Here’s how you can boost your happy hormones with simple lifestyle changes

We all wish for happiness because it is a wonderful emotion that can engulf your mind and body, make you laugh or even cry, and is contagious enough to spread to other people. Our bodies go through a series of extremely complex chemical processes that make us feel happy, cheerful, or cheerful.

If you want to stay happy, it is important to understand what these “happy hormones” are and how you can increase their production to feel happy and satisfied. In this article, we list some of the happiness hormones our bodies produce and how to increase their production through lifestyle changes.

Here are the hormones that are often referred to as “happy hormones”:

1. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and hormone that helps regulate mood along with digestion, hunger, sleep, learning and memory.

2. Dopamine, also known as the “feel good hormone,” is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in your brain’s reward system. In addition to learning, memory and other things, it is associated with pleasant feelings.

3. Endorphins are hormones your body naturally produces to relieve pain in response to stress or discomfort. Levels can also increase as a result of rewarding behaviors such as eating, exercising, or having sex.

4. Oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone”, is essential for breastfeeding, childbirth and the close relationship between parent and child. In addition, it can promote bonding, empathy and trust in a partnership. Physical affection often leads to increased levels.

Now that you understand what the different hormones of happiness are, let’s understand which lifestyle changes can help produce enough of these hormones.

Here are lifestyle choices that can increase the production of these hormones:

1. Engage in physical activities

Most people are aware that exercise releases endorphins. Any kind of exercise that gets your heart rate up makes you feel good, and strenuous exercise that does just that can give you a sense of exercise euphoria. Your brain’s pain receptors will also interact with endorphins in a way that will actually reduce your sensation of pain.

2. Eat foods that increase HH

Your diet has a significant effect on how your hormones work. Due to its high content of phenylethylamine, dark chocolate can improve mood in small doses. Other foods that can improve mood include chili peppers, which contain capsaicin, fatty fish for their omega 3 fatty acids, coffee (in moderation), foods that contain tryptophan, such as chicken, eggs, milk, nuts and seeds, and coffee in moderation.

3. Treat yourself to a massage

Massage or any other form of relaxing touch can release endorphins and stimulate the production of oxytocin in both the recipient and the masseuse. The same is true of other healing modalities that relax the body and reduce pain, such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and hydrotherapy.

4. Laugh more

Watch your favorite comedy show to flush out the endorphins. Laughter reduces stress, strengthens the immune system and improves overall mood. Because it works so well, laughter therapy has become a recognized cognitive behavioral therapy for treating stress and grief in patients.

5. Sunbathe

In addition to eating a variety of fish, fish liver and egg yolks, vitamin D can also be obtained by exposing the skin to sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon. In addition to keeping our bones and immune system healthy, this vitamin also indirectly supports the production of serotonin, a hormone that can alleviate symptoms of depression.

6. Listen to music

Many of the hormones of happiness can be increased by music. Instrumental music, especially chill-inducing music, can cause your brain to produce more dopamine. However, if you appreciate music, listening to it can help you feel better. Your serotonin production may increase as a result of this improvement in your mood.

7. Practice gratitude

The brain’s reward system is activated by gratitude and feel-good chemicals are released. Many people keep a regular gratitude journal in which they record their blessings; others do the “Three Blessings Exercise” in which they focus on three blessings each evening.

8. Take a cold shower

A hot shower is relaxing, but a rush of cold water will wake up endorphins in your body and leave you feeling slightly euphoric. Studies have been investigating cold water exposure and therapy for some time. Experts say that the production of endorphins, our body’s natural painkillers, as a result of a cold shower improves our mood.

There are many other ways you can naturally and safely increase your happiness hormones.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides general information only. In no case does it replace a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV is not responsible for this information.