Research suggests that four hormones drive feelings of joy and happiness.
Here are 12 simple practices to boost feel-good hormones.
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And we can give ourselves anactualdose of joy by doing practices that boost each one of them.
As you might guess, the methods acronym stands for the joyful neurotransmitters themselves.
So much of the world of joy gets stuck above the neck and intellectualized, says Agrawal.
founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, author ofThe Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good,and a co-editor ofThe Compassionate Instinct
But weve actually found that a lot of real joy can come from activating the body-brain connection through movement.
This concept [of D.O.S.E.]
To that end, Agrawal andDr.
What are feel-good hormones (AKA happy hormones)?
12 Joy Practices Designed To Boost Each of the Feel-Good Hormones
1.
Serotonin, she adds, is a precursor to melatonin.
That means that sun exposure during the day can also support a more restorative night sleep.
Whats more,sunlight can also increase the bodys production of endorphins.
Dr. Stephenson describes endorphins as the bodys natural opiates.
founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, author ofThe Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good,and a co-editor ofThe Compassionate Instinct
The other is dopamine, which leads to that pleasurable relaxed feeling following a satisfying intimate encounter.
Eating tasty food also releases dopamine and serotonin, thoughsome foods are more mood-boostingthan others.
In particular, Dr. Stephenson says chocolate is notorious for making people feel happy.
Meditation: Serotonin
Meditation is another mood-boosting ritual to add to your happiness toolkit.
In particular, Dr. Stephenson says laughingenhances dopamine and serotoninand decreases excess cortisol, further relieving stress.
And fun fact: Theres also such a thing aslaughter therapyfor the management of chronic stress.
And you dont need to take on the responsibilities of pet ownership to reap the rewards.
Petting friends or family members pets will also do the trick.
So, the next time youre feeling blue, get out in nature, stat.
Recent studies have also shown thatexercise increases serotonin levels in the brain.
Translation: Over time, regular exercise will help you feel more naturally happy and content.
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