In case you missed it or you're new to the list, we've been looking at how the brain and mind process experiences, and how that process is influenced by neurochemicals.

Why?

Because we want to understand how this influences student retention. Yesterday we took a look at dopamine, which plays a role in reward-seeking behavior.

Obviously, dopamine probably plays the biggest role, since it's the brain's "reward chemical." But, there are other reactions at play when we look at how the brain interprets our experiences, and what makes us want to repeat or avoid them.

So, let's talk about the other major neurochemicals and hormones that influence the brain, so we can put this information into perspective with regards to student retention.

SEROTONIN

If you've heard about serotonin before, it was probably in the context of mood and depression. Psychiatrists often prescribe drugs called SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) to people with chronic depression, to boost serotonin levels in the brain.

But why does serotonin influence mood? Well, one reason is that serotonin creates the good feeling we get when we are more socially dominant than other people. And, this feeling of confidence in who we are and how we stand in society is generally interpreted as a positive experience.

I think you can see how this can apply to what we do as martial arts instructors. Serotonin is the reason why it feels good to get a promotion at work, to be respected by others, and to move up in rank in martial arts. 

Keep this in mind as we move forward, because we're going to put all this info together after we've looked at the whole enchilada.

ENDORPHIN

Endorphin is the chemical released by the brain to mask painful experiences. It's also the substance that is responsible for the so-called "runner's high," and it's why you don't feel the pain at first when you injure yourself.

Have you ever done an extremely hard workout, and felt like you were floating afterwards? That's endorphin. 

But, the trick to endorphin release is that it only happens when you go beyond your limits to the point of extreme stress and fatigue. And as you might imagine, it's not really healthy to do that to your body in every single workout.

Again, keep this info handy as we continue looking at how the brain interprets experiences, because this is going to be critical when we look at applying this information.

OXYTOCIN

Oxytocin is a hormone and neuropeptide that's released by the brain when you feel like you're safe. It promotes feelings of comfort and encourages social trust.

When you were a kid and you felt safe in your mother's arms, that was oxytocin. When you were in high school and you felt like you belonged in your social group, that was also oxytocin.

And, when you finally felt like you clicked with your fellow students at your dojo, when you felt accepted as part of the group, and when you started to feel like the dojo was your second home - that was oxytocin at play.

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So, that generally completes our quick look at the "positive experience" neurochemicals and hormones - the ones that are released when we have positive experiences.

Before we start putting this all together and applying it how we can better accomplish the task of keeping students coming to class, we need to look at the "negative experience" neurochemicals and hormones. 

Once we examine those chemicals and how they influence behavior, we can start seeing how this all fits. I'm going to go over those on Monday of next week, so keep an eye out for that email.