Memories Hold the Key to Untapped Dopamine, Calm, and Joy—Here’s How to Use Them
- Lydia (Founder)
- Jun 26
- 5 min read
We spend a lot of time in our heads.
Do you ever ruminate on past conversations or imagine that others might be thinking negatively toward you? Have you ever caught yourself spending too much time worrying about that thing you said? This mental rehearsal is something we all do—it’s part of our human desire to prepare or defend ourselves.
Here’s the thing: your brain doesn’t care about what’s real and what’s imagined.
What I mean by that is; even just vividly picturing a stressful event triggers the same stress hormones as if it were actually happening! Fun fact: we have that kind of power over our emotions. And unfortunately many of us aren't weilding that power in very smart or useful ways. Instead we're burdening ourselves with unnecesary stress or enormous amounts of negative emotions.
But what if we flipped the script?
What if we trained ourselves to use that power to benefit us? If our minds revisited the good stuff—joyful, pleasant and uplifting moments—can we use that to lift our mood, calm our nervous system, and reconnect with what matters?
It turns out we can. And the secret lies in memories.
Rumination vs. Reflection: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The human brain is wired for mental rehearsal. In psychology, when it revolves around negative thoughts it's called rumination. Unchecked it can keep us stuck in a loop that fuels our anxiety, stress, and depression.
Now if we flip that practice around and focus on memories that brought us joy, love, laughter, or pride, something extraordinary happens. Our brains release feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin—the same neurochemicals that fire when we’re experiencing those things in real time.
The best part? These aren’t made-up scenarios. They’re true. You lived them. Your body remembers them. Which makes them more vivid, which gives us a stronger emotional reaction. The more vivid the memory, the better.
The Power of Real Memories Over Fantasy
Visualizing dreams or futures is a fantastic tool to motivate you or help you get calm. But when you anchor your mind in a real memory—the day your baby first smiled at you, the sound clip of y our chyild laughing, the smell of the top of their little baby heads—it carries a deeper emotional charge.
Because it actually happened.
It’s more believable to your nervous system.
It’s easier to trust.
They are built not just from images but of sounds and smells and emotions too.
Unlike fantasy, real memories carry weight. You felt belonging. You felt joy. You did overcome that challenge. These aren’t just ideas—they’re data points. And your brain can draw from this treasure trove to create resilience and peace.
Dopamine and the Science of Memory Recall
Dopamine is the brain’s “feel-good” chemical, deeply tied to motivation, reward, and pleasure. Research shows that when we purposefully recall a positive experience, it can retrigger dopamine release. That’s right—no shopping, scrolling, or sugar required!
When we reflect on a time we belly laughed or connected deeply with someone it can have the following health benefits:
Releases dopamine (increasing motivation and energy)
Calms the amygdala (the area of your brain responsible for emotional processing)
Activates parasympathetic or "rest and digest" functions (slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and promoting digestion)
Studies show that combining written memories with media (video or photo), the health benefits are greatest
How to Practice Memory Recall to Get Max Health Benefits
Try this:
1. Set a daily memory cue.
Choose a time—when you first wake up, while your eating lunch or just before sleep. Recall a happy memory in vivid detail using a voice recording or video to help you remember details like where you were and what you were doing.
2. Reflect.
What do you feel thankful for in that memory? How does your body feel? What was special about it to you? The richer the memory, the more powerfully your brain responds. Anchor your memory to a feeling. Was it Belonging? Safety? Love? Significance? Trust? Name it. Let it settle in.
3. Start intentionally collecting moments.
In life there are sometimes moments that spark joy. Start to become more aware of them then build a list of them in a journal. Powerful memories don't have to be grandiose or even family oriented. They can be a surprising act of kindness from a stranger. An unexpectd compliment you received. A sudden wash of gratifude you felt looking at a sunset. These small glimmers, when collected, are very powerful. Once you start drawing on them to uplift you, you'll wonder why you've never collected them before.
4. Practice
The more often you practice reflecting on joyful memories, the easier it becomes for your brain to access those neural pathways. Over time, you will train yourself to seek joy rather than stress and you'll find that you can use your memories like a protective shield.
Using Memories to Reconnect with Your Children
Parents are often trying their best to love their kids but lets face it - there will be times when that’s not always easy. We’re thuman and so are they. But by reflecting on joyful moments with your child—even just one—can help bring back that feeling of connection.
Remembering those moments can help you soften, reconnect, and parent from a place of compassion. It’s not just about nostalgia—it’s about rebuilding the emotional bridge.
TIP: Memories can help your marriage. I've been practicing keeping a list of the kind and thoughtful things my husband has done. We've been together for a total of 18 years so the ability to recall his good, kind and thoughtful acts helps me reconnect or move on when I noticed I'm stuck holding a grudge!
In Summary:
Memory recall is a free, powerful tool for emotional regulation, motivation, and self-connection.
Your brain responds to memories almost as powerfully as it does to real-time events. The more vivid the memory the better especially when combining written memories and media.
Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin can be released by positive memory recall.
Intentionaly shifting from negative Rumination to Reflection is a tool to reduce stress, improve your mood, and gather positive feelings toward family members.
Often, the joy we’re searching for is already inside us—waiting to be remembered!
Further reading:
Mood Enhancement: Revisiting happy memories can evoke positive emotions and activate brain regions associated with reward, contributing to improved mood.👉 Read the study
Emotional Regulation: Balancing the pursuit of happiness is essential; overvaluing happiness can paradoxically lead to decreased well-being.👉 Read the Study
Dopamine & Reward Pathways: Recalling joyful experiences activates the brain's reward centers, particularly the striatum, which is rich in dopamine receptors. This activation can enhance mood and motivation.👉 Read the study
Humor and the Brain: Engaging with humorous content stimulates the mesolimbic reward centers, including areas associated with dopamine release, highlighting the power of positive emotional experiences.👉 Explore the research
Oxytocin and Emotional Bonds: Positive social interactions and memories can increase oxytocin levels, fostering trust and emotional bonding.👉 Discover more
Understanding Rumination: Persistent negative thinking, or rumination, is linked to increased stress and depressive symptoms. Recognizing and redirecting these thought patterns is crucial for mental well-being.👉 Learn about the effects
Emotional Contagion: Positive emotional states in parents can influence their children, highlighting the importance of shared joyful experiences.👉 Read the study
Family Narratives and Identity: Sharing family stories helps children develop a sense of identity and resilience, reinforcing familial bonds.👉 Learn more
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