Who suffers when you do not sleep well?

You notice yourself smiling and feeling joyful. The world seems like a good place. That feel-good effect comes from dopamine and other internal chemicals; it’s your brain telling you that what is happening is a good thing. Then other times, you notice you are not so happy even if the situation is quite similar to the previous happy time. What’s the difference?

The state of your brain.

If you are tired, experiencing pain, stressed, too busy or preoccupied, your brain will be less positive than when you feel resilient and strong. It’s all about well-being.

For one example, we look to a new study from the University of British Columbia about sleep and positivity. It tells us that when we have had less sleep than we need, we will react to positive events with less joy and positivity. We don’t get that happiness boost we would get if we were well-rested.

Lack of sleep can affect your ability to manage stress too. The same study found that when we have had less sleep, we react far more emotionally to day-to-day stressful events. And numerous studies have shown that an inability to maintain positive emotions in the face of stress can lead to burnout and long-term health problems.

By incorporating simple brain-friendly habits into your day, you can set yourself up to manage emotions and stress, get along better with your colleagues, boost well-being, focus and think more clearly and feel more moments of joy.

Eat well, exercise, take breaks from technology, create moments of mindfulness. And most importantly, prioritise getting a good night’s sleep.

Hope springs eternal; Disappointment hurtsThe fight between reason and rage