Core Drivers of Feelings
Background Insights on Human's Needs and Desires
Through evolution, sentient beings have built-in a wellbeing mechanism that motivates positive actions to enhance the chances of survival by either giving pain, feeling anxious, or by pleasure-giving neurotransmitters.
Avoid Negative Feelings
Avoiding Pain
For one, pain typically occurs after harmful behavior. Its avoidance generally helps one remain healthy and safe, and thus productive. As guidance, one benefits from having a good sleep habit, a balanced diet, diverse activities, and avoiding or inhibiting toxic substances, injuries, or diseases.
Manage Stress & Anxiety
Next, cortisol is generally not perceived as a nice feeling. It is generated when feeling in danger. While it boosts the awareness pf our surroundings which may be key for survival, prolonged exposure is leading to stress and fatigue.
Foster Positive Feelings
Relations
On the pleasure side, oxytocin positively rewards care and bonding, which is designed to foster reproduction and caring for those in need.
Reach For Goals and Discoveries
Additionally, dopamine rewards the reaching for goals and discoveries, which plays a major role in improving our comfort and safety. This can be gained through diversified activities such as development, relations, entertainment, and physical activities.
Exercise and Entertain
To reach these goals, we sometimes must go beyond our limits, or to deal with doubts and uncertainties. Endorphin comes into play here to inhibit pain as a reward for long effort or humor!
Seek internal and external recognition
And finally, serotonin rewards the recognition of doing something valuable for others. Valid for any individual or group of people, this leads to the general purpose of individuals to optimize the feelings of all sentient beings! Self and external recognition is extremely valuable here in motivating one to reach for valuable and meaningful goals.
Conclusion
To conclude, feeling truly well requires all previously mentioned aspects of wellness to be enhanced in an optimal way!
Bonus:
Enjoy the following form to help you measure your wellbeing:
https://form.jotform.com/222552689387066
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