D.O.S.E.: Check Your Happiness Chemicals

Your state of mind—being happy or unhappy—can have an effect on everything you do. When you’re happy, you’re naturally more productive and more motivated. It’s easier to bear daily difficulties and challenges.

And your energy can affect other people.

But if you think you’re doing everything right to make yourself happy but you just can’t seem to get it right, maybe it’s not what you’re doing or not doing that’s causing the problem. It might be your happiness chemicals—the 4 neurotransmitters responsible for that elevated feeling of well-being.

Neurotransmitters can be naturally triggered, but sometimes we need to give them a little help.

Hacking into your happiness chemicals is easy, but don’t get too much of a good thing. Just like any addictive substance, these naturally occurring neurochemicals, although completely safe, can have the same addictive effect.

Dopamine

The brain contains what’s known as the reward pathway, and the brain chemical most closely associated with the brain’s reward stimuli is dopamine. If you’re depressed or lack the motivation to do anything, there’s a good chance you’re deficient in dopamine.

When you do things that make you feel good you get a shot of dopamine. Each time you do that same thing, whether it’s eating pie or watching a great movie, you reinforce that pleasure.

Your brain will tell you to take that action again to get more reward, the reward being dopamine, the ‘feel good’ hormone.

The dopamine is the final affect, but the memory of that feeling is what will cause you to repeat the action that made you feel good.

And you don’t need to do this with only one item, action, or project. Create small celebrations that reinforce what you’ve done; the accomplishments you’ve achieved. Keep small goals going so you’ll have a consistent source of potential dopamine.

You can help others get a shot of dopamine by recognizing their accomplishments or throwing them an honest compliment. This is a great way to motivate people to do their best.

Oxytocin

Dubbed the love hormone or cuddle hormone, oxytocin’s main function takes place during and after childbirth. It’s considered critical for social bonding.

If you want to raise your oxytocin level, reach out and touch someone. Give them a hug, get a shoulder massage from a friend, or cuddle a baby.

And you’ll be doing your heart good, literally. Higher oxytocin levels reduce stress and strengthen the immune system.

Serotonin

Depression and loneliness are a possible sign of low serotonin levels. Also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), psychotherapists have long given drugs that simulate the effects of serotonin: Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, for example. Ecstasy is another source of artificial serotonin.

These drugs have been prescribed to stabilize mood, but these artificial sources prohibit the flood of this hormone from being reabsorbed into the body, which can leave the brain damaged.

To naturally increase your serotonin level, get the full spectrum of B vitamins and eat eggs, cheese, nuts, and turkey. These foods contain tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin.

Expose yourself to a little sunshine. UV rays promote Vitamin D and serotonin by absorbing through the skin. Limit your time to about 20 minutes of full sunlight or until your skin just starts to turn a little pink.

Endorphins

Endorphins are actually a group of hormones that trigger the body’s opiate receptors and also act as sedatives. They have a pain-killing effect. But in addition to this, they can prompt a positive feeling, something runners call a runner’s high.

What are the best ways to release endorphins? Exercise and laughter.

Find things to laugh at, share your sense of humor, and get regular exercise. It doesn’t matter what kind, as long as it’s sustainable for 20-30 minutes every day.

If you’re looking for happiness, give some thought to your own actions. Ask yourself if an experience is going to be beneficial for all parties concerned. Will it create a feeling of unity and therefore acceptance and happiness?

Our energy, human energy, can be very powerful. As you go through life—experiencing life—remember that this is not all there is. Energy cannot be destroyed, so your energy will continue on.

Make sure it’s good energy honed to vibrate at a high level through mastering the art of love for all things. In this way you will find the energy of happiness.