Top 4 Hormones that Make You Happy and Boost Your Mood

So what makes us happy? There are many things that can lift our spirits: laughter, love, music… But there’s also another way you can get a dose of happiness – through your hormones. Here is our list of top 4 hormones that make you happy and boost your mood:

Dopamine

Dopamine is one of the most important and most researched hormones when it comes to happiness and mood. It’s naturally released in our brains when we experience pleasure, like:

• eating tasty food; 

• laughing; 

• having sex;

• achieving a goal;
• receiving praise. 

Dopamine is essential for our brains to function properly and it’s released in many different areas of the brain and spinal cord. Dopamine is involved in:

• feelings of pleasure and reward; 

• motor control;

• attention;

• cognition;

• motivation;

• mood.

Endorphins

Endorphins are the “happy” opioids in our bodies, so it’s no surprise that they make us happy and help us to feel good. They’re released when we: 

• exercise;

• do sports; 

• eat chocolate;

• have sex.

Yes, chocolate and sex are legit ways to boost your endorphin levels!

Endorphins are our bodies’ natural painkillers and trigger the same receptors in our brains as opiates like morphine do. So, if you’re feeling sad or depressed, exercising releases endorphins that can help lift your mood. Endorphins are also responsible for:

• “runner’s high” that many people experience after intense exercise;

• “craving” that many people experience when they have to abstain from chocolate or sex.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is commonly referred to as the “love hormone” because it’s released while we’re experiencing romantic or sexual arousal. Oxytocin is a hormone that is naturally produced by our bodies. 

It’s released by the pituitary gland and acts as a neurotransmitter that stimulates feelings of calm, security, and connectedness. You can increase your oxytocin levels by practicing gratitude, focusing on the positive, and connecting with loved ones.

Serotonin

Serotonin is the “confidence hormone” and makes you feel happy and optimistic. It helps regulate our mood, emotions, and sleep. 

Serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan, which we get from food. Serotonin levels naturally decline with age, so it’s important that we get enough tryptophan in our diets to keep our serotonin levels healthy. 

Conclusion

There are many hormones that make us happy and boost our mood. Some of these include dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. You can increase your hormone levels by: 

• eating the right foods; 

• moving your body regularly;

• practicing gratitude and other positive mindset tips. 

Now that you know these hormones and how they make you happy. What will you do with this information? Will you start to change your diet, move your body more, and practice gratitude? Whatever you decide to do, if you make these changes, you’ll feel happier and more confident in no time.

We recommend starting your first steps fortunately with the Sensera app. There you will find a lot of exercises to improve your mental health. Download now so as not to postpone your happiness for later!