How to Use Your Brain Chemistry to Increase Your Success
By Kay Christopher, MA, EFTCert-I

Endorphins are essential to your business success. They increase your ability to be productive, creative, and get along well with others. In addition, they are an antidote to the stress you deal with every day.

The word endorphin is actually shorthand for “endogenous morphine” or “morphine within”. Endorphins are a type of neuropeptide produced in your body that boosts your tolerance to pain, calms you during stress, and produces feelings of euphoria, joy, and overall wellbeing.

Before endorphins were discovered scientists were puzzled by the fact that the human body could utilize opiates, such as opium and morphine. The big question was this: Why would human cells have “receptors” for opiates unless the human body produced its own opiates? And that lead to the question: What natural substance is there in the body that is similar to opium and morphine?

With these questions in mind, Solomon Snycer and his student Candice Pert of Johns Hopkins University located the elusive opiate receptor, which led to the discovery of endorphins. The opiate receptors are concentrated in the parts of the brain and spinal cord that deal with the perception and integration of pain and emotional experience. And, as it turns out, endorphins are very powerful. In fact, they are approximately 250 times the strength of morphine.

It is believed that endorphins have served a very important evolutionary function. When an attacker injures someone, it is the endorphins that block the feeling of pain thereby allowing the victim to flee. During the delivery of a baby, endorphins are found in higher levels than usual. But endorphins don’t just block the experience of pain. They also induce the experience of calmness, pleasure, joy, and wellbeing. And that’s why they can be of benefit to you in your business and in your life.

When endorphins flood your body you feel more relaxed and more able to take on challenges. You feel more cheerful and optimistic, and are easier to get along with than when you have a lot of “stress chemicals” floating around in your body. Because this is the case, some psychotherapists have even recommended boosting endorphin levels to counteract depression. In the positive state of mind induced by endorphins you are better able to make good decisions, envision possible future scenarios, relate well with others, deal with conflict and stress, and take positive action.

How do you keep these mood-enhancing endorphins around? By engaging in activities such as laughing, exercising, listening to soothing music, meditating, and—eating chocolate! Here are some ideas for increasing your own endorphin level naturally:

1. Laughter, some people say, is the “best medicine”. There is a lot of truth in this statement. When you laugh, you reduce the stress-related chemicals in your body and boost your level of endorphins. You may be familiar with the best selling book Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins. In the book, he tells the story of his miraculous healing from a debilitating connective tissue disease using the power of humor. He created his own healing treatment of watching funny movies. By laughing a lot, Cousins created endorphins and a host of other positive chemicals in his body. He points out the significance not only of humor but faith, hope, love, cheerfulness and other positive emotions in regard to health and healing. These same positive emotions are also conducive to a mental state that increases creativity, insights, and the ability to “work smarter”— not harder.

2. You have probably heard of, and may have even experienced, “runner’s high”. This is the name for the feeling of euphoria that is caused by the endorphins that are released during running. You don’t actually have to run in order to create this experience. Any form of exercise will shift your body chemistry into endorphin creation—even mild exercise. In fact, research studies have shown that exercise is extremely effective in reducing or eliminating depression due to the “feel good” chemicals that are produced. If you want to shift your mood into positive gear, get your body moving and your mind and emotions will soon follow.

3. In his powerful book The Mozart Effect celebrated teacher and music visionary Don Campbell reports that science has confirmed that listening to certain types of music enhances creativity and mental productivity, and can also promote physical healing. One of the reasons music is so beneficial is that listening to the right kind of music can make your body produce endorphins.

4. There is some evidence that in states of meditation endorphins are produced. Research studies show that the regular practice of mediation helps people deal more effectively with stress, increase clarity of mind, and experience more peace. This is a great way to boost your productivity and health.

5. And then…there is chocolate! Chocolate produces mood-enhancing endorphins, which is probably why so many people eat it on such a frequent basis.

You may be wondering if endorphins are addictive, the way morphine is. There have been rare cases of people getting addicted to endorphins through exercise, but apparently it takes an enormous amount of exercise to get to this point. On the other hand, I’ve never heard of a case where a person became addicted to endorphins through laughter, music, or meditation. However, there just might be some folks out there that are “addicted” to getting a chocolate “high”!

Endorphins have a relatively short life span, so it’s best if you create them on a daily basis. People who use exercise to combat depression find that they may start to feel blue again in as little as 48 hours. So it’s a good idea to build ways of boosting your endorphin levels into your daily and weekly routine.

If you create endorphins in your own body by laughing often, taking time to exercise, listening to music that makes you feel good, meditating and eating chocolate you will find that life will be more pleasurable for you. It is likely that others will find you easier to get along with. The “little things” won’t bug you so much, you’ll have more patience, and you’ll deal with stressful circumstances with a calmer, more creative mind.

Create opportunities to increase your endorphin production daily and you will reduce your stress levels, improve your productivity, and increase your personal and professional success.



© Kay Christopher, 2006. All rights reserved.

www.KayChristopher.com