How Trying New Things Makes Us Happier
“Out with the old, in with the new,” the old adage goes. In this case, folk wisdom is backed by brain science. Trying new things is good for our emotional health, according to UW Medicine, the University of Washington’s medical school.
Juan Pablo Zapata, a clinical psychology resident in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at UW School of Medicine explains what happens to your brain when you branch out and try new things.
“Studies suggest that people who engage in a variety of new experiences are more likely to retain positive emotions and minimize negative ones,” says Zapata.
Why try new things?
It begins with the physiology of the brain, he explains. In the middle of our brains is a region called the substantia nigra/ventral segmental area or SN/VTA, which is the “novelty center” of the brain, which responds to new stimuli. This region is linked to the hippocampus and the amygdala, both of which feature largely in learning and memory.
When we do or see something new, the novelty center of the brain is activated, triggering the release of dopamine, a chemical rush that makes us feel good and rewarded.
“We have all experienced this at some point or another. Each time you take a leap of faith and try something new, you’re training your brain to remember the positive rewards associated with a new and exciting experience,” says Zapata. “The adrenaline rush, the endorphins, the sense of pride; they’re all stored in your memory banks.”
Remember a time you conquered a challenge or made it to the top of a hill to survey the spectacular view. The exhilarating feeling is the result of multiple chemicals coursing through your body. Strenuous exercise releases adrenaline, another neurotransmitter (brain messenger substance) closely related to dopamine, the “happy hormone.” And your brain releases dopamine and creates new neural connections.
What keeps us from trying new things?
Fear. Fear is a useful emotion, priming our body to physically respond to threats and danger. But it can get in the way, keeping us from trying new things that would actually make us feel better.
“Doing something outside of our routine is almost like swimming against the current,” says Zapata. “It’s uncomfortable and sometimes downright scary. When it comes down to it, people fear the feeling of fear and this leads to avoidance.”
And that avoidance keeps us from growing, from allowing our amydala to adapt to the thing we fear. We also miss out on the dopamine rush we experience when we attempt and accomplish new things.
So how can we overcome our fear?
Identifying your values – what you find meaningful in life – helps the growth process, says Zapata.
Think about the times you were happiest in the past few months, he encourages. Reflect on questions like the following: “What were you doing? What experiences made you feel most fulfilled? What do you want your relationships with yourself, partner, family and friends to look like?”
Choose activities that align with those values and make a plan. Try doing it daily to create a habit. Find an accountability partner.
Most of all, be sure to make it fun. Make fun a priority, he urges.
We have more time than we think. “We spend on average of around 3 hours and 15 minutes a day on our phones,” says Zapata. We can afford to substitute some of the time we spend mindlessly scrolling (or worse yet, doomscrolling) for trying out new, enjoyable activities that boost our happiness and mental well-being.
If we give it a try, our brains will thank us.
For more on the benefits of trying new things, read the full article here.
Brooks, Katherine. “Want to Break Out of the Blues? Try Something New.” Right as Rain by UW Medicine, 10 Jan 2022, https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/well/health/try-something-new.