Hack Your Happy Hormones With These Habits

Are you prioritizing the increase of your happy hormones? You might know a little bit about the hormones that make us happy, but I bet you don't do much to make sure your brain is releasing a good amount of them.

I've done my research on our happy hormones, so you don't have to. Here's some habits I've implemented into my life, specifically to increase production of those good hormones.

Everything I'm mentioning in this blog post is meant to be super easy, but extremely impactful if you make sure to prioritize them. So, try them out and you'll notice yourself feeling happier every day!

The Love Hormone

Oxytocin, nicknamed the "love hormone", plays a role in lowering cortisol levels and blood pressure in our bodies. This hormone also brings feelings of love and connection.

The warm and fuzzy feeling we get when we bond with others, is produced by oxytocin. By hearing the nickname "love hormone", your mind probably goes to the romantic side of things. And while if you do have a significant other, you probably do get a fair amount of oxytocin, there are plenty of other places this hormone comes from.

One of my favorite ways to stimulate oxytocin in my brain is by giving a stranger a compliment. It's as easy as that. If you can make it a habit to give at least one stranger one compliment a day, you're already getting a spike of oxytocin.

Oxytocin can come from petting an animal, too! I have three dogs at home, so I definitely get my fair share of oxytocin through this habit. If you don't have access to an animal you can pet, not to worry- here's a list of some other ways to stimulate oxytocin in our brains:

• do a good deed

• hug someone you love

• spend time with friends and family

• get a massage

• affection with your partner (cuddling, kissing, hugging)

• plan a romantic date night

The Pain Relief + Mood Support Hormone

One of the most talked about hormones, and rightfully so, is endorphins! This hormone is a natural pain killer and stress reliever. Figuring out how to hack your endorphins is a very useful tool in life.

Have you ever noticed that when you are so stressed or sad, if you get your body moving you immediately feel at least a little better when you're done? That's because moving your body releases endorphins!

You probably already know that the greatest way to release endorphins in your brain is through exercise. So, for this habit, I make sure I get at least 30 minutes of exercise in every single day. My absolute favorite right now is a pilates workout I follow on Youtube! If this interests you, try it out here!

I know it can be hard to force yourself to exercise when you're feeling down, but I promise, if you make this a habit, you will notice a crazy difference in your happiness levels.

Some of my other favorite ways to hack endorphin release in my brain are:

• eating dark chocolate

• watching my favorite funny show (Impractical Jokers and New Girl are my go-tos)

• doing some form of movement that I enjoy (my favorites are pilates or a short walk)

• eating spicy foods

The Feel Good Hormone

Another hormone we hear a lot about is dopamine! Dopamine is known as the feel good hormone because it is the driver of pleasure, success, and motivation.

Dopamine gets spiked when we complete something. That's why we feel so good when we get a promotion or reach a goal we've been trying at. This is also why dopamine is the driver of motivation.

So, my number one favorite way to activate dopamine in my brain is to complete small tasks throughout the day. I love creating to-do lists with a lot of simple tasks on the list. This can be cleaning my room, doing the dishes, making a meal- basically things I'm already going to do, but I make it a list so I can feel a sense of achievement when I cross something off.

But, completing something isn't the only way to get spikes of dopamine. Think about all of the things that make you feel good, and do them! Make sure to make it a habit to take time to do things for yourself that you know will make you feel happy every single day.

Some things I do that I know increase dopamine in my brain are practicing my sport (which is cheerleading if you're wondering), baking a treat I enjoy, doing a face-mask and watching a movie, and singing to my favorite songs in the car.

Some other ways to increase dopamine that don't involve completing something are:

• eat a treat

• listen to up-beat music

• get quality rest

• practice self-care

• drink a cup of green tea

The Stabilized Mood Hormone

And finally, we have serotonin, the hormone that supports a stable mood. It also is responsible for regulating our sleep, reducing stress and anxiety, managing our emotions, and even controlling our appetite and digestion!

So, with that huge list of roles serotonin has, it's clearly very important to make sure we are prioritizing the stimulation of it in our brains. Luckily, serotonin can be fairly easy to access!

The number one way I make sure to release serotonin is to spend time in nature. This is a little harder in the winter months, but as it's getting warmer I am making sure to prioritize being outside when I can. In the warmer months, getting outside is the easiest thing you can do to increase serotonin levels.

A huge hack for serotonin is making sure we get enough vitamin D. If vitamin D levels are low in our bodies, our brains release much less serotonin. We get vitamin D from the sun, so it would make sense that spending time outside increases Serotonin. However, in the winter months when it's too cold to be outside, I take a vitamin D supplement.

(I get mine from Amazon, if you're interested it's linked here)

Serotonin is all about reducing stress and mood stabilization, so think anything that helps you relax when you're stressed. Some of my favorites are to take a warm bath, go for a walk, and meditation.

Some other ways you can access serotonin in your brain are:

• breathing exercises along with meditation

• yoga

• infrared sauna

• take a walk, run, or hike

• express gratitude

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And there you have it! I've provided you with a ton of ideas on how to increase levels of our happy hormones.

All of the ideas I've given you can work for a quick mood booster, but if you really prioritize these things and are mindful about increasing these hormones, you'll be a much happier person all the time.

Now go try them out and get those happy hormones flowing!