We all crave happiness. We think of it as our purpose in life, as the ideal that we must achieve. However, happiness is not a permanent state, but moments that make us feel happy.
What we can achieve is a degree of well-being and inner peace with which we feel satisfied with the life we have. A pleasant sensation that we are well, at ease with life’.
How can we get it? One of the ways is by doing everything that activates the hormones of ‘happiness’. There are four of them and the good news is that you don’t have to parachute, go around the world, have thousands of followers, or be famous. There are small daily gestures that will secrete these substances.
The Functions of the ‘Happiness Quartet’
As we said, when we think of happiness, the image that comes to mind is a state conditioned by external factors that, most likely, is that we do not control. For example: when I win the lottery I will be happy, in this new apartment I will get happiness, etc. These things may bring us good times, but what we seek is a state of wholeness. To do this, a good way is to activate these substances that work as natural drugs for our happiness.
Dopamine. It is a neurotransmitter that helps control the reward and pleasure centers of the brain. When activated, it increases our energy and motivation.
Endorphins. They are neurotransmitters that act as natural pain relievers, generating well-being. When we release endorphins we feel happiness, euphoria, and determination.
Serotonin. It is a neurotransmitter that is released when we feel socially recognized. Also when we satisfy basic needs like eating. When our serotonin level is high we feel safe and at peace.
Oxytocin. It is a neurotransmitter known as the ‘love hormone. We are social beings and we need to feel connected. Oxytocin helps reduce cortisol levels (stress hormones) and therefore reduces anxiety. When we have a good level of oxytocin, we are more prepared to manage our environment.
Sleep
Sleep is essential in life. It favors the good function of the brain, protects memory, makes you feel good and when we sleep the necessary hours, we recharge dopamine levels. It is much easier to be motivated when we have rested.
Eat Chocolate
And eggs, nuts, avocado, banana… all these foods contain tyrosine, a key substance for dopamine secretion. But be careful with foods high in sugar. That is pastries, ultra-processed foods, etc. They give you a shot of dopamine, which goes down as fast as it goes up.
Complete the tasks You have in progress
Hasn’t it happened to you that when you’ve finished tidying up the closet you feel good, calm as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders? Dopamine is also to blame. Complete pending tasks. Start small, with small things. When we break something big into smaller parts, it is easier for us to release dopamine.
Listen to Music
Have you ever been sad and when listening to a song that you love you started to smile without being able to avoid it? There it is, when listening to music that we like, we secrete dopamine.
Do Exercise
Moving the body is the best we can do if we want to activate the entire quartet. When we exercise we release dopamine and the rest of the well-being hormones: endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin. Our brain rewards us every time we move its great partner, the body.
Have Orgasms
It is a way to secrete endorphins. When we reach that pleasure that orgasm provides, the body heals. This does not mean that they cure diseases, but they do make you feel good. You already know that, right?
Eat Spicily
Faced with the pain or discomfort that occurs when eating something that is very itchy, the endorphins go into action to calm that sensation and give us pleasure.
Don’t forget to Laugh or Smile
Both smiling and laughing release endorphins especially when we get to the point of laughing until it hurts or ‘die laughing. The feeling of well-being that you end up with after a good laugh lasts. So you have to try to laugh as much as possible, a frank, sonorous laugh.
Crying is good too
Tears also heal. Crying is a mechanism of the body to relieve pain, here endorphins come into play again. If we cry with grief, the endorphins will help us calm down. If we cry with joy, the endorphins will shoot up. What a beautiful feeling: crying with joy.
Give up Alcohol
This doesn’t mean you can’t have a glass of wine or a beer, but it’s important to know that within three minutes of drinking alcohol, the body’s serotonin levels plummet. Aggressive behavior is related to alcohol since when serotonin is reduced, the natural brakes on behavior are deactivated.
Expose Yourself to the Sunlight
Exposing yourself to the sun with caution is a pure vitamin. By receiving light and heat from the sun we release serotonin and feel comfortable. Of course, control sun exposure, since although it is healthy, it can also be harmful if you overdo it or do not protect yourself.
Seek Social Recognition
But the good one, the real one, not the one on social media, harms your external attention and lowers serotonin. The important thing is that you surround yourself with those people who genuinely recognize you, those who truly love you. Make you’re real-world more powerful than the virtual world. Serotonin needs to stay up.
Eat Healthy
80% of the serotonin produced by the body is generated in the intestine. That is why our serotonin levels are related to how hungry we are. It is important to differentiate between emotional hunger and real hunger. Don’t eat to anesthetize.
Be Compassionate, Help
When we help, we secrete oxytocin when we feel connected. If you think your oxytocin levels are low, why not surprise or give a special gift to someone you love?
Words of Affirmation and Love
Surround yourself with those people who bring positive things to your life, who value you and support you, and who remind you why you are together. When we hear a compliment from someone we value, our oxytocin automatically goes up.
Let off Steam
It is proven that trying to suppress emotions does us no good. When we vent our emotions through tears, we not only secrete endorphins but also oxytocin.
Hugs Heal
When we feel bad, we seek each other’s hugs to comfort us. It has an explanation, physical contact releases oxytocin. Also caresses, kisses, and, of course, sex.
