When you think about being happy, you may have a list of special memories, certain people (including your four-legged BFF), or simple pleasures (think: drinking good wine, having fun life up to the page turner) that comes. in mind. But the bright news: Your state of happiness and the emotions that accompany it are actually a living thing. The feeling of happiness is the result four neurochemicals and hormones in your brainDrugs: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. In other words, you can recruit happy brain chemicals for a better mood. Read on to learn the role each of the four happiness hormones play in our performance and how to give them a boost in their mood. This way to happiness…
Endorphins
Starting with the word “endogenous,” AKA inside the body, and “morphine,” an opioid pain reliever, think about it. endorphins such as natural aspirin or pain relievers. As chemical messengers in the body, endorphins are produced to help reduce pain and reduce stress in the body, allowing it to experience happiness.
How to increase endorphin levels:
1. Exercise: One sure way to get those endorphins flowing is to get your heart pumping. The best? You don’t need to get a strenuous workout to get the best bang for your buck from endorphins. Hit the road or jog for a healthy walk, try a lazy girl workout, or a quick Tabata sesh.
2. Have a dark chocolate treat: If you need a good excuse to indulge your sweet treat cravings, consider this. Some studies It has been shown that eating chocolate causes the brain to release endorphins.
3. LOL: No joke-laughing makes your mind and body healthy. From laughing to laughing you cry, Laughter really is the best medicine. Start a collection of funny videos to keep handy on your phone (the best dogs, IMO), watch your favorite movies or TV shows, spend time with your loved ones and send me in rank.
4. Try aromatherapy: Essential oils have been proven to help with everything from anxiety to sleep to headaches. It also means that they can also contribute to our satisfaction. Like this 2012 studylavender aromatherapy seems to help relieve stress by releasing endorphins, and vice versa 2017 study suggesting euphoric essential oil aromas (think: lavender and vanilla) can lead to endorphin release.
5. Be active: The euphoric high you feel from reaching the big “O?” You have endorphins to thank (FYI, they are released when you have sex). So, whether you are enjoying yourself or having sex with your partner, thank you for the good mood and fun (but you already know that).
Serotonin
Both hormones and neurotransmitters that send messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body, serotonin involved in such functions as mood, sleep, digestion, and sex. A lack of adequate serotonin is believed to be associated with depression, anxiety, and other health conditions.
How to increase serotonin levels:
6. Get Sunlight: Getting out in the sun does more than just leave your skin exposed to the sun. Exposure to sunlight indicates the area in the retina to stimulate the brain’s release of serotonin. The result? Improved mood, better concentration, and a sense of calm. Whether you’re going outside for exercise, lying in the sun, or spending time in nature, you can expect to reap the benefits of happiness.
7. Get a strong diet of tryptophan: Although there is no food source of serotonin (if only), there is tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to serotonin in your brain and is found in high protein foods, including turkey and salmon. Hot tip: Combine tryptophan-rich foods with carbohydrates to help more tryptophan make it into your brain.
8. Take Supplements: Speaking of tryptophan, add some high-quality nutritional supplements to your regimen can help stimulate the production and release of serotonin by increasing amino acids. Think: tryptophan, St. John’s wort, or probiotics. But before you take any supplement, check with your doctor.
9. Engage in stress-relieving activities: There’s no sugar coating it: Chronic stress is out there. keeps serotonin levels low. So, stick to going—reducing your stress—whether it’s journaling, yoga, therapy—even before the conflict begins. Underneath: just a cold shiver.
10. Try a massage therapy: PSA: One hour massage reduces cortisol in your body and releases serotonin (compare it to an hour long hug). By lowering cortisol and increasing serotonin, you enhance your body’s ability to reduce pain, stress, and feelings of sadness. As if you need confirmation to be treated with massage, you can’t go wrong with getting professional treatment or DIY – lymphatic drainage massage at home .
Dopamine
Dopamine, Neurotransmitter made in your brain, the star is like a “reward center” and regulates memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention, and more. When you get pleasure-food, sex, checking what to do-Your brain releases dopamine in large amountsCreates an oh-so-good feeling, which motivates you to repeat the same behavior.
How to increase dopamine levels:
11. Be kind: When you give of your time or do good to others, there is nothing you can ask for. feel-good feeling you’ll get (hello there, dopamine boost!). So sign up for an exchange at your local food bank, pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor, or pay a stranger.
12. Weight loss and protein: Dopamine It is produced from the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine, and Birth show that increasing their intake in food can increase dopamine levels in the brain. Fortunately for us, both are found in protein-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, beef, eggs and beans.
13. Get enough Zzz’s: We can all attest to the results of a night of tossing and turning (anxiety, stress, and inability to focus, just to name a few). On the flip side, it leads to more consistent, advanced sleep can help regulate your body’s dopamine system and give hope in the day. Techniques for sleep sounds? Create a cooling system, follow a consistent sleep schedule, add movement to your day, and keep your sleeping area cool.
14. Meditate: New research has found that the mental health benefits and better health that meditation brings can be appreciated. increased dopamine levels in the brain. One study in particular saw a 65% increase in dopamine production in participants when they meditated for one hour, compared to rest.
15. Try something new: New experiences trigger a rush of dopamine, which in turn leads to the creation of new neurons and new neural connections (read: we learn). It can be as simple as taking a new route on your daily commute or picking up a new hobby (joining a book club, anyone?)
Oxytocin
Like love, packing or bonding, oxytocin plays an important role in human connection. It is released during childbirth and breastfeeding, improving the bond between mother and baby. When we fall in love, embrace, kiss, or have sex, we support the production of oxytocin, thereby positively affecting our mood and emotions.
How to increase oxytocin levels:
16. Make relationships a path: Can you feel the love? Your answer should be a surprising “yes” if you’re experiencing a daily increase in positive relationships. Spending time with loved ones fills up your oxytocin cup so it can help feeling more connected and socially supported, not to mention feeling alone in the world.
17. Play music: We listen to music to lift our spirits, improve our minds, and motivate us through exercise, so it’s no wonder that the act also releases oxytocin. One study states that 20 open heart surgery patients who listened to music while resting in bed had higher levels of oxytocin and felt more relaxed compared to patients who did not listen to music.
18. Dogs: Dogs are “man’s best friend,” and for good reason. Analysis suggests that when dogs and humans interact in a positive way (ie cuddling together), both parties experience an increase in oxytocin. Enter: all the warm fuzzies.
19. Hug it: If you’re not a hugger, FOMO is affecting. Embrace hugs, holding hands, and cuddling to give your oxytocin levels some love. Don’t agree? Education found that the benefits of oxytocin were strongest in women who had a better relationship with frequent hugs with their partner. Just how many hugs do we need each day to reap its benefits? According to family therapist Virginia Satir“We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”
20. Share food: From your childhood days of sharing PB & J sandwiches with your classmates to cooking dinner with your besties as an adult, you create a bond and trigger the release of oxytocin. Be the best host and throw a dinner party, book a dinner date with your SO, and make your work lunch outing feel like family.
