How To Boost Your Happy Hormones
What Are The Happy Hormones?
There are four main hormones that are primarily responsible for creating those feel-good emotions and sensations. They moderate our feelings of well-being and are influenced by our stress levels, self-care, and lifestyle choices.
Here are the main feel-good hormones in your body:
Dopamine - The Reward Chemical
Sometimes known as the ‘happy hormone’, dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked with mood and pleasure but commonly known as the chemical which spikes your brains’ reward system.
For example, if you are praised by your boss at work, a sudden rush of dopamine will trigger through your body automatically making you feel good. The same would be if you were to achieve a goal you had been working on.
As well as a sense of achievement and reward, dopamine is released in situations where people experience pleasure making it more likely for you to want to repeat the same behaviour to get the same feeling over and over again.
Activities which are common for releasing dopamine are eating, alcohol, sex, caffeine, and listening to music.
While dopamine can trigger good feelings and promote long term health benefits such as getting enough sleep and exercising, the chemical can have a negative effect too such as an over consumption of junk food which due to its drug like ingredients are notorious for triggering dopamine. Here how you can activate dopamine to work in a balanced way.
How To Activate Dopamine
Sleep - Get plenty of sleep so you can concentrate and keep your dopamine at a healthy level.
Listen to music - Listening to music which lifts your mood causes dopamine to be released in the brain.
Avoid sugary, processed foods - Foods which are high in sugar and fat might feel good in the moment, but keep in mind that is usually in large part to the huge rush of dopamine which is released at the time.
Too much consumption of these kind of foods over time can have a desensitising effect and as a result lead you to become reliant on unhealthy foods as a way to reach a hit of dopamine.
Instead, stick to whole foods, by doing this your body’s dopamine receptors don’t become overpowered and can remain balanced.
Serotonin - The Good Mood Hormone
Serotonin is a mood-stabiliser reducing stress and worries and focus on your well-being and is triggered by things you can do in your life every day.
Some of the most common signs that your serotonin levels may needs a boost are frequent mood changes, problems with falling asleep and stress.
How To Activate Serotonin
Get daylight and sunshine - Closely linked to your circadian rhythm, daylight first thing of a morning helps to regulate and lets your body know it is time to be awake.
Sunlight is a common treatment for mood-boosting and minimising depression which tends to be why many feel incredibly low during the winter months when outside is darker for longer. Vitamin D can help boost your serotonin levels, so if you wake up and see the sun is out, go out for a walk, even if it’s just a short walk around the block.
Stick to a sleep-wake cycle - Adequate sleep is important since a lack of it can affect your brain’s serotonin receptors making them not so sensitive to the positive effects of serotonin.
A good sleep-wake cycle means going to bed and waking up at the same time consistently. You want around seven to eight hours sleep every night.
Practice journaling and affirmations - Stress brings about a large number of health related issues, including lowering your serotonin levels.
A few ways you can reduce stress is by releasing some of your thoughts from your mind and down on paper, stating positive affirmations, practising deep breathing exercises, taking a warm bath, or if you need more in depth help, try seeking therapy from a professional.
Oxytocin - The Love Hormone
Oxytocin, the chemical messenger in the body which plays an active role in social bonding, love, intimacy and affection. It’s what reinforces the bond between mother and child as well and romantic partners.
Oxytocin known as the ‘love hormone’ leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling inside triggering its a release through hugging, cuddling, and having sex.
However, as we know by law, when there is a positive there is also a negative, and Oxytocin is no exception with a shockingly dark side to this cuddly chemical.
As much as this hormone helps you to feel total warmth with friends, family and romantic partners there is also room for this chemical to trigger feelings of jealousy, hatred and gloating over others misfortune.
Here is how you can activate your oxytocin levels and keep them on the nicer side.
How To Activate Oxytocin
Spend time among loved ones - Share your love and affection with those who mean the most to you. Cuddle and hug those who you care about
Have sex - Sexual intimacy is a key way to raise oxytocin levels and show affection for someone else. And a bonus, both men and women oxytocin boost which is bonus
Do something nice for someone - Another way to boost oxytocin to act from a place of selflessness. Do something nice for someone you care about, send them a small gift to uplift their mood, offer to help a family member with their errands
Endorphins - The Pain Reliever
Endorphins are pain killing chemical signals in the brain that resist the perception of pain, reduce stress and increase the feelings of wellbeing.
Known as the brains natural pain reliever, if you were to put your body under stress through a vigorous workout session, although it may not feel painful, the response to this level of stress would be your body relieving itself by producing endorphins.
This allows you to still be able to still continue the day as normal.
How to activate Endorphins
Exercise - Whether you’re moving at a moderate pace or something a bit more intense, cardio or aerobic activity for more than 30 minutes is best for releasing endorphins and feeling good
Laugh - A good belly laugh can do the world of good for your mental state. Stay close to people who you can be yourself around and have a good laugh with.
Meditation - Meditating is another way to release endorphins since it helps you to relax and achieve a sense of inner calm offering a range of health benefits such as an improved change in mood, mental wellness and better sleep.
Final Thoughts
Although serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins all play essential roles in regulating mood and wellbeing. If you're struggling with what you believe to be a severe mood or mental health condition, it’s best to check in with your doctor to figure out exactly what you need.
