Let’s talk about happy ‘hormones’ or rather, natural chemicals in our bodies that we can release to ease suffering. If you just give yourself a little push, it can change your whole outlook and make your world a much better place.

Stress, anxiety, heartbreak, grief can be extremely challenging as our system is flooded with chemicals that make us feel low. Brain chemistry is complicated!

In this post I am going to make it super simple to understand how to create your own happy, feel-good chemicals or hormones to alleviate your suffering during stressful and anxious times.

Our mood is usually effected by external circumstances. But do you realise that you might have more power and control over your mood than you might think? We usually forget that mood is entirely about what is going on INSIDE of you? All it takes a little awareness and willingness to take the smallest amount of action to shift the dial in a postive direction.

Cortisol overload

When we are stressed, anxious, in grief, experiencing heartbreak our cortisol levels tend to go through the roof.

Cortisol, adrenaline, nor-adrenaline go through the roof during stress and anxiety. These put us into ‘fight or flight’, stop us from sleeping, and can make us panicked and super stressed.

At the same time, all of the feel-good hormones, dopamine, oxytocin, seretonin and endorphins plummet!

In order to find inner peace, calm and a little joy again is take control of our inner world, so that we can boost feel-good hormones and find balance.

When we do this our stress and anxiety naturally fades so that we can feel peace again.

How to create feel-good, happy ‘hormones’ in healthy ways

Endorphins

Endorphins are your bodies natural pain killers. That includes both phsyical and emotional pain. Endorphins tend to be released when we enjoy pleasurable activities. These helpful chemicals are excellent for stress.

How to stimulate endophins naturally…

  • Exercising.
  • Getting outdoors.
  • Laughing.
  • Watching funny videos.
  • Get a massage.
  • Meditation.

Dopamine

This is the feel-good motivation chemical. Dopamine plays a role in happiness, motivation, and feeling pleasure. It helps us to focus and plan things. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) that sends messages between your brain and the rest of your body. 

Basically when you do something that feels good, you get a rush of dopamine.

Watch out for unhealthy dopamine releasing behaviours, such as binge eating, binge TV, social media addiction, drug or alcohol misuse. These give a quick fix, but mess your system up in the long run.

  • Completing a task.
  • Getting plenty of sleep.
  • Listening to music (see below).
  • Being kind to yourself and others.
  • Eating healthy food.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin gives us a sense of connection, community which brings peace and contentment. It helps us build resiliance to stress.

This interesting hormone is produced when we experience a positive feedback loop. This means that it’s important to connect with people who are emotionally available, rather than people who are walled off. Connecting with emotionally closed people can cause our oxytocin levels to plummet, wreaking havock with our hormone balance.

How to stimulate oxytocin for better mood and resiliance to stress…

  • Spend time with friends and family who are emotionally available and loving.
  • Hugging or holding hands.
  • Playing with animals.
  • Listening to music (see below for tips on music).
  • Showing love and affection.
  • Singing (especially with a group or choir).

Seretonin

Serotonin is related to happiness and a sense of wellbeing. It also helps to regulate sleep and gives us a sense of calmness. Serotonin is the precursor to melatonin, which means it can help to regulate your sleep cycle.

How to stimulate serotonin…

  • Spend time in nature.
  • Meditation.
  • Enjoy the sunshine.
  • Exercise.
  • Eat a balanced diet.

Listening to music to create happy hormones…

Music has been shown to be extremely beneficial for mood.

Here is the sort of music that will help create balancing hormones.

  1. Music that has good memories for you (this immeditately activates embedded memories, which triggers happy hormones)
  2. Upbeat, driving music (this can stimulate dopamine)
  3. Music on the solffegio frequency (the God or Angel frequence that speak directly to our soul)
  4. Binaural beats (scientifically shown to reduce anxiety).

I hope that something in here strikes a chord.

Let me know if you have anything other ideas or if there is anything else that you can add.

Love & Soul
Anastasia x