Chapter 1. The Mammal Inside You
The human brain is viewed as a biological survival system inherited from mammals. It is not designed for constant happiness, but for quick recognition of threats and opportunities. Many emotional reactions—anxiety, comparing oneself to others, the drive for security—are ancient automatons rather than the result of rational choice. Understanding this removes the illusion that "there's something wrong with me" and allows one to stop fighting the nature of their brain.
Chapter 2. Meet Your "Happiness Hormones"
Serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins are not abstract "hormones of joy," but specific chemical signals related to survival: status, resources, social support, and pain reduction.
They are released briefly and only under certain conditions. Attempts to keep them at high levels lead to disappointment and the formation of dependencies. Understanding the role of each hormone allows one to stop expecting the impossible from them and to use them physiologically correctly.
Chapter 3. Why Your Brain Creates Unhappiness
The brain is evolutionarily tuned to notice negative stimuli faster than positive ones because the cost of error in the direction of threat has always been higher. Therefore, cortisol and anxiety reactions are triggered more easily and frequently than the "happiness hormones."
The modern environment amplifies this bias, constantly stimulating comparison, expectation, and a sense of insecurity. The author concludes that chronic dissatisfaction is not a sign of objective problems but a result of old neural pathways that can be gradually rewritten.
Chapter 4. The Vicious Cycle of Happiness
Brief bursts of pleasure trigger the expectation of repetition, but with frequent stimulation, the brain reduces receptor sensitivity. As a result, more and more stimuli are required for the same effect, and the baseline between "highs" worsens. Thus, a vicious cycle forms: the pursuit of happiness through food, purchases, approval, or achievements intensifies dissatisfaction and anxiety. The author emphasizes that the problem is not weak willpower but the biochemical adaptation of the brain.
Chapter 5. How Our Brain Self-Regulates
The brain constantly strengthens those neural circuits that are used most often, regardless of whether they are beneficial or not. Repetitive thoughts, reactions, and interpretations of events gradually become automatic. This is how stable emotional patterns are formed—both positive and negative.
The key idea of the chapter is that one can change their state not through one-time "insights," but through regular repetition of new, healthier reactions.
Chapter 6. New Habits for Each Hormone
For each of the "happiness hormones," there are specific behavioral strategies that allow one to evoke them physiologically without overloading the system. Small achievements boost dopamine, conscious acknowledgment of one's significance boosts serotonin, safe social connections boost oxytocin, and physical effort boosts endorphins.
The author emphasizes small, daily steps that gradually restructure neurochemistry without dependence on external stimuli.
Chapter 7. Action Plan
The practical part of the book boils down to creating a personal, realistic plan for change. The author suggests letting go of expectations for quick results and focusing on regular actions that can be performed daily. The plan is built not on suppressing emotions but on consciously choosing new reactions in familiar situations. It is the repeatability, not the strength of motivation, that becomes the main factor for sustainable change.
Chapter 8. Overcoming Obstacles on the Path to Happiness
On the path to forming new habits, setbacks, relapses, and internal resistance are inevitable. The brain perceives changes as a threat to stability and tries to revert to old patterns. The chapter explains why this is normal from a neurobiological perspective and teaches how to view difficulties as part of the process rather than as proof of failure. This approach reduces self-criticism and increases the chance of long-term success.
Chapter 9. Utilizing Resources That Are Always With You
The final emphasis is on the internal resources of a person: the ability to notice their states, manage attention, and choose interpretations of what is happening. Happiness does not require ideal conditions or constant external stimuli because the basic mechanisms of regulation are already built into the brain.
The author concludes that sustainable well-being is formed through accepting one's biology and working with it consistently, rather than through the pursuit of constant pleasure.
