Raise serotonin through morning sunlight, timed tryptophan intake and exercise, and gratitude practices to support tolerance for failure¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

This strategy package targets serotonin, which the review links to persisting in challenging situations and lower defensiveness because it inhibits amygdala activity. Recommended behaviors include increasing sunlight or bright-light exposure especially in the morning, consuming tryptophan food sources in the morning or early afternoon with exercise, and gratitude practices such as gratitude journaling. The student guide in Fig. 2 packages these recommendations for learners.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Sufficient dietary tryptophan intake, since serotonin is made from tryptophan and production is limited without it

Constraints¶

• The review states gratitude practices are now thought not to directly increase serotonin; instead they change framing of events
• Serotonin production is tied to sunlight, and modern students spend much of the day indoors at 300–500 lx brightness

Target Learners¶

• postsecondary students

Target Learning Goals¶

• increasing tolerance for failure and persistence in challenging learning situations

Claims¶

• Higher serotonin is associated with persisting in challenging situations, and serotonin synthesis is greater when tryptophan is consumed in the morning or early afternoon [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Daytime Blue Light Exposure
• Focus on Enjoyable Moments

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Lauren Margulieux, James Prather, Masoumeh Rahimi. (2025). The Biological Benefits of Failure on Learning and Tools to Manage the Fallout. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10013-7