Happy hormones are chemical messengers in the body to help improve mood.
For each individual, increasing happy hormones in the body can assist in maintaining mental health.
One of the best practices is to increase interaction with your closest people.
Discover the explanation in the article below to understand more about happy hormones!
What Are Happy Hormones?
A hormone is a chemical substance produced by various glands in the body.. One of the most important hormones for maintaining mood is the happy hormone.
Happy hormones are chemical messengers that help promote a positive mood.
This hormone works by carrying messages through blood circulation throughout the body, including the skin, muscles, organs, and other tissues.
These messages help your body respond appropriately at the right time. Therefore, happy hormones are very important for the body.
4 Types of Happy Hormones
There are 4 types of happy hormones with different functions. Here is the explanation:
1. Serotonin
One of the types of happy hormones is serotonin. This hormone creates feelings of happiness and success, and helps stabilize mood.
When serotonin levels in the body are normal, you will feel happier, calmer, more stable, and less prone to anxiety.
Serotonin itself is produced in the central nervous system in the body, and some of them are formed in the digestive system and blood thrombocytes.
Some functions of this hormone include:
- Triggers the nausea reflex.
- Supports digestive function.
- Helps regulate the sleep–wake cycle.
- Improves appetite.
- Maintains bone health.
- Helps improve memory and cognitive processes.
- Supports wound healing by improving blood clotting.
2. Oxytocin
The next type of happy hormone is oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. As the name suggests, this hormone affects an individual’s behavior and interactions related to love and affection.
Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus and released through the pituitary gland and into the bloodstream.
Some functions of this hormone include:
- Helps build self-confidence.
- Strengthens emotional bonds between mothers and their children.
- Triggers contractions during childbirth.
- Stimulates breast milk production and supports breastfeeding.
- Enhances maternal instincts in caring for children.
3. Endorphin
Endorphin is a chemical substance produced in the pituitary glands to help relieve stress and pain.
This happy hormone works in the opiate receptors in the parts of the brain and is released to respond against pain and stress.
Therefore, when you feel stressed, you need to increase your endorphin levels, for example, through exercise.
Aside from managing stress and pain, endorphin also holds other functions, namely:
- Help regulate appetite.
- Stimulate the release of sex hormones.
- Trigger feelings of happiness and euphoria.
- Improve the body’s immune system.
- Enhance self-confidence, optimism, and self-esteem.
- Reduce pain during childbirth.
4. Dopamine
Lastly, dopamine is the happy hormone related to satisfaction and reward.
Dopamine pushes an individual’s ability to to learn, think, plan, and execute tasks.
This way, when dopamine levels in the body are normal, you will feel more focused when working and learning.
In addition, other functions of dopamine include:
- Helps regulate kidney and blood vessel function.
- Helps maintain a normal heartbeat.
- Helps regulate sleep cycles.
- Maintains a positive mood.
- Improves attention.
- Controls nausea and vomiting reflexes.
- Supports digestive function.
- Helps with decision-making processes.
- Supports motor system function.
Effects of Happy Hormone Imbalance
Happy hormones are important chemicals in the body to help manage mood.
The way happy hormones work affects body functions. Therefore, their levels must be maintained within normal ranges.
Hormonal imbalance can trigger various health disorders, namely:
- Anxiety disorders and depression.
- Sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
- Emotional instability.
- Addiction.
- Increased sensitivity to pain.
- Impulsive and obsessive behaviors.
- Reduced motivation and decreased will to live.
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating.
- Movement disorders.
How to Increase Happy Hormones
After understanding the definition, types, and effects of happy hormone imbalance, you also need to understand how to increase their levels.
Here is the explanation:
1. Getting Plenty of Sleep
One of the strategies to increase happy hormone levels is to get plenty of sleep, which is around 7–9 hours per night.
Sleep deprivation can cause dopamine levels to decrease and affect your mood in daily life.
In addition, if this condition persists, you may experience sleep disorders, such as insomnia. Therefore, getting plenty of sleep every day is important.
2. Interacting with Closest Ones
The next strategy to increase happy hormone levels is to interact with closest ones, such as family and close friends.
Meeting, interacting, and joking around with them can trigger happiness. This way, you can increase the levels of endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine.
3. Spending Time Outside the House
In the morning, you can spend time outdoors to get sunlight exposure.
Sunlight exposure can help stimulate the release of serotonin in the brain through signals received by the retina.
For the best benefits, you can spend 5–15 minutes outdoors between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., for example by walking.
However, before going outside, ensure that you apply sunscreen to prevent the harmful effects of UV rays.
4. Exercising Regularly
Exercising regularly is a way to increase happy hormones you can practice.
During exercise, you can opt for mild activities, such as walking slowly, cycling, jogging, swimming, and yoga.
In addition, to reap the benefits of exercise optimally and maintain an active lifestyle, you can create a schedule of at least 15–30 minutes per day.
You can reduce anxiety and stress, and improve your happiness.
5. Consuming Healthy Foods
The next strategy is to consume healthy and nutritious foods.
This practice is effective to maintain happy hormone balance, particularly in foods that contain omega-3 and tryptophan.
Some instances of foods with this ingredient include salmon and nuts.
In addition, you can also consume avocado, dark chocolate, and spicy foods to help increase endorphin and serotonin levels.
6. Listening to Music
Listening to music also helps increase your happy hormone levels.
You can release serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which leads to a calmer state of mind.
Interestingly, when you listen to music in various genres, the benefits are also different.
For example, upbeat and happy music will lead to a happier and more enthusiastic mood.
Conversely, slower music genres help relax the body and calm the mind.
7. Relaxation Massage
Lastly, you can opt for a relaxation massage session to increase happy hormone levels.
Gentle massage provided by a masseuse can trigger relaxing sensation, which in turn increases happy hormone production.
This strategy also helps manage exhaustion due to your busy schedule.
This concludes the information about the definition, types, and ways to increase happy hormones.
As previously mentioned, maintaining happy hormone levels is important to prevent mental disorders.
One of the recommended practices is to drink mineral water in the morning to help maintain energy and improve mood.
When the body is hydrated, positive energy and mood will be maintained as well. Therefore #AQUADULU.
It should be noted that not all mineral water is the same. AQUA is a pure mineral drinking water sourced from mountain springs and processed through strict quality control.
In addition, AQUA tastes naturally cold and fresh without being put in the refrigerator first, since AQUA is 100% pure mountain water. AQUA also contains natural minerals and is free from pollution since it is sourced from the deepest mountains.
Always provide AQUA in the morning, the healthiest drinking water before starting your activities and kickstart your happy hormones!
Created by nature, 100% PURE mineral drinking water sourced from mountains without any additions, the way nature provides it for you.
