7 Natural Ways to Boost Endorphins and Be Happy!
Natural Mood Boosters and Feel-Good Strategies: Unleash Your Body’s Happy Chemicals and Enhance Your Mood By Reducing Stress Naturally
Introduction:
Endorphins, or endogenous opioids, are peptide proteins that are controlled and released by the pituitary glands and hypothalamus. These are neurotransmitters that work to alleviate pain and promote a sense of pleasure and happiness. Hence, they are known as happiness hormones.
There are various forms of endorphins, but beta-endorphins are the most important for pain relief. Endorphins are released during stressful and painful experiences to relieve pain and discomfort temporarily. These are also released during pleasure or when someone is happy, exercising, etc.
Benefits of Endorphins:
- reduce pain and discomfort
- increase pleasure
- reduce stress, depression, and anxiety
- attenuate inflammation
- improve mood
- boost self-esteem
- may support a healthy immune system
- may support memory and cognitive function
Keeping in mind all these health benefits of endorphins, aim to boost endorphin levels for health and well-being.
What if you don’t have enough endorphins in your body?
If the body is not producing or releasing enough endorphins, there are more chances of having different health conditions, such as:
- increased aches and pain
- an increased risk of depression and anxiety
- moodiness
- addiction
- trouble sleeping
There are many ways to boost endorphin levels in the body naturally. The 7 most important ways are mentioned below:
1- Exercise:
Exercise is one of the most important ways to boost endorphins. It has mood-boosting effects and alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moderate to high intensity exercises lead to a surge of endorphins along with some other chemicals with mood-boosting effects, such as dopamine and serotonin.
Moderate-to-high intensity exercise for 20–30 minutes daily can have beneficial effects. Any exercise that increases heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, such as jogging, brisk walking, running, cycling, weight lifting, etc., can boost happiness.
2- Laughing Therapy
“Laughter is the best medicine”
The body releases endorphins and other feel-good chemicals (dopamine and serotonin) and suppresses the stress hormone (cortisol), alleviating pain and stress and boosting mood at the same time. These chemicals help to lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
3- Listen to Music
Music is not just entertainment, it can support well-being. Many studies suggest that music induces the release of mild pain relieving chemicals, endorphins, that can increase the pain-threshold. Interestingly, music therapy is being used in many hospital settings for pain relief and to prevent anxiety and stress. Listening to music while exercising can boost training time because of the release of endorphins that alleviate exercise induced pain.
4- Have Sex
Yes, sex and endorphins are inter-related. There is a surge in the level of endorphins during sexual activity, especially during orgasm. Orgasm is not necessary, as sexual arousal can also trigger the release of endorphins. These work as opiates in the brain and alleviate the sense of pain and promote a sense of pleasure and happiness, having a positive effect on mood.
Spending time with loved ones or even cuddling with your spouse may trigger the release of endorphins and create a sense of happiness.
5- Helping Others
You might ask,
‘What is the connection between a body chemical and helping others?’
Helping others creates a sense of satisfaction in a person. We feel good after being generous or helpful to someone. Endorphins are released in the body that lead to mood-boosting and prevent stress and anxiety.
Runner’s High: Euphoria (an intense feeling of happiness and well-being) in athletes caused by exercise is known to have a scientific basis.
Helper’s high is another term used when someone feels happiness after being helpful to someone. Endorphin levels rise in the body, leading to happiness.
6- Eat Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is known to have polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids. These flavonoids trigger the release of endorphins, the happiness hormones. Dark chocolate has an influence on the reward system of the brain and the production of endorphins. Hence, it promotes feelings of pleasure and happiness.
Dark chocolate contains tryptophan, an amino acid. It’s a precursor for serotonin, a feeling-good chemical.
Although dark chocolate promotes endorphin production and has various health benefits, a moderate amount should be consumed as its caloric and sugar content are high.
7- Enough Sleep
Sleep and endorphins are interconnected. Sleep plays a vital role in regulating the hypothalamus and pituitary glands that produce and release endorphins. When the body is well rested, it is better able to produce endorphins. These endorphins then induce a sense of well-being and happiness, leading to a good mood.
Studies show that endorphin levels are raised during deep sleep and are essential for restorative sleep. Alternatively, people with higher levels of endorphin in the body sleep better and spend more time in restorative sleep, which helps the body recover.
These are some of the ways to boost endorphin levels in the body. There are several other ways, like dancing, sitting in nature, etc. Anything that makes a person feel good can trigger the release of these chemicals, impacting his or her mood positively. If you know any other ways to naturally boost endorphins, feel free to share in the comments!!
Take Away:
Endorphins are chemicals (hormones and neurotransmitters) produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in the brain and spinal cord. These are known to trigger a sense of happiness and pleasure. These chemicals are very important to prevent someone from falling prey to stress and depression. There are numerous ways to boost these chemicals naturally, which are:
1- Exercise
2- Laugh
3- Listen to Music
4- Have sex
5- Help Others
6- Eat Dark Chocolate
7- Sleep Well
8- Dance
9- Sitting in nature
10- Talk to the loved ones
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