Leveraging Brain Chemistry to Give New Year’s Resolutions Traction

Connell Cowan Ph.D.

David Kipper M.D.

Newswise — Why, only a few short weeks out, do most of our resolutions stick as egg on our face remembrances of our best intentions? You can blame it on your brain chemicals for they contain both the reasons for our failures as well as the potential keys to success. Resolutions are stressful in that they create uncomfortable internal conflicts of habit versus wish. The brain doesn’t care if you think your resolutions may be good for you, it simply regards these demands as energy drains and sources of stress and discomfort. That’s the reason the brain usually wins for it likes to remain as comfortable and energy efficient as possible. To move the needle, you really have to grab the brain’s attention. 

The brain interprets your trying to pay off a resolution as a breach of contract and, as such, it is not taken to warmly. The brain’s job isn’t to be smart; it’s to keep you as balanced and comfortable as possible. It does this by narrowing what we pay attention to and relegating a vast number of micro decisions to the unconscious. The brain loves to transform chains of behavior into single aggregates or neural habits that are unconscious, reflexive, and burn fewer calories. If you want to do something good for yourself like eat less or exercise more, you can count on one thing: your brain will resist and you’re in for a slugfest. Your brain is a powerful adversary. So what is there to do? Unfortunately, no one-size-fits-all approach will work. You have to outsmart your brain and learn to use leverage. And that requires knowing how your unique brain chemistry works.  

Connecting the dots in a wide number of studies, our research has identified two distinct behavioral styles that deploy subliminal strategies designed to cope with stress and maintain homeostasis and emotional balance. We don’t intend or think about these neural habits, we simply sense them as aspects of “who we are.” These habits are set in motion by subtle imbalances we all have in the distribution of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. The brain is animated by two systems, one, like the engine in a car, is designed to excite, get us going, and motivate and the other system that acts as a brake to slow, calm, and inhibit. The propellants firing these systems are the neurotransmitters dopamine (on the arousal side) and serotonin (on the calming side). 

Knowingly or not, we interact with these brain chemicals all the time. These neurotransmitters manipulate our behavior in an invisible process of self-regulation and the modulation of discomfort. We inherit the distribution of our brain chemicals from mom and dad and they are never in perfect balance. The reason this is important is that these subtle imbalances are responsible for how we cope with stress and regulate the feelings of balance and comfort within our bodies. Those of us who were a little shortchanged in dopamine are more likely to be motivated by the possibility of attaining something pleasant, a reward. And those who come up short in the serotonin department are more likely to be motivated by avoiding something unpleasant or potentially harmful. These broad stress coping styles play out in the background for many of the actions and decisions of our daily life. These leanings are the hidden puppeteers pulling the strings behind the veil of consciousness.

Having too few calming brain chemicals (serotonin) leaves people generally feeling a bit over stimulated, causing them to be vulnerable to anxiety and depression. We think of those with this type of imbalance as S-Types. S-Type’s coping style is cobbled together to seek comfort by saying no, being vigilant and worrying, and having their radar trained on ways to avoid the itchy feeling of nervous system arousal. On the other side, those having too little available dopamine (D-Types) tend to feel under stimulated, are easily distracted and bored and scope out ways to ramp up excitement, making them risk tolerant and highly sensitive to rewards. Food and shopping addictions fall on the side of dopamine imbalances.

In essence, both of these neruotypes look to balance themselves to maintain emotional comfort using very different strategies to compensate for the imbalance. So how does all of this relate to resolutions and being more successful in fulfilling them? Knowing which side your imbalance is on allows you to stack the deck in your favor by using the only kind of leverage the brain understands. S-Types are responsive to fear and you will have to use it to get your brain’s attention. What is rewarding for S-Types is avoiding something bad. Let’s say you want to eat less or exercise more. Take a deck of index cards and write down like, “Today I helped lower my blood pressure” or “Today I helped myself avoid a heart attack.” It can be anything that truthfully relates to avoiding a bad outcome. This is something your brain can get behind because it helps it regulate comfort. At the end of a successful day of exercise or healthy eating, Date the card, give yourself a check, and read aloud, “I avoided raising my blood sugar today,” (or whatever your specific goal may be). 

If you are a D-Type, a very different approach is necessary to get your brain on your side. Avoiding something bad doesn’t mean much if you’re a little shy on the dopamine side. Less sensitive to feedback, D-Types respond well to feed forward and reward. That means that you have to set yourself some short-term, intermediate, and long term targets and goals. For each goal, attach a specific reward, something you want and will give yourself having reached the goal.

Sure, D-Types don’t want to get sick any more than do their S-Type brothers and sisters, but to coax your brain to really be a team player on your side, you’ve got to know how to keep it motivated and paying attention. You can’t simply take something away from it without giving something better back and expect it to cooperate. It won’t happen.

Letting go of bad habits or establishing news ones takes about three months. That’s a lot of time to keep your brain awake and motivated. Get smart. Load the dice. Get your brain’s attention and its chemicals working to your advantage. If you do, you will be surprised that gaining your brain’s cooperation might just allow you to breathe some real life into some of those resolutions of yours. 

If you’d like to take a peek at your brain chemistry style, fill out the questionnaire below.

Personal Neurotypes Questionnaire

Please circle the number for each statement that is most often true for you:

1.   I’m good at spending time alone with myself          
2.   I enjoy the energy of bustling restaurants

3.   I can get uncomfortable when something upsets the routines in my life
4.   I sometimes act without taking the time to consider all the issues

5.   I enjoy a good adrenalin rush

6.   Paying close attention to detail is one of my strong suits

7.   By nature, I think of myself as being more expressive than contemplative

8.   When I want something, I want it right now

9.   I’m vigilant and can worry about even small bodily changes
10.   Interacting with new people can make me nervous

11.   I’m distractible all too often

12.   I tend to look for the negative when confronted with a new situation
13.   I tend to get bored pretty quickly

14.   I seem to need a lot of external stimulation and activity to feel really alive
15.   It can take me awhile to get going and start my day

16.   I’m willing to wait, sacrifice, and plan for things I want

17.   I can make impulsive decisions I later regret

18.   I’m always on the hunt for something new

19.   I think people would describe me as on the quiet side
20.   Even when I’m irritated, people have a hard time seeing it

21.   Those who know me well think I worry too much about my health
22.   I like the idea of routines, but they can be hard for me to sustain
23.   I’m quick to share my opinions

24.   Not that I’m proud of it, but when things go wrong I tend to blame others
25.   I think of myself as looking on the brighter side of things

26.   I look at the big picture instead of paying attention to the small details

27.   People who know me wouldn’t describe me as rigid or controlling
28.   It can take me a long time to get over being hurt

29.   My mother was married or cohabitated more than once

30.   I’ve had a significant exposure to manganese, lead, or heavily polluted air

31.   I am above average in height

32. I’m outgoing and comfortable in social situations
33.   It’s often difficult for me to focus

34.   When I find something I like, I indulge it

35.   When it comes to risk, I’m very cautious

36.   I need a lot of feedback to feel that I’m on the right track

37.   I think I probably do my best work in the morning
38.   I tend to avoid situations that make me uncomfortable

39.   I use alcohol or tranquillizers to calm myself when I’m stressed
40.   Holding up my right hand, my ring finger is shorter that my index finger

Personal Neurotype Scoring Key

Referring back to the questionnaire, shade in each number that you circled as true in the brain images.

How to Interpret Your Results

Identify the brain image that contains the higher number of shaded responses you have marked as true. You have just determined whether you are an S-Type or a D-Type. While there are no pure neurotypes, each type brings with it a group of predictable behavioral tendencies.  This is important because your “predominate” neurotype will predict both how you are likely to respond to stress and the ways in which you will manage the associated discomfort.

Drs. Cowan and Kipper are writing a book exploring the ways in which a person’s brain chemistry insinuates its way into everyday decision-making that addresses the most pressing issues in contemporary America titled: Own Your Brain.