When it comes to our brains, we may think memories are bits of information, but they're really just chemicals structured in a specific way. Us humans have dozens of different brain chemicals called "neurotransmitters", but there are four that make the biggest difference in who we are, how we show up in the world, and the type of actions that we take.
Most of the time, we are not even aware of these brain chemicals and their different movements, but occasionally they do more than we expect. Here is a list of the 4 different brain chemicals that you should definitely know.
Chemicals in Your Brain
1. Dopamine - this is the happiness brain chemical and it is primarily used by the brain for that purpose. In addition, it can help with hand-eye coordination so that you can grab and manipulate things with far more efficiency. Without this, you would feel seriously unhappy and impulsively looking for foods that taste good (even if they are bad for your health).
2. Serotonin - another brain chemical that is responsible for happiness, serotonin also regulates our wake and sleep cycles. It is the hormone that wakes us up in the morning and a great variety of other purposes as well. You'll find that serotonin is a useful tool for someone who is depressed as well. In fact, most anti-depressant medication focuses on this chemical.
3. Acetylcholine - this is the memory related brain chemical that has a plethora of other functions as well. it is basically only sourced through dietary choline, which is rare (except in eggs). This is one of the brain chemicals most people are deficient in.
4. GABA - finally, we have GABA which is a hormone that is primarily related to our sleep cycles and regulating these different parts of our brains and body. If you are trying to get better sleep, this is what many people use in order to balance out their brain chemicals.
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