6/13/2017 HackingIntoYourHappyChemicals:Dopamine,Serotonin,EndorphinsandOxytocin|HuffPost

HackingIntoYourHappyChemicals:Dopamine,Seroto 270
US
E DI TI O N

THEBLOG 10/20/201411:56amET|UpdatedDec20,2014

HackingIntoYourHappyChemicals:
Dopamine,Serotonin,Endorphinsand
Oxytocin
ByThaiNguyen

ImageCredit:Pixabay.

Wemightnothaveamoneytree,butwecanhaveahappinesstree.Dopamine,serotonin,oxytocinand
endorphinsarethequartetresponsibleforourhappiness.Manyeventscantriggerthese
neurotransmitters,butratherthanbeinginthepassengerseat,therearewayswecanintentionallycause
themtoflow.

Beinginapositivestatehassignificantimpactonourmotivation,productivity,andwellbeing.Nosane
personwouldbeopposedtohavinghigherlevelsinthoseareas.

Herearesomesimplewaystohackintoourpositiveneurochemicals:

Dopamine

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Dopaminemotivatesustotakeactiontowardgoals,desires,andneeds,andgivesasurgeofreinforcing
HackingIntoYourHappyChemicals:Dopamine,Seroto 270
pleasurewhenachievingthem.Procrastination,selfdoubt,andlackofenthusiasmarelinkedwithlow
levelsofdopamine.Studiesonratsshowedthosewithlowlevelsofdopaminealwaysoptedforaneasy
optionandlessfoodthosewithhigherlevelsexertedtheeffortneededtoreceivetwicetheamountof
food.

Breakbiggoalsdownintolittlepiecesratherthanonlyallowingourbrainstocelebratewhenwevehit
thefinishline,wecancreateaseriesoflittlefinishlineswhichreleasesdopamine.Anditscrucialto
actuallycelebratebuyabottleofwine,orheadtoyourfavoriterestaurantwheneveryoumeetasmall
goal.

Insteadofbeingleftwithadopaminehangover,createnewgoalsbeforeachievingyourcurrentone.That
ensuresacontinualflowforexperiencingdopamine.Asanemployerandleader,recognizingthe
accomplishmentsofyourteam,e.g.sendingthemanemail,orgivingabonus,willallowthemtohavea
dopaminehitandincreasefuturemotivationandproductivity.

Serotonin

Serotoninflowswhenyoufeelsignificantorimportant.Lonelinessanddepressionappearswhen
serotoninisabsent.Itsperhapsonereasonwhypeoplefallintogangandcriminalactivitytheculture
bringsexperiencesthatfacilitateserotoninrelease.Unhealthyattentionseekingbehaviorcanalsobea
cryforwhatserotoninbrings.PrincetonneuroscientistBarryJacobsexplainsthatmostantidepressants
focusontheproductionofserotonin.

Reflectingonpastsignificantachievementsallowsthebraintorelivetheexperience.Ourbrainhas
troubletellingthedifferencebetweenwhatsrealandimagined,soitproducesserotonininbothcases.
Itsanotherreasonwhygratitudepracticesarepopular.Theyremindusthatwearevaluedandhave
muchtovalueinlife.Ifyouneedaserotoninboostduringastressfulday,takeafewmomentstoreflect
onapastachievementsandvictories.

Havelunchorcoffeeoutsideandexposeyourselftothesunfor20minutesourskinabsorbsUVrays,
whichpromotesvitaminDandserotoninproduction.Althoughtoomuchultravioletlightisntgood,some
dailyexposureishealthytoboostserotoninlevels.

Oxytocin

Oxytocincreatesintimacy,trust,andbuildshealthyrelationships.Itsreleasedbymenandwomenduring
orgasm,andbymothersduringchildbirthandbreastfeeding.Animalswillrejecttheiroffspringwhenthe
releaseofoxytocinisblocked.Oxytocinincreasesfidelitymeninmonogamousrelationshipswhowere
givenaboostofoxytocininteractedwithsinglewomenatagreaterphysicaldistancethenmenwho
werentgivenanyoxytocin.Thecultivationofoxytocinisessentialforcreatingstrongbondsandimproved
socialinteractions.

Oftenreferredtoasthecuddlehormone,asimplewaytokeepoxytocinflowingistogivesomeoneahug.
Dr.PaulZakexplainsthatinterpersonaltouchnotonlyonlyraisesoxytocin,butreducescardiovascular
stressandimprovestheimmunesystemratherthanjustahandshake,goinforthehug.Dr.Zak
recommendseighthugseachday.

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Whensomeonereceivesagift,theiroxytocinlevelscanrise.Youcanstrengthenworkandpersonal
HackingIntoYourHappyChemicals:Dopamine,Seroto 270
relationshipsthroughasimplebirthdayoranniversarygift.

Endorphins

Endorphinsarereleasedinresponsetopainandstressandhelptoalleviateanxietyanddepression.The
surgingsecondwindandeuphoricrunnershighduringandafteravigorousrunarearesultof
endorphins.Similartomorphine,itactsasananalgesicandsedative,diminishingourperceptionofpain.

Alongwithregularexercise,laughterisoneoftheeasiestwaystoinduceendorphinrelease.Eventhe
anticipationandexpectationoflaugher,e.g.,attendingacomedyshow,increaseslevelsofendorphins.
Takingyoursenseofhumortowork,forwardingthatfunnyemail,andfindingseveralthingstolaughat
duringthedayisagreatwaytokeepthedoctoraway.

Aromatherapies:Thesmellofvanillaandlavenderhasbeenlinkedwiththeproductionofendorphins.
Studieshaveshownthatdarkchocolateandspicyfoodscanleadthebraintoreleaseendorphins.Keep
somescentedoilsandsomedarkchocolateatyourdeskforaquickendorphinboost.

AversionofthisarticlefirstappearedonTheUtopianLife.

FollowThaiNguyenonTwitter:www.twitter.com/ThaiWins

ThaiNguyen
ThinkBetter,LiveBetterTheUtopianLife.com

MORE:

Dopamine Serotonin Endorphins Oxytocin Happiness

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