la vie en rose @goldencial - Tumblr Blog

i’m very self aware. which unfortunately hasn’t solved anything

my favorite form of intimacy is asking questions, and i swear it’s not in a nosy way. i just like to understand and i like to know.

cherryflowerr-deactivated202601

so much this. you know i really dig you if i won't stop asking.

fayriequeene

Kyrgyzstan

what if the solution to all your problems is to get really into the history of polar exploration. Have you tried that

sentimentalbeing2001

I Worried, Mary Oliver

lamechellephotog

rythms-of-synthax-deactivated20

Quote of the day

baffledtreesquid

I’m seeing a lot of people saying this post changed their brain chemistry, and as a neuroscientist I wanted to say yes!!! Yes it does!

Wanting something requires dopamine signaling, but liking something doesn’t.

If you have a mental illness/disorder that affects dopamine, you might feel that you don’t want to do the things that you like. You do still like them. You will appreciate having done them.

Let your likes guide you.

(If you want to read more, here’s one experimental paper about it. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5171207/ This theory called the incentive-sensitization theory was originally created to explain behaviors in addiction but can be applied elsewhere as well)

Rewards are both ‘liked’ and ‘wanted’, and those two words seem almost interchangeable. However, the brain circuitry that mediates the psych

amyamychan

[Image Description]

Black text on a white background. It reads:

"Focus on your likes, not your wants.

You may not want to exercise, but you like how it makes you feel.

You may not want to write, but you like the feeling of accomplishment.

You may not want to wake up early, but you like the calm beauty of morning.

Wanting is the desire you feel before doing something. Liking is the satisfaction you feel after doing something. Let your likes guide you.

[End ID]

the-haiku-bot

You may not want to

write, but you like the feeling

of accomplishment.

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

findingfeather

I do want to caution that there is a limit to this.

If one’s anhedonia (usually a symptom of depression) is bad enough, you may try this trick and instead of getting to experience that liking, you may feel nothing. Or even something negative.

This is a very bad sign, and means you need to seek care immediately.

Ask me how I know.