3 Science-Backed Ways To Retrain Your Brain & Be A Happier Person

We live in a world of superabundance—of information, goods, status, you name it. That's not always a bad thing (the ability to pick up food at a grocery store is arguably much better than hunting for food yourself), but according to health journalist Michal Easter, New York Times bestselling author of Scarcity Brain, our genes have not caught up to these changes to our environment. 

"The way we live is often at odds with how we always lived in the past," he says on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, and our satisfaction and happiness suffer as a result. Think about it: When you grab some grass-fed beef at the market, you likely don't fist-pump the air in triumph. But ages ago, if you caught a gazelle that would feed your whole family, you'd probably feel over the moon. 

According to Easter, our brains are drawn to tasks with "quick repeatability." It's why slot machines are so popular in casinos: "The average slot machine player plays 900 games an hour, over and over," he shares. But as you can probably guess, the surge of dopamine you may experience from slot machines is short-lived. 

Zooming out, Easter argues that most things that result in quick behavior don't lead to long-lasting happiness. His suggestion? Slow down! "For example, eat foods that are minimally processed, that take longer to chew, and that are more filling per calorie," he explains. Research has even shown1 that people eat 500 fewer calories per day eating unprocessed foods versus ultra-processed foods, just because of the slower eating process.

"You can also apply this logic to purchasing things," Easter shares. For example, he recommends only buying items in person (as opposed to Amazon or other online retailers). "Or if I want to buy something online, I'm going to put a three-day holding period [until] I revisit the cart and see if I actually need it," he adds. Chances are, you'll wind up much happier with your purchase. 

Spending time in nature makes you happier. Just take it from the research: A recent study out of Austria found that locals reported feeling happier and less alone when spending time outdoors in 2020. Taking a walk through any natural green space can decrease rumination, a contributor to depression and anxiety disorder, compared to one through an urban environment. 

There are myriad reasons why nature is so good for our brains, but according to Easter, fractals have some significant mind-soothing power. "Nature is made up of these things called fractals. These are repeating patterns of the universe," he explains. Think of the construction of a snowflake or web of tree branches—they contain patterns that repeat at a smaller and smaller scale. 

"We don't have fractals in the built environment, but they totally make up nature," he adds. "There's some research2 that suggests fractals are very calming for people." 

Finally, Easter suggests challenging yourself periodically. Staying in your comfort zone can feel, well, comfortable, but completing challenging tasks comes with a much greater reward and lingering feeling of happiness. 

"Once a year, people should go out and do some physical tasks out in nature [with a] 50-50 chance of failure," he declares. It's a take on the Japanese ritual "misogi," which involves standing under an icy waterfall (a very challenging task) for body-mind purification.

"Humans used to have to do challenging things in the past all the time," Easter explains. "Each time you would do one of those things, you would get thrust out to the edges of what you thought you were capable of. In turn, those edges would expand, so you become more capable [and] confident. And we don't really have those moments in our lives anymore."

According to Easter, our environment has evolved at a much faster rate than our biology. This, in turn, can make us more anxious and less satisfied with what we have. If you do feel this way, just know it's not you—it's your environment. By changing up your experiences, you can retrain your brain to send feel-good signals for long-lasting rewards. You're essentially biohacking your happiness, no fancy gadgets necessary.