How to Have a Happy Birthday: A Pre-Party Guide Beyond Cakes and Drinks | Episode 96

Brain Shaman

Birthday boy is back! Join me on this wacky, healthy journey as we gear up for the big day. Instead of relying on quick, distracting thrills like sweets, alcohol, social media, or overloaded schedules and stomachs, we’ll focus on creating a birthday that brings true, lasting happiness—one built on long-term healthy habits.

We’ll break down the difference between short-term and long-term happiness, and why the days and weeks leading up to your birthday may actually matter more than the day itself. By shifting your focus beforehand to habits like sleep, healthy eating, time in nature, and meaningful connections, you can frontload the happiness, making it easier to avoid that post-birthday hangover, exhaustion, and regret.

You can still have fun on your special day—embrace those dopamine highs! But they’ll feel even better if you’ve taken care of yourself in the days leading up to it. Pre-game your brain, load it up with health and happiness, and launch yourself into pure bliss when your birthday arrives.

RESOURCES
ANIMALS
- Alligator
- Anglerfish
- Blue whale
- Chimpanzee
- Clownfish
- Dingo
- Pterodactyl

CHARACTERS
- Care Bears
- Popeye
- Poseidon

FIREWORKS
- Dynamite
- Firecracker
- Piccolo Pete

Media
- Brain Energy by Chris Palmer (book)
- Chimp Crazy (documentary)
- Metabolic Mind (podcast)

People
- Abraham Lincoln
- Chris Palmer
- Matthew Bernstein
- Paul Zak
- Travis (famous chimp)

Places
- Miyakojima Station
- Miyakojima-ku
- Myanmar
- Pacific Ocean
- Thailand
- The Everglades

TOYS
- Jack-in-the-box
- Lincoln Logs
EXTRA VOCAB
- Blowhole
- Jump scare
- Kansai-ben
- Mendokusai
- Mitochondria