This is how true happiness affects your body
- Jun 21, 2024
- By Aimshala Admin
#TakeCharge with #Aimshala
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- Feeling like a ray of sunshine?
- Your brain
- Your circulatory system
- Your autonomic nervous system
- What comes first, emotion or physical response?
Feeling like a ray of sunshine?
Whatever be the cause of this joy and elation for you, it makes a positive effect on your body and mind. We know what happens when we feel happy emotionally, let’s try to understand what happens scientifically. We feel joy in our neurotransmitters, which are tiny chemical “messenger†cells that transmit signals between neurons (nerves) and other bodily cells. This is what’s happening in your body right now.
Your brain
Every emotion you feel is affected by your brain and your brain is also afected by that emotion, it’s a cycle. When something you think as happy happens, your brain receives the signal to release these chemicals into your central nervous system. Then this causes reation in other bodily functions.
Your circulatory system
Did you ever notice that when you feel happy your face flushes and your heartbeat increases? This is because of its effect on the circulatory system. Your circulatory system includes your heart, veins, blood vessels, blood, and lymph. Sure, joy can give it a boost, but emotions like fear and sadness can also affect these parts of your body in different ways.
Your autonomic nervous system
Your autonomic nervous system handles all the automatic stuff your body does without you thinking about it—like breathing, digestion, and pupil dilation. And yes, it's influenced by feelings of joy and elation too. For example, your breathing might speed up when you're doing something exciting (like riding a roller coaster) or slow down when you're enjoying a relaxing activity (like walking in the forest).
What comes first, emotion or physical response?
The relationship between emotions and physical responses is complex and often interdependent, with theories suggesting different sequences. According to James-Lange Theory, the physical responses to stimuli come first, and our emotions follow. While according to Cannon-Bard Theory, emotions and physical responses occur simultaneously but independently. It's probably a mix of both, where physical reactions and emotions play off each other in a dynamic, back-and-forth way. Now that you know how your body and emotions can work together, it might be a bit easier to "hack" your mood and feel more joyful.
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