Hormones are so powerful that almost everything in the human body depends on the right kind of growth and levels.
Hormones affect everything from blood sugar to blood pressure, the metabolism of the body, sleep quality, and even your mood.
Your mood and emotions are controlled and depend on the hormones. These four hormones, i.e., dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin, are labeled as happy hormones.
A decrease in their level results in anxiety and depression, two severe forms of mental illnesses. If these are not treated on time, they can lead to other severe illnesses.
Types of Happy Hormones
There are mostly four types of happy hormones:
Dopamine:
Dopamine is linked to the brain’s reward system and produces pleasurable
sensations. It works as a neurotransmitter and impacts movement, motivation, and memory.
Serotonin:
Serotonin may help increase happiness by reducing depression and anxiety. This chemical has the power to control your mood.
Endorphins:
This chemical acts as a natural pain and stress reliever. The body releases these during pleasurable activities like sex and exercise.
Oxytocin:
This plays a crucial role in the reproductive system. This involves increasing contractions to induce labor and birth and the release of milk from the breast after birth.
What will happen if these hormone levels are unbalanced?
When dopamine is released, we feel pleasure, but its excess release can cause addiction.
This is because, to feel pleasure, a person gets involved in an activity again and again. For example, consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. High levels of dopamine cause aggression, depression, insomnia, and nausea.
Whereas a low level of dopamine can make a person feel demotivated, low-sex drive, depressed, and have Parkinson’s disease.
The imbalance of serotonin can cause frequent mood swings.
It can hamper your appetite and sleeping cycle, cause anxiety, make your digestion weak, cause blood clotting, and impact sexual desire.
When the level of endorphins decreases, a person will experience sudden weight loss.
Unwanted body aches and pains. It can also lead to depression and anxiety, as well as sleep-wake disorders.
Lack of oxytocin can create a lot of issues, like when a person begins to feel drained from feelings of affection.
The level of anxiety and fear increases greatly. It also creates the risk of addictive behavior, and he or she is more prone to stress.
Ways to increase happy hormones
There are ways to increase these happy hormones and keep them in adequate balance:
Early morning sunlight is one of the best medicines for many diseases, including increasing the level of the serotonin chemical.
Foods that contain a source of tryptophan, such as milk, green vegetables, and ragi, help produce serotonin.
Dopamine can be found in foods like almonds, fish, bananas, eggs, and chicken.
Food that is a rich source of protein can help you increase your dopamine levels.
There is not much that has been found in research on increasing endorphins in human bodies.
However, exercise, meditation, dark chocolate, and engaging in activities like tapping into your sense of humor can increase its levels.
Avocados and watermelon can help grow the oxytocin chemical in the human body.
The consumption of figs, chia seeds, bananas, dark chocolate, salmon, spinach, etc. is also beneficial in increasing oxytocin.
Massage not only helps you to increase the tightness of your body, but it also gives your brain the required relaxation.
Massages by an expert or your loved one are both helpful, as they put a smile on your face, which helps the body produce serotonin and endorphins.
If you like to travel, then this hobby can work as a therapy to grow the endorphins in your body.
Going to places that you like gives you a sense of satisfaction and makes you happy.
As a result, the body tends to create serotonin and endorphins.
Even trying to smile in difficult situations will help to keep the level of happy hormones intact.
Meet, hug, and talk to loved ones. Try to spend quality time with them, and you will notice your stress and depression levels decrease.
Playing with your pets also plays a part in keeping the hormones balanced, as oxytocin is linked to relationships and helps us build bonds with others.
Seek professional help.
Book an appointment at a mental health rehabilitation center to consult. The medical experts will guide you and help you or your loved one learn how to keep the hormones balanced, as well as treat you for any kind of depression or stress.
Please reach out to us at Athena Behavioral Health. We have the best care facility and skilled mental health experts. We are here to help you and your loved ones.
If you would like to get a consultation on treatment facilities from a professional, please reach us through email at customercare@athenabhs.com or call us at +91 9289086193. It is our privilege to take the pain out of yours.
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