Our mood is chemical.
Some people say that money buys happiness. Others say happiness is from getting the things we want in life. But scientifically speaking, we get feelings of happiness and pleasure from “happy” hormones.
Hormones are chemicals released by different glands across our bodies. They act as messengers for the body, coordinating various bodily functions and processes. Some hormones help promote positive feelings, including happiness and pleasure.
Four main “happy” hormones are responsible for our feelings of happiness and pleasure: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins.
Dopamine is the “feel good” hormone. It is responsible for giving us a sense of pleasure, making us feel happy, and giving us the motivation to do something that gives us pleasure. In addition, dopamine also plays a part in many other bodily functions, such as movement, memory, and learning.
A lack of dopamine may result in being tired, moody, or unmotivated. Dopamine increases naturally when we engage in pleasurable activities. Some natural ways to get dopamine are to exercise, listen to music, sleep, meditate, get enough sunlight, and eat protein.
Serotonin is responsible for regulating our mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory. It is usually called our body’s “feel good” chemical. Serotonin makes us feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier, and calmer.
Low levels of serotonin results in depression, anxiety, mania, sleep problems, and other health conditions. Natural ways to increase levels of serotonin include getting exercise, spending time outside, reducing stress, socializing, helping others, and laughing more.
Oxytocin, the “love hormone,” is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. It also affects some aspects of human behavior and social interaction, such as trust and recognition.
It is rare to have low levels of oxytocin. However, physical contact, such as hugging someone increases oxytocin levels.
Endorphins are our bodies’ natural pain relievers and are released when we feel pain, stress, or discomfort. Whenever we experience pain, nerves in our bodies send pain signals to our brains. In response, our brain releases endorphins to temporarily block the nerve cells receiving pain signals, allowing us to keep on functioning even when experiencing large amounts of pain or stress.
Some symptoms of low levels of endorphins include pains, aches, depression, anxiety, and addiction. Exercising is a great way to boost endorphins.
In general, some ways to boost the levels of your happy hormones include exercising, getting sunlight, listening to music, spending time with family and friends, and cooking.
Happiness is different for everyone. We all get our happiness from different sources. However, happy hormones are always the cause of happiness. Whether you’re laughing with friends, playing video games, or doing the things you love, all of these good things come from the happy hormones.
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