Liberated and relaxed living by activation of the body's own happiness hormones

Almost every person knows the feeling of tension, stress, worry and anxiety in today's modern and global world. These are moods and feelings that have a negative effect on the body when they are permanent and heaped. The opposite of this is the feeling of happiness, balance, peace and inner balance. These are important positive emotions to keep the body and psyche healthy. Read here what happiness means, which body's own happiness hormones there are and what you can do yourself to activate them.

Can one define happiness?

Just like the terms love, hate or pain, the word "happiness" is abstract. You can not really explain happiness with a scientific definition, for every person means happiness and happy to be something else. This has something to do with individual needs, norms and values. Nevertheless, being happy is always something to do with the positive emotions a person feels. Some are happy if they are successful in their professional life. Others when they do their favorite sport and some when they spend as much time with their family as possible. What they all have in common, however, is that feelings of happiness are usually not a permanent state, but occur in phases when certain activities or emotions are experienced as being particularly positive. In the body certain hormones are released in these situations, which can make us feel lucky.

The body's own happiness hormones

How happy a person feels is mainly controlled by the release of certain hormones. They are often referred to as the body's own drugs that affect the physical and mental well-being of the human organism in their effect. The following endogenous happiness hormones are available:

serotonin

This endogenous hormone is involved in processes of the central nervous system, influences our perception of pain, sleep and sexual behavior and generally provides more physical energy. In winter, serotonin production in the human body is reduced in favor of the sleep hormone melatonin.

dopamine

This hormone controls the circulation of the internal organs, gives impulses to the muscles and controls emotions and sensations. Thus, dopamine is the crucial hormone for our happiness.

noradrenaline

Noradrenaline is produced in conjunction with the action of an enzyme derived from dopamine. A release of this hormone takes place especially in stressful situations. Attention, motivation and mental performance are promoted by this messenger.

endorphins

Endorphins act like an endogenous analgesic. When a person is badly injured, the body releases endorphins to relieve the pain and put the body in a relatively insensitive state. Furthermore, endorphins affect the production of our sex hormones, they regulate the feeling of hunger, have an effect on our mood and reduce the signs of exhaustion during physical activity.

phenethylamine

This messenger substance can also be called a pleasure hormone - it is responsible for our sense of happiness. It is released in the body both after a long endurance training, for example, as well as being in love with fresh. Phenetylamine is therefore responsible for feelings of lovers roller coaster when it tingles in the stomach, the heart beats hard and you can not concentrate properly.

oxytocin

This hormone is mainly involved when it comes to the relationship between mother and child. Labor at birth is triggered by the release of oxytocin. Furthermore, the hormone ensures that the milk flow is stimulated to breastfeed. In women and men alike, this messenger substance ensures that stress and anxiety are reduced, general wellbeing is established, empathic behaviors promoted and social skills are possible.

How to activate your happiness hormones

Now that you've learned what your body's happiness hormones are and how they work, consider the following tips to enable them:

Tip 1: Movement, movement, movement!

Whether jogging and walking in the fresh air, hiking, swimming, cycling or dancing. Overcome the so-called "inner bastard" and move daily for at least half an hour, preferably in the fresh air. This dispels bad mood and cloudy thoughts. The production of the happy hormones is stimulated, the distribution of the same makes satisfied and happy. It is especially important to move outdoors in winter. Due to the lack of light, the production of serotonin is running on a back burner. That is why it is particularly important in winter to provide the body with sufficient daylight and to go outside. All dance-enthusiastic people will enjoy a study by the University of Tübingen: Repeated, sweeping movements increase the serotonin content in the blood. This in turn has a positive effect on the immune system and mood.

Tip 2: Sex and chocolate - yes please!

Good and satisfying sex is not only a short-term pleasure, but responsible for a longer good mood. During sex endorphins are released, which act in the blood for up to 24 hours. Then with pleasure a bit of chocolate and you crank up the happiness hormone dopamine, which has a mood-enhancing effect. The proportion in cocoa beans is quite low, but mostly the taste and the enjoyment makes us happy!

Tip 3: Do you often have a smile on your lips!

Smile makes you happy. Not only does this emotion make your face look and feel softer, it also brings more joie de vivre and energy, has a positive and contagious effect on other people, and activates your body's own happiness hormones.

Tip 4: Maintain Social Contacts!

A meeting with dear friends, laughter, hugs or cuddling with your loved one or your children: This helps to release the happy hormone oxytocin. It reduces feelings of anxiety and tension and creates a bond with others. Comfortable contentment can spread in dealing with other people.

---

Follow VimmTV (@vimm) for frequent updates, contests and giveaways for our early adopters!