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Want To Become A Happier Person? Try "Emotional Caffeine"
As social scientist Arthur Brooks, Ph.D., author of Build the Life You Want, declares on the mindbodygreen podcast, "Happiness is best defined in terms of its macronutrients." Just like how a healthy meal takes balanced amounts of protein, fat, and carbs, specific elements make up the entirety of lifelong joy (you can find his menu here).
Macronutrients make up the foundation, but we can't forget about the micronutrients—you know, the vitamins, minerals, and bioactives that optimize your well-being? They're no less essential than the big guys; they're just needed in smaller quantities.
So, yes, Brooks shares some happiness micronutrients to consider. One of his favorite supporting habits? Emotional caffeine.
What is emotional caffeine?
First, it helps to understand what, exactly, caffeine does to the brain. Contrary to what you might think, caffeine doesn't actually provide fuel or increase cellular energy production (ATP) in your body. What it does is block the activity of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which blocks other excitatory neurotransmitters, thus making you feel tired.
"When you're too hopped up, you want more adenosine to calm you down," says Brooks. But adenosine builds up as you're awake, which can make you feel groggy in the morning.
Enter caffeine: "Caffeine molecularly has the same shape as the adenosine molecule," Brooks explains. "So it goes in the adenosine slots, blocking the parking places for the adenosine. Caffeine doesn't hop you up; it makes it impossible for you to get groggy." Imagine caffeine as a sneaky kid in a trench coat and fake mustache walking up to your brain's ticket counter—just way less obvious.
Now, Brooks recommends taking a page from caffeine's playbook and "substitute one emotion for the other." That way, "you can react the way you want, as opposed to the way that you feel," says Brooks. When you feel groggy, you might reach for a cup (or three) of coffee; when you feel betrayed, you might focus on gratitude. An emotional swap—get the gist?
How to get your daily dose
That's not to say you should ignore your negative emotions (they're important!), but you can make them less overwhelming by using this emotional caffeine trick.
And, according to Brooks, it's a practice you might have relied on without even knowing it. Ever counted to 10 slowly when you felt super angry? That practice simply gives you time to substitute the anger before you experience an outburst.
Another instance: "When you feel resentment, say to yourself, 'I'm feeling really resentful about everything that's going on, so I'm going to concentrate on counting my blessings right now,'" he adds. "You're using gratitude as an emotional substitute… When you're feeling pessimistic, you choose hope. Not that you believe only good things are going to happen, but there are good things you can do and that you're an agent in those things."
Again, it's not about cultivating toxic positivity (which is very real) but about substituting your emotions in the moment to calm yourself down, give yourself agency, and ultimately, says Brooks, live a happier, more fulfilled life.
The takeaway
Emotional caffeine refers to the molecule's ability to substitute for adenosine; similarly, Brooks suggests swapping emotions that don't serve you with ones that make you feel happier. The agency involved also gives you a sense of control, which we know is great for calming in-the-moment anxiety. And it's as easy as pouring yourself a daily cup of joe.
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