It's possible that you've heard of the happy hormone, which elevates emotions and makes you feel better. Learn about these hormones and how you can boost them to a happy level.
What are happy hormones?
There are several hormones that are often associated with feelings of happiness, including:
Serotonin
Serotonin is a hormone and neurotransmitter (a chemical that carries signals in the body) that has several important roles in the body, such as:
- Mood regulation
- Sleep cycles regulation
- Helps control appetite and feelings of fullness
- Helps regulate bowel movements and digestive function
- Affects storage and recall of information
- Helps regulate body temperature
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain known as the "feel-good hormone." Dopamine is involved in several functions that affect mental and physical health, including:
- The brain's reward system, where the brain releases dopamine, delivers a feeling of pleasure when performing something enjoyable.
- The process of learning and developing memories, especially those associated with pleasurable or worthwhile events
- Muscle coordination and control
- Affects renal and blood vascular function
- Helps regulate emotions and mood
Read more: Weight Gain After Marriage A Sign Of Happiness?
Oxytocin
The hormone oxytocin is commonly known as the "love hormone" due to its essential function in forming social and emotional bonds, including:
- Improves the flow of breast milk during breastfeeding
- Increase empathy and trust between individuals
- Strengthens social relationships and gives a sense of comfort and peace
- Increases feelings of attachment and trust, leading to more harmonious relationships
Endorphins
Endorphins are hormones that function as natural pain relievers, apart from that, this hormone also plays a role in:
- Increase feelings of happiness
- Reduce stress
- Increase comfort
How to Boost Your Happy Hormones
According to experts, there are numerous ways to boost happy hormones, which can improve function and make you happier. These strategies are not difficult because they are part of daily life.
Increases the hormone serotonin
To increase the body's serotonin levels, you can do the following things:
- Exercise regularly
- Do physical activities such as dancing or yoga
- Get enough sun exposure, especially in the morning
- Consume foods rich in tryptophan, such as yoghurt, soybeans, sea fish, meat, eggs, nuts and seeds
Increases the hormone dopamine
There are several strategies to boost the dopamine hormone, such as:
- Eat nutritious foods, especially foods that are high in tyrosine, such as meat, dairy products, nuts, soybeans, and eggs
- Get enough quality sleep
- Meditation and mindfulness practice
- Listening to music can improve mood and motivation
Read more: The Importance Of Having A Self-Esteem For Health And Life Happiness
Increases the hormone oxytocin
Daily activities that enhance the hormone oxytocin include:
- Activities that build intimacy, such as hugging, holding hands, kissing, or just touching
- Talk to loved ones
- Give praise
- Do small acts of kindness
- Share food
- Eat with your family
Increases endorphin hormones
There are various strategies to improve endorphin levels, including:
- Eat dark chocolate
- Watch a comedy show
- Talk to your humorous friends
- Active exercise, especially with moderate to high intensity, such as running, cycling or lifting weights
Increasing the aforementioned hormones will make you happier and wealthier in general. If all you have done is feel overwhelmed by a profound sense of sadness or guilt that is disrupting with your day-to-day activities and social interactions, you can either visit a doctor, a psychologist, or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Alvidiani Agustina Damanik
Crystal Raypole (2022). How to Hack Your Hormones for a Better Mood. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/happy-hormone
Tchiki Davis, PhD (2024). The Hormones That Boost Happiness. Available from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/click-here-for-happiness/202312/hormones-that-boost-happiness
Stephanie Watson (2024). Feel-good hormones: How they affect your mind, mood, and body. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/feel-good-hormones-how-they-affect-your-mind-mood-and-body
Cleveland Clinic (2022). Serotonin. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
Hope Cristol, et all. Dopamine: What It Is & What It Does. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine
Harvard Medical School (2023). Oxytocin: The love hormone. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone
Stephanie Watson (2024). Endorphins: The brain's natural pain reliever. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/endorphins-the-brains-natural-pain-reliever
WebMD (2023). Foods High in Tryptophan. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-tryptophan