When I told Melissa about 43 Things, the goal-based social networking service, she told me she’d read that endorphins are released simply by checking off a task on a to-do list. I did a little research (well, googling), and uncovered an inspiring article on setting and achieving goals:
As you accomplish an important task, you will feel a surge of energy and enthu-siasm.
Completing the task will trigger the release of endorphins in your brain, causing you to experience a natural high.
You will actually become addicted to this feeling as you continue to complete challenging and important tasks. So, as you put in more effort, it will generate its own momentum.
Now I still haven’t found any references to this phenomenon in any medical journals, but I think I’ll do a little experimenting with achieving a natural high … and hope that I do become addicted to accomplishing goals.
Comments
5 responses to “Goal-based Endorphin Release”
Interesting Google research, Joe. I never considered endorphins when checking things off my todo or 43 Things list … but now that you mention it I do get excited when I’ve completed tasks. Sometimes I’ll even add a to-do or 43 Things item to my list after the fact so I can check it as done. I don’t do this to simply have more completed items, but more so to officially acknowledge a larger completed item that I had negelected to document. Perhaps it’s the endorphin high that I’m after when I physically document completion of an important task.
I suspect that there may be [additional] endorphins released whenever anyone receives a cheer as well, so I think that the 43 Things cheering mechanism may provide other potential health benefits :-).
I see here a connection with the flow experience, when psychological energy is created instead of being exhausted. Interesting!
If it is true that endorphins are all so
powerful – stronger that morphine, etc.
Then why does anyone ever feel pain?
I would think that at the first blast of
unpleasant pain natural pain-killing
endorphins would kick in and put an end to
it. However, you and I both know that this
does not happen in any way shape or form.
If that was true then there would be no
need for medication – ever!
Furthermore, society needs to be a little
more realistic in the value of opiates. They were not created by Satan — they were
created by God! God knew we (mankind) would find poppy plants, coca plants, etc.
They grow from the earth – Gods earth that he created.
Some people by nature have lower endorphin levels than others that only opiates can remedy. I’m not talking about being strung out, but having a feeling of well-being which is an individuals God-given right to pursue. Let’s leave medication to the doctors and not the law!
Goals Setting and Achieving Them on Schedule by Zig Ziglar is a great listen on audio book. Zig is one of the great motivational speakers of this century. Everyone should get this an listen to what he has to say over and over. You need to wake up every morning with you goals for the day and set out to accomplish them.