Happy Hormones and How to Hack Them

YOur CURRENT state of happiness is determined by the levels of four chemicals in your brain.

DOPAMINE

The Reward Hormone 

Dopamine is known as “The reward Hormone” It’s very important for focus and concentration (and sleep!). It’s released after your brain achieves a goal. Now matter if it’s a small one. And the more goals you achieve on a regular basis, the neural pathways in your brain get stronger. So the more regularly you achieve the goals you set the hit of dopamine will become stronger. So the trick to this is to set yourself very small, achievable goals every day, and actually achieve them for regular hits of dopamine.

Ways to increase Dopamine: 

• Get enough sleep
• Listen to music
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Exercise more
• Meditate
• Try something new
• Do something creative
• Achieve a goal

OXYTOCIN

The Love Hormone

Oxytocin “the love hormone” it increases empathic feelings and also builds trust. The obvious way of getting more of this is sex, but the not so obvious ways are holding hands and cuddling. Or petting your cat!

Ways to increase Oxytocin: 

• Play with a pet
• Hug someone you love
• Do something nice for someone
• Spend time with friends
• Show affection
• Give someone a compliment
• Holding hands

SEROTONIN

For Good Moods

Serotonin can be increased by being outside in bright daylight. Daylight is a standard treatment for seasonal depression. It’s important to remmed er that 90% of serotonin is formed in your gut. So if you have a healthy gut, you’ll have a lot of serotonin. Which also makes the fact that if you’re hungry, you can get angrier – a real thing!

Ways to increase Serotonin: 

• Walk in nature
• Enjoy the sunshine
• Try yoga and meditation
• Swimming
• Eat a healthy meal

ENDORPHINS

The Pain Reliever

Endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers. And they also regulate the fight or flight instinct. So the obvious one for producing endorphins is exercise. But endorphins can be produced in many ways. For example, doing something you find scary will flood your body with endorphins. Even something as simple as watching a scary movie can fill your body with endorphins – or eating spicy food!

Ways to increase Endorphins: 

• Laughter
• Essential Oils
• Dark Chocolate
• Running or walking
• Exercise
• Watch a movie