Why do we feel good when we do certain activities? Our brains release chemicals that are associated with feeling happy. You know, those feel-good chemicals! I’m not super talented in explaining the ways the body works. It’s not in my area of expertise. I’m just here to try to show you that doing certain things will make you feel good!
That’s why it may be simpler than you think to combat how you feel. A pick-me-up, if you will.
Serotonin
It acts as a neurotransmitter and you need those to work in order to feel happy. Some ways to naturally boost your serotonin: get a good amount of sleep, eat healthy, exercise, and spend time in the sun, to name a few.
Dopamine
Is a neurotransmitter, to put it simply. It’s what you get a surge of in your brain that makes you feel pleasure. When you eat your favorite food or hear a song you love on the radio you are getting a dopamine rush.
I get some serious amounts of dopamine when I clean because I’ve completed a task, it makes me so happy to have a clean home, and there’s usually a nice smell in the air!
Endorphins
These are hormones released in your body. When you get hurt or are stressed, they are released into the body to combat the pain. They help you improve your mood! Laughing, meditating, and listening to your favorite music will increase your endorphins.
Oxytocin
Lastly, is the love hormone! Hug or kiss your partner and it is released. Or you could hug or kiss your pet too! Not surprisingly, therapists suggest that you hug and kiss your spouse every day to get that bond going between you and to get those feel-good hormones going!
Recently I have had to do a chore I wasn’t too excited about. We have a wood burning fireplace and the wood store was low. I needed to get a few truck loads and bring them into the stack. Little did I know it would boost my mood for the whole week. Here’s why: time outside, blasting my favorite tunes while I sing and exercise. It’s no wonder I was feeling good!
There are a lot of activities that may not seem like much but if you add them all together will help you naturally combat those bad moods. If you even begin to feel down I would suggest trying some different mood boosting activities to stay on top of it. I’ve been deep in a bad place before and it’s hard to crawl out.
Spring is just around the corner and with that comes even more opportunities to boost those moods. So do what you can and try your best everyday to have the best day yet. We are all in this together!