysislucid-dreaming-andpremonitionsexpandingour-awareness-into-the-mysteries-ofourbrainduring-sl/ [vi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast #261 PART 1 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/a-deep-dive-with-andrea-samadi-into-applying-the-silva-method-for-improved-intuition-creativity-and-focus-part-1/ [vii] Turks and Caicos ShipWreck https://www.visittci.com/other-islands/la-famille-express

My guest this week is Tribe member Brad who has struggled with his weight and his drinking.  I love his story about how he heard about Tribe Sober when he was in the chemist picking up his meds! In this episode:- Brad's drinking story is tied up with his weight loss story and as we heard from the recent podcast with Adam Sheauble there is a crossover between the two addictions and how we deal with them Brad had picked up a lot of weight in his 20's and his psychologist and nutritionist both made a case for him to get a gastric bypass paid for by his medical aid He lost the weight and was warned to be careful with alcohol as the food addiction could transfer to alcoholism. Last week I interviewed Dr Vera Tarman who is an eating disorder specialist who tells us more about bariatric surgery and alcohol Brad knew he was drinking too much so he took a year off and felt great – he even managed to have couple of drinks on special occasions during that year but didn't go back to drinking regularly At the end of that year Brad had a drink and basically he never stopped He'd finished his MBA and felt there was a vacuum where his studies had been – a gap to be filled.. Contributing to this was the fact that he had left his corporate job after 18 years as he was trying to start his own business So he started to fill this vacuum with booze We have to be so careful not to leave a void when we quit drinking – we need to keep super busy at first so that there's not much time to sit and think about drinking…. Then when we do start to make progress with our sobriety we need to find a hobby or interest to keep us engaged and keep our happy brain chemicals firing For more on this listen to my interview with Dr Loretta Breuning – episode 55 So back to Brad who was filling the gap in his life with booze – which really got hold of him this time He did try AA – 15 different groups and 40 meetings but he just ended up convinced that he wasn't an alcoholic as he wasn't as bad as the other guys By the end of 2019 his partner had had enough and they broke up. This led to him living in a tiny apartment without much furniture or any appliances and that's when his drinking was at its worst He was drinking spirits as well as litres of wine In the midst of that he met his current partner and they both decided to stop drinking. He managed a few months but succumbed to a bottle of whisky when house sitting for a friend Brad started to drink in secret after that, his partner didn't know about it He tried the Sinclair method using Naltroxene but although Naltroxene blocks the buzz we get from alcohol Brad just drank more until he did get a buzz February 2022 brought a couple of aha moments – his partners mom explained that her husband had thought he could outsmart the booze but he didn't manage to do it The second aha moment was when a psychiatrist refused to give him meds while he was drinking heavily Said it would be like throwing a cup of tea on a forest fire! He went back to the doctor who had put him on naltroxene and said he was going to completely quit rather than cut down and got some Antibuse which he took for 3 months… and it worked! During the next 3-6 months Brad weaned himself off all of his medications He focused on his work, his relationship, his health and he got a puppy….Benji Benji is ageing alongside Brads sobriety so he gets called the sober doggy – a great idea I think! Brad had a plan to have a drink on his first Soberversary but after about 7 months he realized that was not a way to celebrate We agreed that alcohol gets far too much credit for the good times! A lady he met in the chemist while he was getting his Antibuse recommended Tribe Sober to him He loves being part of our Tribe and feels that the community chat keeps him forwarned about the pitfalls he could face Brad is a great asset to our Tribe as he always had great advice to give to people who are new or are struggling His advice to newbies is to track their drinking and figure out what its costing them…such an eye opener Even if youre not ready to stop yet it will raise your awareness Take a break for a month to test your dependence – you can sign up for a 30 day or a 66 day challenge with Tribe Sober Just write to us at membership@tribesober.com and we'll get your started! Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

  My guest this week is very special member of our Tribe Sober Team I first met Lynette LeRoux when she came to one of our workshops more than 5 years ago She was in a dark place back then but the workshop was the catalyst she needed to change everything Lynette has been transforming and enriching her life for the last 5 years – she's found her passion and qualified as a Coach and for the last 3 years she has been working for Tribe Sober as a Coach In this episode Lynette first tasted alcohol at the tender age of 9 – she'd got hold of some tiny bottles of whisky and brandy which she kept near her bed.  She would take a sip when she went to bed as it comforted her Going off to boarding school at the age of 5 left her with lingering feelings of isolation – a feeling that those little sips chased away. As she reflects back she realises it was a way to feel nurtured and held She didn't drink much in her teens but in her 20's she met a guy who loved his whisky and she began to drink regularly Lynette had never really felt comfortable in her own skin so alcohol helped her to socialise Her relationship deteriorated due to her partners drunken rages and he left her when she was pregnant She coped well over the next few years and began to develop her career The usual after work drinks culture prevailed and Lynette fell back into her old patterns She would drink excessively at the weekends as well as after work sometimes Like many of us she would resolve to stop or cut down but nothing really changed Then she met her current husband who hardly drinks at all He thought she drank too much so she tried hard to make a change She managed some sober stretches but as she got into her 40's the alcohol came back into her life Even though she was drinking Lynette tried a lot self development programs during this period Looking back she realises that she never tried to integrate her learnings into her daily life If we don't apply the learnings then the courses are really a waste of time and nothing will change As she moved into her 50's Lynette became more dependent on alcohol She felt she was losing connection with her husband and her friends Always looking for the quick fix she decided to study plant medicine As part of Lynette's ongoing odyssey for a quick cure for her problems she came across our one day workshop She attended the workshop but true to form she never really engaged After the workshop she didn't apply the tools or connect via the chatgroups So nothing really changed and three months after the workshop she hit her rock bottom Driving to work and struggling with an awful hangover she had a “not this” moment Followed by a “if not this then what?” moment Out of desperation she looked at her Tribe Sober workshop notes and decided to reconnect Lynette went to the coffee meetup and engaged on the WhatsApp group After reading other peoples messages for a while she decided to reach out She posted a message that she felt really low Another member explained that she felt that way because her brain was recalibrating and healing This really resonated with Lynette and became her mantra She began to study coaching and started to see that a different way of life was possible As Lynette has been coached herself and has coached many people I asked her to explain why coaching is so valuable She explained that coaching helps us to get perspective on our life and our mind Coaching enables a growth mindset as we move towards our future self We talked about the benefits she has gained from 5 years of sobriety The biggest benefit for Lynette was reconnecting with herself and then developing her passion for coaching She's learned so much about her beautiful brain and she's learned how to feel She's learned that emotional pain is a sign of growth and she must learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable That's a lesson she's taught us all here at Tribe Sober We agreed that there is so much more to recovery than “not drinking” As Lynette said tha's just 10% of the work – and we will never thrive in sobriety if we don't tackle the other 90% We talked about anhedonia which is the low mood that sometimes hits us in early sobriety For more on dealing anhedonia check out Lynette's video on our you tube channel and the Tribe Sober podcast interview with Dr Loretta Breuning, episode 55 on Apple Podcasts We talked about the Path to Purpose which is a brand new Group Coaching that she has created this year On 30th April her first group of 10 people will begin the program.. and find their Path to Purpose The program will last for 8 weeks It will include content but also leave space for co creation.   Space to tune into the needs of the group and deal with what comes up One of the outcomes of the program is that the participants will have a self coaching program which will enable them to continue their development If you'd like to know more about the Path to Purpose program then click here The next program is fully booked but you can join the waitlist or you can email Lynette on coaching@tribesober.com to discuss whether it's the right program for you More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. to join our mailing list click HERE    Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

My guest this week is Ken Middleton I first connected with Ken a couple of years ago after discovering his brilliant articles. He was first a guest on this podcast back in 2020 and we've been friends ever since We have a shared passion to highlight the drawbacks of drinking and the joys of sobriety. As a firm fan of his articles I was delighted to hear that he was going to publish a book. He involved me in the development of the manuscript and has even included my story! The book is called Bamboozled and is published TODAY In fact I have a message for you from Ken – he says buy the the book today (April 1st) and you'll find an April Fools day surprise – a nice one! The book is available on Amazon so go check it out while you are listening The subtitle of Bamboozled is “How Alcohol Made Fools of Us All” and it's a great read.  After doing this work for 7 years I know a lot about the subject but even I learned a lot from this book In this episode Unlike myself and many of my podcast guests Ken didn't come to sobriety from a place of addiction – he came from a place of curiosity. He wanted to see how he felt without alcohol He was always a high performer in his sales job but knew that he wasn't always operating at 100% As he settled into his sobriety his performance at work shot up by 30% He came to the conclusion that alcohol drastically reduces our potential Ken talked about the compounding effects – for example when we drink we only get two cycles of REM when we need about 7 Drinking regularly means the fatigue will build up and up over the years I can really identify with this – when I hit 60 I felt tired all the time but resigned myself to the fact that this is what aging felt like Seven years of sobriety has changed everything for me and I wake up full of energy My exhaustion was nothing to do with my age but everything to do with my alcohol consumption We talked about comparisons and how dangerous it was to compare ourselves with hard core alcoholics – so we end up feeling that we were not “that bad” Of course the comparison we should be making is with the best version of ourselves we could be So the question to ask is not Am I an Alcoholic?  -  rather ask Am I living my best life? Ken explained that functioning alcoholics are the ones with the most to gain from ditching the booze They have been expending huge amounts of energy just keeping the show on the road I know I did – performing well at work, managing family and a social life is not easy when you're feeling anxious and worried about your drinking problem that you are too ashamed to talk about Ken summarises the science of alcohol dependency in detail in an article I will put in the shownotes but here are the key moments:- Alcohol spikes our endorphins Our brain likes to stay balanced – in a state of homeostasis so releases dynorphins to dampen down those endorphin spikes The dynorphin level then outweighs the level of endorphins (as our brain wants to get back to homeostasis asap) That's why we get that dip about 20 minutes after our first drink… our buzz starts to fade so of course we reach for another drink to compensate which results in more dynorphins released…. And so it goes on As many of us know as time goes by we need more alcohol to get the same feeling, the same buzz So far so good but our body is smart and it adapts to our behaviour and this is the dangerous bit.. Our subconscious will begin to associate everything we do leading up to the drinking as a pleasurable experience – and learn.. So when we are driving home from work we are already anticipating opening that bottle of wine so the dynorphins will be released IN ADVANCE Making us feel low and craving the alcohol And the really scary bit is that drinking consistently over time will result in us not being able to enjoy things WITHOUT IT Our brain will have rewired so it can no longer produce dopamine on its own That's why early sobriety is so hard – our brain has not yet re-calibrated to trigger our happy brain chemicals naturally and without our chemically induced alcohol high we feel very flat – if you are at the at stage please hang in there Listen to my podcast interview with Dr Loretta Breuning – episode 55, how to combat those early sobriety blues Ken made the very good point that if we're reluctant to ditch the booze we can just carry on drinking but listen and learn and you'll soon start joining up the dots and realising… WHY you wake up at 3am feeling anxious WHY you're constantly tired and depressed WHY you're gaining weight and sleeping badly Once you understand what's causing these things and realise that you don't HAVE to keep suffering your desire to drink will diminish Reading Kens book Bamboozled is a great place to start with your education about alcohol His goal in writing this has been to help people realise the what they are losing out on when they drink – even if they are not dependent Alcohol will always prevent us from reaching our potential In the book he talks about how we are manipulated to drink by marketing and societal norms The liquor industry grooms us from our teenage years – they want to capture us as lifelong customers I loved his use of stories in the book – alcohol parables as he calls them – he compares the lives of two people on similar tracks – one of those decides to quit drinking and the other carries on – their futures turn out very differently Again emphasising his point that alcohol will prevent us from reaching our potential He says that nobody should be drinking alcohol after the age of 40 as the damage it does will increase exponentially We have less water in our bodies to dilute the effects of alcohol You can learn more about this and many other facts in Kens book So why not pop onto Amazon and order your copy of Bamboozled right now – you're going to get a very nice April Fools surpise but only if you put in an order TODAY You can also follow Ken on Medium where he publishes regular articles like this one and he has his own newsletter called Ainyf (Alcohol is Not Your Friend)  More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. to join our mailing list click HERE    Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

  What makes us happy? Did you know that you can retrain your brain to boost happy chemicals, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins? Dr. Loretta Breuning joins me on the show today to discuss what motivations cause us to produce happy chemicals and how we're wired based on our upbringing. Do you believe that happiness is a choice? This discussion illuminates how we can control more than we may think through intentional thought and behavioral patterns. If you want to experience more happiness and learn the science behind how to do it, tune in!   Ways to connect with Coach Dez:   Website: https://bornunbreakable.com/  Podcast: https://podfollow.com/bornunbreakable  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrWV9ndR4uCBZTsMqlUSgA  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BornUnbreakable/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornunbreakable/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bornunbreakable/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dezunbreakable  Email: dez@bornunbreakable.com  Clubhouse: @dezmaya   Ways to connect with Dr. Loretta Breuning  Website: https://innermammalinstitute.org/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bIcJE2fzOSfvSuvXPf5kM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/InnerMammalInstitute Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorettaBreuningPhD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/InnerMammal   Please subscribe to the podcast and rate and review this episode!

There have been dramatic changes in the recovery space over the last decade Just 10 years ago you were either a normal drinker or you were an alcoholic and you went to AAWe now understand that alcohol dependence is a spectrum with many different stages between the merely sober curious and the problematic drinker ven if you are that problematic drinker you don't have to go to AA any more -we now have a modern recovery movement with many different pathways to getting sober Part of that modern recovery movement is driven by young sobriety influencers – just like my guest today Claire Comai of Rehab Studios In this Episode Claire got sober at the tender age of 24 so her drinking career was very short but it was pretty intense! She first tried alcohol at about 15 and just loved it – as she says she was obsessed with it straight away and the only reason she wasn't drinking all day every day was because she lived with her family and had to go to school! She drank when she was at high school and would blackout all the time Claire had health consequences and got herself into risky situations She had absolutely no off switch and felt something change in her brain after that first drink She went to uni in Montreal, a huge university where no restrictions were put on drinking Worried about her frequent blackouts Claire put lots of rules in place but of course like most of us she usually broke them! She ended up in hospital several times after drinking sessions and began every day with a hangover She used to see an addiction counsellor every week but all they did was to set new rules for her drinking Then came the intervention – she was helping her sister move apartments and discovered the rest of the family waiting there – sitting in a circle By this point her family were desperately worried about Claire's drinking so had gathered together to let her know how they felt This intervention was a real eye opener for because she knew she was hurting herself with the drink but had no idea how it was affecting the people that loved her Her parents were very emotional but what really struck her was the fact that her younger sister had been staying awake at night worrying about her – when as the older sister Claire should have been a role model The intervention worked and she threw herself into sobriety – she went to AA and got a Sober Coach She did feel that she had been pushed into sobriety by her family and felt annoyed that her drinking career had been so short but over the months she began to feel better and better We agreed that the first few months are really really had but then it gets SO much easier and the benefits start coming in If you are in early sobriety and don't have a community you should know that connecting with others on the same path makes a huge difference It's really hard to do this alone so please reach out – just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe – or drop me a line at janet@tribesober.com Claire was usually the youngest person at the AA meetings and would often be told that she was so lucky to be getting sober at 24 -gradually she began to believe them! She now has more than 3 years of sobriety but still goes to meetings about twice a week – like us she believes that connection is the opposite of addiction and we must stay connected Even if we have a supportive family and lots of friends they won't really understand us like other people who have struggled – they may innocently try to convince us that we'll be ok to have just one glass of wine now, that's something people in your sobriety group will never do! Like many of us Claire began to feel passionate about sobriety and began to speak out – to be a younger person in the world of recovery sharing her story We always advise our members to get a project in early sobriety to keep those sobriety blues away – if you want to know the science behind this strategy then listen to Tribe Sober podcast episode 55, my interview with Dr Loretta Breuning. Claire is a great example of how having a project can keep you motivated and on track Her project is a apparel and jewellery brand called Rehab Studios Like many of us she is an all or nothing person and has thrown herself into designing and managing this wonderful project Check out Claires website which is called https://www.rehabstudiosny.com/ - she has some lovely items on there and she ships worldwide You can find Claire at rehabstudiosny on TikTok and Instagram, More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. to join our mailing list click HERE    Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE   Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE.   PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).    

In this episode, I am speaking with Dr. Loretta Breuning, who is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute. She's the author of many personal development books, including the one that I have read of hers, which I highly recommend, and found fascinating, called Habits of a Happy Brain.

Today's guest, in honor of Valentine's Day, is Loretta Breuning, PhD and author of several books including Habits of a Happy Brain and The Science of Positivity. She is the Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute where she studies the brain chemistry we share with mammals. It's fascinating how she connects our behaviors with those of mammals, especially as she dives into the neurochemicals…dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and cortisol — that drive love, relationships, and much of our lives. You'll learn a lot about the neurobiology of love, how to turn on the happy chemicals — and how you can build new neural pathways anytime. A little piece of advice she shares…Love is a neurochemical roller coaster, and managing your own chemicals works FAR better than blaming your partner for them.

Loretta Beruning, Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, Academic and Author meets Paul, Simon and Garrick in a fascinating conversation on Endorphins, happy neurochemicals and curiosity! Listen to Loretta's journey of exploration of the brain chemistry we share with earlier mammals. How do neurochemicals govern our feelings? What makes us happy? What happens in the brain when we are curious? How can people make peace with their inner mammal?  Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously! #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #neuroscience #happiness  About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone. Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky  #Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity About ‘The Curious Advantage' Book The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused. At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called 'Sailing the 7 C's of Curiosity'. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com Get your copy on Amazon The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Have you been wondering how to manage anxiety, especially in midlife? Dr. Loretta Breuning is here to provide us with the answers! Join us on the latest episode of The Hormone Prescription Podcast and learn how the lessons from the mammalian kingdom can help us all have a happy brain. Not only will you learn about how hormones work within our bodies, but also gain insight into how simple changes in our environment can drastically change the way we feel.   Dr. Loretta Breuning, PhD, is the Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphin Levels and Tame your anxiety-rewire your brain for happiness and others.   As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Breuning's work has been translated into twelve languages and is cited in major media. Before teaching, she worked for the United Nations in Africa. Loretta gives zoo tours on animal behavior, after serving as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo.   In this episode, you'll learn: - How the mammalian brain works - The hormones that can affect your emotional state - Simple strategies to rewire your brain for happiness and reduce anxiety - How our environment plays a role in affecting our moods   Listen now to this powerful episode with Dr. Loretta Breuning and learn how you can have a happy brain!   (00:00): Nature is designed to habituate to the emotions that we already have. Stay tuned to find out why our happy chemicals are not designed to be on all the time.   (00:13): So the big question is, how do women over 40 like us, keep weight off, have great energy, balance our hormones and our moods, feel sexy and confident, and master midlife? If you're like most of us, you are not getting the answers you need and remain confused and pretty hopeless to ever feel like yourself Again. As an ob gyn, I had to discover for myself the truth about what creates a rock solid metabolism, lasting weight loss, and supercharged energy after 40, in order to lose a hundred pounds and fix my fatigue, now I'm on a mission. This podcast is designed to share the natural tools you need for impactful results and to give you clarity on the answers to your midlife metabolism challenges. Join me for tangible, natural strategies to crush the hormone imbalances you are facing and help you get unstuck from the sidelines of life. My name is Dr. Kyrin Dunston. Welcome to the Hormone Prescription Podcast.   (01:07): Hi everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the Hormone Prescription with Dr. Kyrin. Thank you so much for joining me today. Today we're gonna be talking about stress. Again, I know it's such an important topic, but we're gonna be relating it to your happy neurochemicals. We're going to be talking about dopamine and serotonin and oxytocin and endorphins and how you can optimize these neurochemicals for your hormonal and overall health and wellbeing, how you can get out of anxiety and many other things. She has a unique perspective that's comes from the animal kingdom, which we're a part of, but we're a little bit different and we're gonna talk about how we're different and how that affects our health and ways that you can manage your neurochemicals that other animals don't need to worry about. I'll tell you a little bit about her and then we'll get started.   (02:05): Dr. Loretta Bruning is a PhD and she's founder of the Inter Mammal Institute and Professor Erta of Management at California State University East Bay. She's the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain, retrain Your Brain to Boost your Serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and Endorphin levels. And the author of Tame Your Anxiety, rewire Your Brain for Happiness and other books. As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Bruni's work has been translated into 12 languages and is cited in major media before teaching. She worked for the United Nations in Africa and Loretta gives zoo tours on animals' behavior after serving as a docent at the Oakland Zoo. Welcome Dr. Loretta Bruning to the podcast.   (03:05): Hi. So nice to be here.   (03:07): I'm really glad to have you here. I think people are dealing with so much stress right now. Stress levels are at an all-time high and we can't talk about it enough. How can people get regulated out of the stress site, be happy in their lives, experience joy? I mean, after all, I think that's what we're here to do ultimately, but there are a lot of things that get in the way and I'm curious if you can share with everyone how did you get interested in brain neurochemical chemicals and how to have a happy brain? What was your path?   (03:42): Like many people, I grew up around a lot of unhappiness and I didn't have a good explanation for it. So I think I was always curious like, what is everybody so upset about? So I was always looking for that and nothing ever seemed like a good enough explanation. I studied academic psychology my whole life, so I knew all the theories, but they still didn't really explain it to me and especially becoming a parent and you think, okay, now gonna start over and we're gonna do everything right according to the book, you know? And I was like, no, that doesn't work. Kids are unhappy. My students were unhappy. So then I had to rethink what I had learned and I stumbled on a lot of animal studies monkey studies, and that triggered, you know, cuz when I was like 18 years old and started studying psychology, there were a lot of monkey studies and that's what got me into seeing that the chemicals that make us feel good are the exact same chemicals in animals and they're controlled by brain structures that animals have too. And to me, that explained everything first because a monkey is constantly making decisions. What's gonna make me happy? Oh, if I get that banana, how can I get it? And that's the job our happy chemicals do is reward us for those actions. And then that this whole animal brain is not capable of using language. So it's totally separate track from the stuff we're telling ourselves in words.   (05:20): Yes. You know, I think that we forget that we are animals and that we have the same brain structures as other animals and that our brain is really designed to keep us alive, but some of those systems can act negatively in humans and actually make us sick when we don't understand them and use them properly. And I think this is super important for women at midlife because we've kind of, most of us been using our brains and our systems unconsciously, and we don't really start paying attention to how they function until we hit midlife. And the cumulative negative effects start encroaching on our good health. And then we wanna know, oh my gosh, I don't feel well. And we discover that our brain neurochemistry is part of the reason why we don't do well. How can we work with it differently? So can you talk a little bit about the different brain structures and kind of how our neurochemistry works and then we can kind of dive into what people might be encountering in terms of maladaptations of these systems that causing them problems? Sure.   (06:36): So you've raised so many good issues and I'm gonna try to simplify. Sure. Get to the point as much as possible, but there's so much. So I always like to focus on the positive, you know, what can we do instead of just focusing on the problem? So the reality is that our happy brain chemicals are not designed to be on all the time. You hear about dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphin and you think, oh, other people must be just getting this all the time and what's wrong with me? And yet, when you know the job these chemicals do, you know that their job is only to be on for that moment to spark you into action when that action is appropriate. So for example, like a lion is looking around for something it can eat and if it runs after everything, it's not gonna get anything and it's gonna die of starvation.   (07:30): So dopamine turns on when it sees something it can get, and that's what our good feelings are like for that appropriate moment. So when we're not having that spark of joy, it's like no big deal. That's to the self-acceptance of my brain is designed to go up and down to navigate where should I use my energy? What's a good opportunity? And the other part of that is, well, how do I know what's a good opportunity and where should I use my energy? Well the amazing thing is my dopamine pathways are built from my own dopamine experience in my past. And your dopamine pathways are built from your past. So every little toddler is like trying to get that ball and get that cookie. And yet we're all building our pathways from our unique individual experience. And when I know my own pathways, that liberates me from being limited by them because you may think, oh, the only way to feel good is by repeating this behavior that triggered my good feelings in the past. But when you know that it's just a pathway, then you say, oh, there are thousands of other ways to be happy. I'm just doing this one because that's just the accident of my past experience.   (08:50): Yeah, we really are very programmed throughout our lives as to what's gonna make our dopamine reward pathway go up, what's gonna make our serotonin go up. It's gonna differ for every person. But I totally identify, and maybe you listening identify with this too, that I do wanna be happy all the time. Loretta . What's wrong with that? And you know, I think we see other people maybe on social media or friends that we have who really do seem like they're happy all the time. Why can't we be happy all the time?   (09:25): Okay, that's a great question. So first let's distinguish happy chemicals from unhappy chemicals. Okay, so I don't want to feel like I'm gonna die in every minute. So that's, yeah, like in in the animal brain, you are trying to escape from predators and starvation and the human brain is capable of imagining predators that are not actually there. That's how we stress ourselves. So we feel like we gotta run from this predator all the time, and that's horrible feelings. So absolutely, we should definitely wanna get away from that because that's the job our brain is designed to do is escape that threat. But if I want to feel joy every minute of every day, that's not realistic and I'm gonna end up disappointing. And if I tell myself that everybody else is feeling joy every minute of every day, then I'm gonna end up, you know, feeling left out. So, you know, there's this current movement of trying to feel the pleasure of small things. I think that's great, but the way the brain works is it habituates to what you already have. So if I think, let's say if I only get a date with this one person, I'll be happy forever. But then once you get the date with that person, you're not happy forever. Right,   (10:53): . So   (10:54): If you think, oh, if I only get this promotion, I'll be happy forever. But you get the promotion and you're not happy forever. So the reason is that our brain is designed to habituate to rewards we already have. So it's like saying that when my ancestors were hungry and they thought, oh, if I only found a tree full of riped fruit, I'd be so happy I'd, you know, I'd never be unhappy again. And they'd find the tree and they'd stuff their face with riped fruit. But if that made them happy forever, then they would not get any protein. They would not search for water and firewood. So our brain is designed to focus on the unmet need and to take for granted what you already have and say, okay, been there, done that. Now what else can I get? So that's the norm , which   (11:48): Yeah, I think everyone can relate to that. And I remember when I was younger, I would always think, I will be happy when, fill in the blank, you know, when I graduate high school, when I graduate college, when I graduate med school, you know, when I get married, when I have a baby. And like you would get to that and you do get that initial boost of, oh my gosh, this is so great, I'm so happy. And then it just becomes a factor of your life and it doesn't give you that dopamine kind of hit or serotonin boost. So I know everybody listening can really relate to that. And I love that you explained it, the nature's design to habituate to the emotions that we already have. And it is does confer survivability not only on the animal kingdom, but humans, which we're a part of the animal kingdom, but I think that sometimes we think we're superior because we have these huge four brains and that we should be able to surpass that. So how does someone who's maybe feeling dysthymic or even depressed really start to work in their lives to change their neurochemistry to a more positive state where they can get those boosts?   (13:03): Sure. So first is to understand that whatever triggers the happy chemical is based on not what you're telling yourself in words and philosophical abstractions, but it's a real physical pathway built from past experience. So a simple example would be, you know, if you give a child a cookie when they do a certain behavior, they're gonna repeat that behavior. So even if you're sad on some level, you got rewarded for being sad in your past. Mm-Hmm. because you felt like, well now I'm doing my share in carrying the load by being sad or something like that. So once you say, my sadness is a real physical pathway in my brain, my feelings about what it takes to turn on a reward chemical, those are real physical pathways in my brain. And I can build new pathways to have new expectations about how to turn on my happy chemicals. But it's hard to build new pathways in adulthood. It's exactly like learning language. When you're a child, you learn language easy. But if you try to study a foreign language in adulthood, it takes a lot of repetition and it feels like real work. And that's what it takes to build a new path to happy chemicals when you're older. Okay. One example.   (14:30): Sure. Yeah, that would be great.   (14:32): So, so the typical example would be negative expectations. Like if you think people don't like me, nothing I do works. Everything I, everything goes wrong in my life, you know, every, everyone can look for that o, that whatever is their own loop. And then look for, well, how did that pathway get built in my past? And then every time I feel it to say, oh, it's a real physical pathway, what other pathway could I have that would feel better? So my personal example was I always felt like people were criticizing me. Like I would jump to that conclusion all the time on no evidence at all. And then I would feel basically the terror of my childhood of being attacked and criticized. So what other pathway would I like to have will to just say other people are fine with me and I can feel good whether or not I have their approval. So I tell myself that, and the first time I do it, it sounds wrong and stupid and unbelievable, but I know that I, if I repeat it over and over and practice it, that I will build a real physical pathway in my brain and then it will just feel like my new normal.   (15:51): Okay, yeah, I love that. So we can change our neurochemistry studies have clearly documented that I know that some people listening deal with a lot of anxiety. You know, as our hormones change at midlife, when our estrogen starts going up and our progesterone starts going down, which can happen as early as 35, but definitely starts happening from 40 to 50. And by the time you hit menopause, you're really solidly in that category. You lose that ameliorative effect of the progesterone, which is the anti-anxiety hormone. So a lot of women at this stage of life deal with a lot of anxiety. What are some tools that we could start to use to help mitigate that?   (16:38): Sure. So to boil it down to one word that I use is called legacy. So legacy means my sense of what I can create that will live on after I'm gone. And the reason for this is if you think that we have this big human brain attached to this animal brain, so the animal brain is programmed to just search for survival and to fear survival threats. But my big human cortex can abstract and think about the future and it knows that I'm not gonna survive and there will be a future that will go on without me. And that is terrifying. And we can terrify ourselves all the time. Now, in the world of our past people died young, but they had children young. So if you had children like at 16, then you'd be a grandma at 32 if you lived that long. And so when you saw your grandchildren, you had a sense of legacy because you taught them how to chop vegetables and you saw them do it, and you had a sense of yourself living on after you're gone.   (17:46): So that was your legacy. And there was no, no birth control. So people were so busy taking care of children that they didn't have time to worry about dying as much, and they, they couldn't call 9 1 1, they couldn't get lab tests. So they just focused on like the next emergency of, you know, a kid's crying, how can I get food? And now like we don't really get to watch our grandchildren grow up for so many reasons. So we don't have that automatic sense of legacy. So we have to constant, consciously create a sense of legacy in one way or another.   (18:23): Yeah, that's, that's an interesting concept I hadn't thought about, but creating something for the future. And you're reminded me about the short lifespan that just a few hundred years ago we have, and I, I think it would be so interesting to see a study about people's ability to be in the present a few hundred years ago when they knew they were only gonna live, you know, 30 or 40 years. I bet that really focused them on, I gotta make the most of this time Yes. That I have. Whereas now we've got, you know, on average, I think 82 years in the US as the American lifespan for females. And I don't know about everybody else, but I feel like I waste a lot of time because it's like, oh, I won't do that thing now because I've got another, you know, few decades where I could do it. Whereas if I only had 32 years, well my life would've been over a while ago, but it really would've focused me. How do you think that has changed over time?   (19:25): Well that's, you know, to focus on the positive again. Yeah. Pause is a time when you say, geez, if I wait to be happy, I may wait too long. , you know, and so is it worth wasting another minute of my life worrying about X, Y, and Z? And you could make good arguments with your conscious verbal brain, oh, I should worry about X, Y, and Z. But then you could say, you know what? I could let it go because I'm not gonna get back the time that I waste on that. And also there's a lot of fearful images about the future, like even though I may live till X number of years that I'm gonna have a decline. And if you focus on that, then you're gonna be feeling the decline now. Mm-Hmm. . So it takes a real conscious effort to redirect yourself, you know? And like every time you see a wrinkle, for example, to instead of seeing that wrinkle as evidence of decline to say, this wrinkle gives me permission to stop worrying about X and to just start being happy. Now,   (20:34): I'm glad you brought this up. I recently came across an article in my newsfeed about the high demand for older aged female models. Recently there's been a boom and even 70 and 80 year old female models, right? Everybody is really starting to honor older women, their wisdom, which is what I think we really is the gift of menopause, is that the wisdom that we carry. We have lived long lives, we've seen a lot. I remember an attorney telling me once that when he went to jury trials and they did the voir deer where they select the jury, his favorite jurors were older women. And I asked him why. And he said, because they have been there, done that, seen everything. But they also have a lower ego and the maturity to understand the nuances of guilty, not guilty issues, which some younger people don't have. So all this to say also, I see in your bio, you've done a lot of interesting things. It says that you used to work for the United Nations in Africa, so you've lived a lot of life, you're at a certain stage outside of the work that you do with helping people to boost their neurochemistry. Just from a personal perspective, what would you share with the audience that would say, what are your biggest lessons learned at this stage of life, looking at life that that might be meaningful to them?   (22:08): Sure. So first we say, I have power over my own brain. I'm not gonna be happy from something outside myself. So if I wait for the world to make me happy, I'm gonna wait too long. . So what can I do to make myself happy? But of course we all know that that doesn't mean short-term happiness. Like you sit around and eat a pint of ice cream. So how do you balance this long-term versus short-term? So I talk about having a long-term goal, a short-term goal, and a middle-term goal. And in order to reach your goals, a lot of times, well, so a short-term goal is like I can reach it today, so I'm gonna get some hit of dopamine every day. That nice sense of accomplishment by setting a realistic goal, by breaking down what I want into small steps that I could actually do.   (23:00): And then the other part is like to achieve long run goals, I might have to do some things that are uncomfortable. So what can I do about that uncover? Well, instead of getting into like a cortisol spiral where you know I do something that feels bad and then that triggers another bad feeling and another, and another, I say to myself, okay, I'm gonna do this thing that makes me uncomfortable. I'm only gonna do it for five minutes. Or what, whatever's that reasonable chunk to tackle that obs obstacle. And then, you know, if I were gonna have a cup of coffee and a cookie anyway, I need to save it until after I've done that difficult thing. So that whenever I have it down, that I have an up that I can look forward to. And I have plenty of ups that have no calories, which in my life is comedy. But people can find their own.   (23:52): I love comedy cause laughing is so good for your neurochemistry . Yeah. Talk a little bit about laughing and what are some of your favorite things, ways to engage with comedy? Do you like standup movies? Like how do you get laughter in your life and what does it do for your neurochemistry?   (24:10): Sure. So laughter triggers endorphin, which is the body's natural opioid. And this is a widely misunderstood chemical. So an opioid is there to relieve pain and in the state of nature it's triggered by real physical pain. But because we have deep belly muscles that we don't use much, when you have a belly laugh, you get a little bit by giving those muscles a workout and you only get a little bit, but then you can laugh more and get a little bit more and it's the only healthy way to get them really, or the main healthy. And I explained this all in my books, so the way I get it. So I don't like bitter angry comedy and it's hard for me to find like truly uplifting comedy. And I know that if I look for comedy when I'm in a bad mood and like nine outta 10 of them are gonna be bitter, then I'm gonna just end up feeling worse, right? So I keep what I, I call, like when you're on a diet and you fill your pantry with healthy snacks mm-hmm. . So I fill my pantry with healthy comedy and I have a list of things that are ready for a bad day. So I know that when I'm in a bad mood, I have something uplifting that I could go to and I, I make that list on some other day rather than waiting until I'm in a bad mood.   (25:32): Yeah, I love that. And I love to laugh too. So one of my favorite go-tos I'm gonna share with everyone cuz you can use this, is I found this TV channel I, I'm sorry I don't re exactly know what it's called, but it's all videos of animals unscripted, they call it. Oh,   (25:49): I didn't write that down. .   (25:51): It's animals just doing what animals do mostly pets, right? Pet cats and dogs. They are hilarious. So it's just one video after another with no narration, no introduction of pets and Anna, there are some birds and different lizards and things doing the crazy things that animals do. So I'm gonna put a plug for that. And I'm also gonna put a plug for a re a movie I saw recently, I think it's from New Zealand that I think is hilarious. It's called The Breaker, uppers and . I literally laughed out loud so many times in that movie. So I gotta put a plug in for that. But I agree with you, laughing is huge. Another thing I wanted to touch on is that, you know, a lot of the people, women I work with, this might be you if you're listening, they're not so much concerned with their own worries, but worrying about others in their lives and what other people should be doing and trying to control them. And this one has to do this and what if they, what if my kid, you know, moves across the country to another state with my grandkids and then I won't be around them and they want to control what everyone else is doing. They're worrying about what everyone else is doing. You shared this quote with me before we started about it says, it's hard enough to manage your own brain, so stop trying to manage other people's brains. So I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about that.   (27:18): Sure. So the feeling that I can only be happy if other people do X, Y, and Z, that my happiness depends on them. If you think that you'll never be happy . So it's just, you just gotta make a deal with yourself. I'm gonna be happy no matter what anyone does. And the simple way to do that, if I give you a visual image, if this other person does something and I think, oh no, I can't be happy because they're doing that, is I'm imagining that there's only one path to happiness and that person is blocking the path. But instead I'm gonna think there are thousands of paths to happiness and if this person blocks that path, I'll just find another P.   (28:04): Yeah. So stop focusing on everybody else . And you know, and it goes along with that same desire I used to have, well I'll be happy when this happens For me, that happens for me. And a corollary is I'll be happy when X person stops doing Y or X person starts doing why. And really I have decided at this point in my life that happiness only happens in the now when I'm happy with myself. And it really doesn't have anything to do with anything to do with what anyone else does. And I can choose that. Yes,   (28:41): I I a way of saying that. I always say my husband gets on my nerves, but it's my nerves . So, but it's fine. I, it's my job to adjust my own nerves to love him for what he is. And I don't even have to love him in any specific way. That's my job to just decide,   (29:01): Yes, to decide it's a decision. I know the name of your company's inner Mammal Institute and you take people on zoo tours to see animals behavior and I'm wondering if you can share with everyone, what does that do for the people who participate? How does it enrich their understanding? Sure.   (29:21): So I learned so much by watching nature documentaries and the simple fact of life in the interest of time, I'm just gonna say it straight, like animals are quite nasty to each other. And I learned that from watching nature videos. And yet what I learned from academic social science is that the state of nature is all peace and love and something has gone wrong with our world, but that's just not true. So we have this animal nature which is very motivated by self-interest and we really struggle to manage and navigate and control this inner mammal that is just wanting to grab the next banana. So how can I manage my inner mammal? And like I always feel like other people wanna grab my banana. That's easy to see. But what about my own impulse to get another banana and my feeling of like they took that banana at my expense.   (30:20): That's how the mammal brain works. So nobody likes to see this in themselves, everybody wants to see it in other people. So that's why we really need to be exposed to the reality of animals. Now to tell you the truth, you don't visually see that in the zoo because the pet world is not the same as the state of nature where animals are not fed. They have to get their food, they have to hide from predators. So the zoo tour is really a fun way to talk about this. But if you watch the nature videos of David Attenborough, especially his early series, then you really get get the facts. And I got them then from that like evolutionary biology books is how, and I have a reading list on my website and it's all in, in all of my books. I put this in a simplified form of why animals are nasty to each other and how we can feel it and manage it and relax with   (31:21): It. Yeah, you know, it's interesting, I just came back from four months in Africa and went on safari a few times. So I got to see those wild animals in their natural habitat habitat. And it was very instructive to see how they work both communally but also very selfishly in some ways. And I saw what good boundaries the animals had because at certain points in their existence, well for instance the wiles at one point we were driving up to, so in this Serengeti, or no, we were in the in goro goro crater in Tanzania. And most of it was extremely dry so there wasn't a lot of vegetation for a lot of the animals to eat. And then we came upon this place where there was a river and it was very green and lush and there were almost no animals there. And I said to myself and to the guide, why don't they just come over here and eat and drink water?   (32:22): And he said, because the lions know that that's where the animals are gonna go to eat and drink water. So they're afraid. And then I saw this group of will to be standing right outside this lush area and they were all huddled together facing the same direction. And one was out in front and he said, you see those will to bees, they are discerning. Is it safer, is it not? Where is the sun in the sky? What is the wind doing? What time of year is it? Is the lion gonna attack us now is it safe to go drink the water and eat or no? And so they were working communally, but then other times you would see them when there actually would be food and one would be pushing the other to try to get more of the food or more of the water. And so it was very interesting to me to observe that. Well   (33:14): I love those guides because they tell you the truth. Yes, don't get from academic psychology because academic psychology constructs this unrealistic, idealized world of peace and love, which is not what nature is about. And you get it from those tour guides and and you can get it without if you can't go there. You know, nat, a lot of some nature videos, you know, some of them are still hooked on the, the other unrealistic belief. But another simple example about the wildes that I learned from a nature video. So in order for them to get from, you know, they follow the grass year round, you probably saw how they migrate to wherever the grass is, but they have to cross a river and while they're crossing the river, they could die from a crocodile, they could die on the other side, you know, from a predator and then they could die when they jump in because another will toes could jump on top of them.   (34:15): So it's very difficult to make that decision. When am I gonna jump? They'd really rather not jump cuz the crocodile might get them, but if they don't jump, the rest of the herd piles up behind them and pulls them in and then they don't even get to jump, they just get shoved in with without balance. So they're constantly making this very difficult decision and you could see your own terror of like when you're a kid, like, do I jump or not? And so even what looks like herd behavior is a constant calculation of how much do I follow, how much do I, you know, take a step in a different direction. And our brain is making that decision every minute of every day. Am I gonna just follow the guy in front of me or am I gonna take a different step in a different direction? And you're calculating that with your best guess, which can never be perfect.   (35:09): Yeah. And I love what you said earlier about the fact that other mammals don't have the ability to imagine danger and humans do. There's a great book I wanna share with everyone called Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers that clearly explains why zebras don't get ulcers, they don't have the imagination faculty and they really go through a process after they are stressed. So for instance, we, we saw this crazy wild chase of a leopard going into a herd of various types of gazelle like creatures and how they responded and, and I really got to see what's outlined in that book firsthand where these animals, when they go through a stress like being chased by a predator, they have a discharge process that they go through afterwards where they shake, and maybe you can talk a little bit about this and how it might apply to us. They go through a process to discharge that stress and reregulate their cortisol stress hormone, which I talk about all the time. This is really what's killing us. So how can we take that instructive information from a zebra's behavior and use it for our superior mammalian brains?   (36:23): Sure. You're also referring to, and and it's slipping my mind, there's a a book by another guy Levine about this shaking that goes on. So the idea is they discharge the stress and then they go back to what, what do they go back to? And this is what I talk about in my anxiety books. They go back to meeting their survival needs because if they just worry about predators all the time, they're gonna starve to death. So if they say, I'm not going out into that world unless it's a hundred percent safe, then they would to death. So hunger motivates them to deal with risk, to deal with potential danger to go out and meet their needs and only worry about danger when it's really there. Now the big human cortex says, oh no, that's stupid, I'm going to anticipate threats and avoid them. But if you spend your whole life anticipating threats and avoiding them, you're gonna just worry constantly.   (37:26): That's because our basic needs are met, that our lives are so comfortable that we could just stay home and do nothing unless we think it's a hundred percent safe. And one thing I blame this on, that's funny, I'm a bit older than you, I think I remember the years when, so cars broke down all the time and people said, oh, American cars are so bad, we should do what the Japanese did. And this is what I taught in the early years of my academic career. So the Japanese had this way of anticipating things that will go wrong in the production of a car and solving it at the source, fixing it at the source. And they said, that's what we have to do. We have to anticipate defects and fix 'em at the source. And so the whole education went on this bandwagon of anticipating threats and figuring things and preventing them so that quality would be a hundred percent and that had value, but it really made people nuts because now people think nothing can ever go wrong. We anticipate every possible threat and they literally, it's called the Toyota method that every tiny defect is a crisis because if you don't fix it now you're gonna produce a thousand more cars with the same defect. So you have to treat it as a crisis. So we were all indoctrinated to treat every tiny little problem as a crisis.   (38:51): Yeah, I think that's a great example. And you know it's done well for the car industry, but as a human species we really can't live that way. And thank you for saying that about the the worrying. Cuz there was something I was worrying about this morning and as we're talking, I'm thinking, why am I worrying about that? If it becomes a problem, I'll deal with it. I'm not gonna worry about it now   (39:16): . Yeah,   (39:17): Yeah. So can   (39:19):I give you another example of this that I think is very common? So let's say you get an email that asks you to go to some website and do this or that, and let's say it's something that you wanna do. So okay, I'm gonna do it. So you go to that website and you think, oh, this'll take five minutes and then a half hour has gone by and you still haven't done it. And like somehow I get really upset when I can't get something technical to work. It's really the problem is that I'm connecting it to every failure in my past is a real pathway in my brain. So one little failure today activates that old pathway like it's my failure pathway. You have your failure pathway. And what triggered it was really the expectation that I could do it in five minutes. So all I could do is just tell myself this is something hard, it's gonna take a while, and then all of the problem goes   (40:15): Away. Right. No, I love that. It really is how we frame the problems that we have. It's not the problems themselves that are the problem. What you think is the problem is not the problem, it's how you're thinking about the problem. So our thinking is always the problem. I know you have some great resources for everyone, but before we wrap up, I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about the importance of oxytocin. That's another hormone. I don't think we talk merely enough about its importance and how to nurture our oxytocin.   (40:47): Sure. So in the animal world, animals seek groups for protection from predators. And in the oxytocin is the chemical that rewards you when you feel protected by a group. But this has been idealized in an unrealistic way in the current human dialogue. So we think that we should be protected all the time. And in fact, that's true for babies and that's why, as you know in the medical profession that oxytocin is central to maternal birth and lactation. But in the adult world, you're not meant to get this protection that you got as a child. So oxytocin moments are difficult and rare. Now how do I get my oxytocin moments? Well, whatever triggered my oxytocin when I was young built real physical pathways that tell me how to get it today. But that's also quite limiting. So the famous example is if you smell the cooking that reminds you of trust and bonding moment of your youth, then you seek that you want that, you think that will make you happy.   (41:57): But what we really want is protection. And in the adult world, we're never gonna get the protection of a child. And even when you were a child that protection was not perfect. So we have to accept that I have this natural logging for protection and I'm only gonna get moments of it rather than to have this perfect protection. So a simple example of a moment of it is people go to a concert and they're in this building with like thousands and thousands of people, whether it's music or a speech or an athletic event that you feel like you're sharing something that's important to you, but they're not really protecting you. Another example is if I tell my life story to a train a stranger on a plane, they're not gonna be there for me in the future. So it's like you look for these trust moments because letting down your guard is what is the oxytocin feeling? And what was so impactful to me, I learned that reptiles only have oxytocin when they're mating, which lasts for 10 seconds and the rest of the time no oxytocin because they don't trust their fellow reptile. So oxytocin is that feeling that I can barely tolerate your presence just enough to reproduce .   (43:24): . That's hilarious. , yes, oxytocin. I mean, people may know it as being the hormone that go is what causes labor in women, but it's also involved with milk production and bonding and connection and it interacts with your other hormones as well. So I'm gonna leave you all with a mandate to do something with your oxytocin today. What could you do to get some oxytocin just on a daily basis? You know, I think the past few years where a lot of us have been so isolated, we were legally bound in some instances, to not leave our home for much really has put a toll on our oxytocin, which unbalances our entire hormonal neuroendocrine cascade. So getting back to normalcy where we have in-person human interaction is key. So I want to challenge everybody listening to do something about your oxytocin to boost it going forward. And Loretta has a lovely gift for you and we'll have a link in the show notes to it. Do you wanna tell them a little bit about your download anxiety? What turns it on, what turns it off?   (44:41): Sure. It's a free book, P d F. It's the shortened form of my larger book, which is called Tame Your Anxiety, rewiring Your Brain for Happiness and Explains something. We haven't talked much about cortisol, the chemical that gives us the survival threat feeling and to sort of accept our own cortisol. It has a natural job and then to get real about the ability to manage it rather than to just let it take over and spiral.   (45:12): Awesome. Well thank you so much for that free gift, Loretta. If you are dealing with anxiety, I invite you to click the link in the show notes and learn what you can do to start taming your anxiety. Thank you so much, Loretta, for joining us for an episode of the Hormone Prescription Podcast.   (45:33): Sure. Thanks for the great   (45:34): Questions and thank you for joining us today. Hopefully you will implement some of the things that we've discussed so that you can move towards greater hormone balance and brilliant health. Thanks again and I'll see you next week for another episode of the Hormone Prescription Podcast with Dr. Kiran. Until then, peace, love, and hormones   (45:54): Y'all. Thank you so much for listening. I know that incredible vitality occurs for women over 40 when we learn to speak hormone and balance these vital regulators to create the health and the life that we deserve. If you're enjoying this podcast, I'd love it if you'd give me a review and subscribe. It really does help this podcast out so much. You can visit the hormone prescription.com where we have some free gifts for you and you can sign up to have a hormone evaluation with me on the podcast to gain clarity into your personal situation. Until next time, remember, take small steps each day to balance your hormones and watch the wonderful changes in your health that begin to unfold for you. Talk to you soon.   ► Get a FREE copy of Dr. Loretta Breuning's Anxiety: What turns it on, What turns it off. CLICK HERE to sign up.    

Did you know that we aren't meant to be happy all the time? Did you know we are set up for rewards? So much of what we do as humans is because of the way our brains are wired. It explains so much! And most importantly, it explains so much about our kids! I love talking about the brain and in this episode, I'm talking to Dr. Loretta Breuning who is teaching us about what drives human motivation and how our brains are wired and why we should care! In this episode we are talking about how critical chemicals in our brain work. First, we need to understand that we are wired for survival and what experiences we have in our early years, inform the way we react to situations later in life. We talk about Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphin and how we can use them to feel good! For Loretta's book, “Anxiety: What turns it on, what turns it off”, info graphics to simplify the workings of the brain, and handouts for parents and teachers, please visit the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.comAbout Loretta BreuningLoretta G. Breuning, PhD, is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. As a teacher and a parent, 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 make peace with their inner mammal. Dr. Breuning's work has been translated into twelve languages and is cited in major media. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Details are available at InnerMammalInstitute.orgSocial Media:Website: https://innermammalinstitute.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorettaBreuningPhDInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/Twitter: https://twitter.com/InnerMammalYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/InnerMammalInstituteThanks for listening! For more on Robbin, her work and free resources, keep reading! READY FOR YOUR FAMILY CHECK UP CALL? If you're feeling burnt out by bad behavior, worn down from constant battles and bickering and you've struggled to get the cooperation, respect and obedience you want from your kids, I've been there too. It might be time to learn new tools (that you've never been taught) to help you get your kids to listen to you, build teamwork, and grow the harmony in your home. https://parentingforconnection.as.me/CheckupcallFREE GUIDE FOR PARENTS OF STRONG-WILLED KIDS: “How to Turn a NO into Cooperation” go to www.strongwilledkids.com It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I'd love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I'll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com The intention for my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We all deserve access to help and support when we need it most. I honour each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share

Dr. Loretta Breuning's groundbreaking book Habits of a Happy Brain describes how the chemicals in your brain are in charge of making you feel happy. When you learn to understand how the brain controls these chemicals, you can create new habits to manage the release of your happy chemicals and put yourself into better moods. In this episode, Dr. Breuning and Matt O'Neill discuss the 4 happy-brain chemicals. They also discuss the 2 unhappy-brain chemicals. By understanding these chemicals and why your brain releases them, you are able to take control of your moods and live a happier life. Here are some power takeaways from today's conversation: Chemicals in our brains make us feel good or bad Get a Dopamine boost by rewarding yourself for progress Build your bridges with others for Oxytocin Create your legacy to trigger Serotonin Make time to laugh for an Endorphin rush [09:57] Dopamine and Oxytocin Dopamine is a happy chemical released when you're closer to meeting your needs and goals. Oxytocin comes from the good feeling triggered by social support. In the modern world, humans bond with each other to feel less isolated and stimulate oxytocin. [18:43] Serotonin and Endorphins The confidence chemical serotonin makes you feel good when you feel like you're in a position of strength. Endorphins, on the other hand, are released as a response to physical pain. [24:55] Creating Your Happiness Habits You can regularly stimulate dopamine when you set your goals and take action to achieve them. Understand your own personal reward system and create a pathway of achievement, goals, and dopamine. Start an oxytocin habit by remembering that it's natural to seek support from others. Focus on having realistic expectations to get your serotonin. Notable quote: [02:56] Happy chemicals are released when you take action to meet survival needs. [03:01] [15:45] Serotonin is the good feeling that you're in a position of strength, so your brain is constantly comparing you to others. [15:50] [34:06] If you're kind to others, then you anticipate other people being kind to you. And that's creating a more comfortable world for yourself. [34:11] [29:34] It's so important and useful to understand your personal reward system. [29:38] Resources Mentioned: Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust Habits of a Happy Brain by Loretta Breuning Status Games by Loretta Breuning Science of Positivity by Loretta Breuning The Innermammal Institute and their course Download the Good Mood Toolkit here! THE GOOD MOOD SHOW Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Anchor, and more… About the Guest Dr. Loretta Breuning is a Professor Emerita of Management at California State University. She is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, where she helps people understand and manage their mammalian brain chemistry.

Danger - and how it is dealt with - is the central theme of attachment - and therefore human interaction. Who we turn to and who we have around us during times of uncertainty and threat affect our abilities for information processing and preparing and responding to future events. The concept of how we regulate ourselves and with others, and how we deal with social danger, rejection, status, comparison, the need for acceptance, and how we diversify our abilities to navigate our neurochemicals are topics we cover in this Episode of the Mindset Neuroscience Podcast, where I interview Loretta Breuning of the Inner Mammal Institute. In our interview, we explore: -The neurochemicals associated with how it feels to have social support - and how this differs from social dominance -The fluctuations of neurochemicals, feelings and behaviors tied to threat, rejection, and constantly seeking external rewards and short-term gratification  -Being more realistic about the ups and downs of all of our neurochemical states, rather than believing we should feel good all the time.  -The biological purposes to the fluctuations and varieties of states we experience and why it's helpful for us to understand this so we can get better a-t making choices that are good for our mental and physical health -The life-threatening feelings people experience when it comes to social rejection, and social comparison -How our brain and body store information about threats, and how this can significantly influence our current reactions to people -The idea of ‘dopamine droop' and our constant urge to seek reward and avoid discomfort "We have inherited a brain that compares itself to others to promote its survival. It creates has a sense of urgency about how it measures up. If you don't know you are creating this feeling yourself, you think the world is doing it to you. You feel bitter, resentful, and victimized. Instead, you can accept that the people around you are mammals, and you are a mammal too." -Loretta Breuning, Inner Mammal Institute The post Season 3 Episode 7 – Danger, Attachment and Navigating our Neurochemicals with Loretta Breuning appeared first on Stefanie Faye.

Dr. Loretta Breuning was unconvinced by prevailing theories on human motivation & after researching the animal origins of our brain chemicals, wrote the book Habits of a Happy Brain. Here she shares why we find ourselves saying, “I shouldn't be so unhappy! I have everything I need” or doing late-night shopping at the expense of your savings account, drinking more than we said we would, or going back into that bad relationship. She breaks down each brain chemical in plain language,  philosophical vs physical happiness, & why our expectation of constant happiness can be a source of chronic distress.If you liked this episode, you'll also like episode 63: NATURAL MENTAL HEALTH HACKS BY MEREDITHGuest:  https://innermammalinstitute.org/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/ | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232 | https://www.instagram.com/inner.mammal.inst/Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

On this episode, Dr. Loretta G. Breuning joins me to discuss the mammal brain with a focus on dopamine and the dopamine pathways. Dr. Breuning talks into the common belief that we may be lacking in dopamine vs. the reality that human's dopamine is wired by past experiences. It's something we can befriend, cultivate, and […] The post #356: Mapping Dopamine with Dr. Loretta Breuning appeared first on Functional Nutrition Alliance.

On this episode, Dr. Loretta G. Breuning joins me to discuss the mammal brain with a focus on dopamine and the dopamine pathways. Dr. Breuning talks into the common belief that we may be lacking in dopamine vs. the reality that human's dopamine is wired by past experiences. It's something we can befriend, cultivate, and […] The post #356: Mapping Dopamine with Dr. Loretta Breuning appeared first on Functional Nutrition Alliance.

Have you ever wondered why you feel the way you do? We are not just rational beings, but we're also emotional animals. And when our emotions get in the way of our goals, we must learn to overcome them. Today, we will discuss how our emotions work, the science behind human emotions, and how to use your inner mammal to achieve success.   As a teacher, Loretta had grown tired of the direction in which her school was headed. She didn't feel good about it and it reminded her of her father's experiences with stress over several decades. She realized that if she didn't make a change soon, she might end up like him, burned out from life-long stress.   After the pivotal moment of retiring at 50, she began reading books about evolutionary psychology and found it fascinating. Her interest in how human emotions develop was piqued when she learned that human emotions are similar to those of other animals. Even our positive and negative feelings are created by chemicals in our bodies. It was also apparent that humans have certain chemicals that create certain emotions, which led her to understand how her inner mammal functions.   ABOUT DR. LORETTA BREUNING:Loretta G. Breuning, Ph.D. is a graduate of Cornell University and Tufts. She is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She has been writing about the human motivation for more than twenty years, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphin Levels. Before teaching and writing full-time, she worked for the United Nations in Africa. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart.    Resources: 1) Book: Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop: https://innermammalinstitute.org/statusgames/ 2) Website: https://innermammalinstitute.org 3) Get the Burnout Checklist: https://www.drsharongrossman.com/burnoutchecklist 4) Sign up for a free Breakthrough Session with Dr. Sharon: http://www.bookachatwithsharon.com/ 5) Take the first step to decode your burnout: http://decodeyourburnout.com/