Scientists from the United States Environmental Protection Agency identified over 50 hormones in the human body. The good news is that some of these have the power to boost your mood. Think about that warm, fuzzy feeling when you hold a puppy or baby. Interested to learn more about happy hormones? Read on to discover what you can do to never run out of your feel-good supply.
Types of Happy Hormones
Hormones act as messengers in your body, regulating everything from physical functions to emotional responses. Your thoughts, activities, and even the food you eat can influence how they work. In matters of mood, some hormones wield significant boosting powers.
Here are the different types of happy hormones (though, technically, only one of them is an actual hormone):
- Dopamine: Also known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, dopamine is part of your brain’s reward system. Besides pleasure, it’s also associated with learning and memory.
- Serotonin. This neurotransmitter regulates your mood and helps with functions like sleep, appetite, digestion, learning, and memory.
- Oxytocin. Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is responsible for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. It also promotes trust, empathy, and a sense of closeness with others.
- Endorphins. Don’t be surprised if you find relief for your bad back when your brain releases endorphins. These molecules act as your body’s natural pain reliever and increase during stress, discomfort, or reward-producing activities, like working out or having sex.
Ways to Boost Happy Hormones
Many activities trigger happy hormones without you realising it – that second wind you get on the last leg of a marathon, the “spark” that signals a second date. So, understanding these natural triggers can help you activate them when you’re feeling down. Lean into your interests and pick a tip that best suits your lifestyle so you can get the mood boost you need.
1. Get some outdoor time.
If you want to get out of your funk, step outside and take a walk. Research from Neuropsychiatry links depression to a deficiency in vitamin D, a nutrient abundant in sunlight. Another study from The Journal of Positive Psychology reveals that contact with the natural world improves health and well-being. Additional studies from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health connect greenery exposure with lower levels of cortisol, a hormone produced when you’re stressed.
The Japanese even have a name for it: Shinrin yoku, or forest bathing. Originating in Japan in the 1980s following mass urbanisation, the idea is to find a forest and get in touch with nature. Try it yourself and spend a few minutes outside a couple of times a week. But don’t forget to put on sunscreen!
2. Get your body moving.
If you’ve ever experienced a “runner’s high,” you likely know that exercising can boost endorphins. But a workout also increases other happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin. Establish an exercise routine to maintain your body-moving momentum. Experiment with a new sport you’ve always wanted to try, like Brazilian jiu-jitsu or Krav Maga. Research from Scientific Reports links martial arts to higher oxytocin levels.
Or, hit the dance floor. Turns out, busting out your fancy footwork can boost your happy hormones, too. Research from Harvard Medical School reveals that dancing reduces stress, increases serotonin levels, and helps long-term memory and spatial recognition.
3. Laugh more.
When was the last time you found something hilarious that you ended up ROTFL? Laughing not only provides instant relief from a long week but also stimulates dopamine and endorphin release.
Rewatch your favourite rom-com or send your bestie a relatable meme so you can share a funny moment. A study from the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that social laughter triggers an opioid release in the brain. Life is too short to be serious all the time, so don’t hold back on your cackle!
4. Practise mindful meditation.
The age-old practice of meditation can clear a mind cluttered with anxieties from a long and stressful day. Studies from Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience even confirm that meditation can activate dopamine activity.
If you’re not sure how to start, follow these simple steps:
- Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit.
- Let all your thoughts, positive or negative, pass you by. Imagine each thought as a passing cloud in your mind’s sky.
- With each thought, don’t judge or cling to it. Acknowledge it, then let go.
5. Enjoy (or cook) a meal.
If you’re a food lover, this next tip is for you. Imagine the last time you took a bite out of an old-fashioned cheeseburger perfectly cooked and seasoned to a tee. Remember your first taste of oyster so sweet and buttery that it sent signals bursting through your brain. This pleasure from an out-of-body gastronomic experience can trigger the release of happy hormones like dopamine and endorphins.
When meal planning and cooking, choose dishes with happy hormone-boosting ingredients. Yoghurt, beans, eggs, and low-fat meat can all boost dopamine. Besides eating a diet rich in omega-3, look for foods with tryptophan and antioxidants. Nuts, seeds, dark greens like spinach or kale, milk, and soy products are good places to start. End your feel-good meal with a nice cup of joe. Research from Translational Psychiatry links caffeine to increased dopamine availability in the brain.
6. Listen to (or make) music.
There’s nothing like singing your heart out to your favourite song to make you feel alive and well. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, music can increase dopamine transmission. So, hit play, turn up the volume, and let your tunes bring in the good vibes.
7. Flash a smile!
For a quick and easy pick-me-up, flash your best smile. Studies from ScienceDaily say you can trick your way into feeling happier by smiling. When you grin, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Smiling also triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
Flip that frown upside down with a perfect set of pearly whites. ClearCorrect dental aligners offer a discreet and comfortable solution for straightening crooked or overcrowded teeth. They’re completely removable so you can transform your smile without impacting your mood-boosting routine.
If you’ve been feeling down for some time, thankfully, you don’t have to resort to medication immediately. Make simple adjustments to your lifestyle that will boost your happy hormones. Take this opportunity to seek activities that spark your brain into joy so you can blossom into the happiest version of yourself.
References:
Cuomo, A., Giordano, N. G., Goracci, A., & Fagiolini, A. (2017). Depression and vitamin D deficiency: causality, assessment, and clinical practice implications. Neuropsychiatry, 07(05).
Dancing and the brain. (n.d.). Harvard Medical School.
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Healy-Stoffel, M., & Levant, B. (2018). N-3 (Omega-3) fatty acids: effects on brain dopamine systems and potential role in the etiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Cns & Neurological Disorders-drug Targets, 17(3), 216–232.
Jiménez, M. P., DeVille, N. V., Elliott, E. G., Schiff, J. E., Wilt, G. E., Hart, J. E., & James, P. (2021). Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4790.
Knytl, P., & Opitz, B. (2018). Meditation experience predicts negative reinforcement learning and is associated with attenuated FRN amplitude. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 19(2), 268–282.
Manninen, S., Tuominen, L., Dunbar, R., Karjalainen, T., Hirvonen, J., Arponen, E., Hari, R., Jä̈Askëlainen, I. P., Sams, M., & Nummenmaa, L. (2017). Social laughter triggers endogenous opioid release in humans. The Journal of Neuroscience, 37(25), 6125–6131.
Neill, C., Gerard, J., & Arbuthnott, K. D. (2018). Nature contact and mood benefits: contact duration and mood type. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 14(6), 756–767.
Overview of the endocrine system | US EPA. (2023, March 13). US EPA.
Psychologists find smiling really can make people happier. (2019, April 19). ScienceDaily.
Rassovsky, Y., Harwood, A., Zagoory‐Sharon, O., & Feldman, R. (2019). Martial arts increase oxytocin production. Scientific Reports, 9(1).
Volkow, N. D., Wang, G. J., Logan, J., Alexoff, D., Fowler, J. S., Thanos, P. K., Wong, C., Casadó, V., Ferré, S., & Tomasi, D. (2015). Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the human brain. Translational Psychiatry, 5(4), e549.
