Happiness hormones are powerful in ensuring consistent happiness. I have talked about these hormones in previous episodes. Because they are so powerful, I am dedicating this episode to happy hormones.
Happy hormones help us feel good. They are dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins and serotonin. Understanding how they are triggered gives you the tools to get out of negative emotional tunnels and slumps. Knowing how the happy hormones work is also essential for avoiding addictions and unhealthy habits (sugar, fat, alcohol and shopping trigger dopamine… just saying).
Introduction of Happy Hormones
If you don’t know what these hormones are, here’s a primer:
Dopamine is the reward hormone. It is triggered by ticking off checklists, eating sugar and fat, and buying new gadgets (hello shiny objects syndrome). It can also be triggered by celebrating successes, breaking down goals into action steps and achieving them.
Oxytocin is the love hormone. It helps us form connections, bonds and relationships. Oxytocin increases social trust. We can release oxytocin through touch and attention. You can trigger it with virtual contact, but it’s most powerful with direct touch, like a hug.
Endorphins are the painkilling hormones. They are the body’s own morphine and are released when we are in pain. Laughing or crying very hard (so it hurts), exercising or hurting ourselves triggers endorphins. I recommend laughing regularly to get your dose of endorphins.
Serotonin is our mood-stabilising hormone. Serotonin is related to status. It is released when we are stronger than someone else in something. Serotonin can help us feel confident. Trigger it by taking pride in something you have achieved and noticing the impact (however small) you have on people around you.
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Look at the Podcast overview page if you haven’t listened to my other episodes. I have covered general topics like what happiness is and how gratitude, positive thinking, being social and healthy habits support happiness. I’m talking about topics like global warming, play and negativity bias. And most importantly, I have answered the question of who is responsible for your happiness and what to do about it.
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Have a happy day!