Feelings and emotions are created by the chemicals firing in our brains. They are chemical messengers called hormones and neurotransmitters. They are responsible for all of your feelings. The good, the bad and everything in between. Some of them you may have heard of.
ADRENALINE
This is the chemical that can make you feel FEAR, ANXIETY and ANGER. It fires messages very quickly to get your body ready for action! You may have heard people refer to an adrenaline rush, maybe when they are nervous or scared.
OXYTOCIN
This is the chemical that enable us to feel LOVE, TRUST and SYMPATHY. It calms your body down and can make you feel relaxed. It’s the chemical that you might feel when you’re being hugged. The one that makes you feel warm and chilled all at the same time.
CORTISOL
In a busy world we really need this. It is the chemical that helps to deal with STRESS. It can reduce your sensitivity to pain, increases energy in the muscles and improves memory.
SEROTONIN
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that controls ALL your moods. It is responsible for HAPPINESS and SADNESS. Having the right amount keeps you fairly happy, but not enough can leave you feeling sad and low.
DOPAMINE
This is part of something called a reward pathway. It makes you want to do things to get a reward. It makes you feel good when you’ve done something well. You may feel it like PRIDE or EXCITEMENT.
To find out more about how your brain is changing during your teenage years and how this might affect the way you feel take a look at these ‘Understanding Your Brain’ modules, simply sign up using the code Invicta to access the course for free.