Celebrating is good for the brain. That’s one of the reasons why we npn.Hub members, our community for applied neuroscience, met online to observe the Hub’s second anniversary early in July. Yes, happy birthday to us! We wanted to gather both to mark our accomplishments and to walk our talk about the value of celebrations.

Why are celebrations so valuable? The act of celebrating triggers the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, often called the “happy hormones.” They’re also categorized as neurotransmitters, chemicals that transmit signals in the brain and nervous system. These neurotransmitters enhance mood, reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and strengthen social bonds, all important attributes for promoting improved emotional and physical health. They also build a sense of community, which is valuable for our global Hub. Plus celebrating and other actions can instill joy and create positive reinforcement loops in the brain, making it more likely participants will want to repeat their positive behaviors.

As background, we Hub members are “pracademics” in the field of applied neuroscience with a strong focus on neuroplasticity. We’ve been regularly gathering online to talk and learn from one another since Dr. Justin James Kennedy,  a neuroscientist and Master Neuroplastician™, started the Hub in summer 2023. Our community  continues to grow as more individuals working with neuroscience discover us.

During our online celebration, we shared what makes the Hub so special for us. From my perspective, three big benefits stand out.

1. Staying up to date on neuroscience research and practices.
2. Being exposed to new concepts, ideas, and tools, including technology.
3. Meeting and working with interesting individuals who are fellow “neuro-nerds.”

Before I discovered the Hub, I was concerned that my neuroscience knowledge was getting stale. (The expiration date for knowledge these days often seems as brief as that for milk. I had first studied neuroscience back in the early 2010’s when I did my brain-based coaching training with the NeuroLeadership Institute.)

For instance, I had become aware of neuroplasticity, the concept that the brain has an organic ability through its neural networks to rewire itself, reorganize and adjust from the way it previously functioned with support from the body’s nervous system. In recent years extensive neuroscience research and human experiences have shown that our brains are highly adaptable, capable of change and growth throughout our lives.

This plasticity is the opposite of the common wisdom popular earlier this century. Just a few years ago, the adult brain was considered to be hardwired and stable. Now, thanks to advances in neuroscience, we know the brain has the ability to form and reorganize its synaptic connections—that is, the points at which electrical signals move from one nerve cell to another, releasing chemically-based neurotransmitters. These connections generally happen in response to new experiences, meditation, learning and training or following an injury.

As I’ve learned since becoming part of the Hub, neuroplasticity is different from other types of behavior changes in two ways. One, neuroplasticity relies on you developing and maintaining a strong mind-body connection, which helps your brain and your overall well-being. Two, when you seek and experience enjoyable experiences that elicit positive emotions, these emotions and their associated neurotransmitters influence the rewiring of your brain’s neural pathways.

The improvements gained from neuroplasticity rewiring can be extensive. You can increase your cognitive flexibility, become more self-aware, better regulate your emotions, and build more resilience. For example, with increased cognitive flexibility, you can think more creatively, become better at problem-solving and explore more complex ideas. You also can flex your thinking by challenging your assumptions, viewing situations from multiple perspectives and seeking fresh points of view. These actions also help you become more comfortable with uncertainty and disruptions.

Until I joined the Hub and did a deep dive into neurotransmitters, I didn’t know how to harness their power to effect change. The new NeuroStarter™,  a data-driven tool for neuroscience-powered coaching has changed all of that. JJ (our nickname for Dr. Kennedy) with David Sherwin developed the NeuroStarter,™ which connects emotions and experiences to brain chemistry. It helps me as the coach identify the best activities for my coachees to boost their unique neurobiology to improve their emotional, physical, and social well-being.

Also through the Hub, a group of us have recently been pioneering data-driven coaching technology. We participated in the pilot training for Immersion Neuroscience coaching with Dr. Paul Zak, the best-selling author and neuroeconomist, joined by JJ.  Paul’s 20 years of published, peer-reviewed research demonstrates that we can measure our brain by listening to our body and get meaningful insights into our emotional wellbeing.

Paul’s app Six: Boost Emotional Wellness  uses data from a wearable device, such as a smart phone, to identify “key moments” in real time. These moments impact your emotional state, helping you understand what fuels your energy and focus. What’s happening in the background is that the app is measuring dopamine-driven attention and oxytocin-related emotional resonance using real-time neurologic data.

As for the name Six, it refers to the number of key moments that Paul’s research shows that you need to thrive daily. In August 2024, Frontiers in Digital Health published research demonstrating that the number of troughs and peaks in immersion predicted daily mood and energy with 90% accuracy.

By using the app daily for a couple of months now, I’m better able to make insightful and intentional choices on how I’m spending my time. I’ll be sharing more about Six soon, including how I’m using it in coaching.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions about the Hub, neuroplasticity, Six or my experiences as a Master Neuroplastician™, please ask and better yet, join us. And thanks to JJ and my wonderful colleagues in the Hub. Social learning with inspiring and supportive colleagues on fascinating topics is the best!