Happy hormones!
Hormones? Yep.
The fascinating thing about the human body is that there are lots of chemical messengers in it that control your life and you are not even aware of this! In fact hormones are not just responsible for your sexual appetite (of your lack of it), they regulate your mood as well. Some of them are called the “happy hormones”:
Dopamine: this hormone is associated with pleasant sensations;
Serotonine: helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory;
Oxytocin: this is also called the “love hormone” as its levels increase with physical affection like kissing, cuddling and sex, but it's also involved in bonding in relationships, childbirth and breastfeeding;
Endorphins: these are produced as the body's response to distress or discomfort, activities like eating, working out and having sex usually increase the levels of endorphins.
So, to cut to the chase: you may be able to use this information to your advantage and increase the levels of the “happy hormones” in your body. How? According to Healthline (see the original article HERE) you can hack your hormones for a better mood. This is how I do it:
1. GET OUT
Spending time outdoors and in the sunlight increase the levels of serotonine and endorphins in your body. Coming from a quite sunny country I really struggle during the British winter, so everytime the sun is out, I'm out. A friend of mine once told me that is very easy to recognise Mediterranean people in the UK: you can see them sunbathing in the parks on a sunny day. I wonder if this is true... where is my beachtowel?
Doing physical activity increase the levels of endorphins, dopamine and serotonine. I'm a couch potato so I don't suffer from the “runner's high”, but I've noticed that doing pilates every morning makes the day much more bearable (and as you already should know, I'm not the Sporty Spice here...). I would recommend to exercise outdoor, especially on a sunny day.
3. LAUGH
Laughing boosts dopamine and endorphins levels, also it's free! Social laughter triggers endorphins release even more, so find a friend or loved one, then go and watch a Monty Python's Flying Circus episode! (If you cuddle you get extra points and get a free boost of oxytocin). Also, smiling makes you happier. According to a study published in 2019 the simple act of smiling can have an effect on your emotions. Why not trying this?
4. COOK
This is my favourite as you have a chance to boost all the happy hormones with one activity! Sharing the meal with someone you like / love increases the levels of dopamine and endorphins (again if you cuddle: extra oxytocin). But also certain foods have an impact of hormones levels, isn't it great? Have you ever heard of “comfort food”? Hormones are the reason behind the specific craving you have when you feel down or upset (I know, the body is amazing, it just wants to feel better!). So, for an endorphins boost try spicy food; for dopamine go for bananas, almonds and beans; for serotonine eat oats, nuts and seeds, and to boost all of them eat food containing probiotics, such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut (the one below is my comfort meal!)
So why not boosting your serotonin levels by listening to music while you cook? Or you may want to relax and listen to some instrumental music, in that case you will increase the levels of dopamine in your brain. Also creating music and performing will boost your endorphins levels (I told you to try new things in the FAQ section, remember?).
6. PET YOUR DOG / CAT
If you are a dog or cat lover, you know what I'm talking about. Showing affection to your pet boosts your and their levels of oxytocin. The effect that dogs have on us is well-know, but also cats can improve your mood and lower your stress levels. When you spend time with a cat, your production of serotonin goes up, isn't it great? Simply interacting with someone's dog or cat can lower your stress levels and boost your happy hormones. Highly recommended.
Now, this one could be tricky if you don't know how to do it. I know that some of you will imagine an old hermit on the top of a mountain going “OHM”, but it's simpler than that. Meditation will increase your dopamine production, so listen to me. There are some tricks to learn. I suggest you start with Body Scan Meditation, which is a very simple way to learn how to focus and release stress. This technique basically teach you to notice what's going on in your body. I tried this with children between 7 and 14 years old, some of then with special needs, and it worked brilliantly. It worked so well that, bless them, they asked me to do some sessions with their parents. And it worked with them as well. Oxytocin and dopamine everywhere!
All you need is to find a quiet place and lay down in a comfortable position, on a yoga mat or using pillows if they help (some people learn to do this while sitting, it doesn't work for me but you can try). Next step, listen to a guided Body Scan audio like this: Body Scan Meditation video
Learn to do this quite regularly, the more you practice the more it will come easy!
If you need help with this, get in touch!
That's all, go and enjoy your happy hormones!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/happy-hormone
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190412094728.htm
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