Happiness Hormone, let’s engage it
Anti-aging
Content:
- What is the happiness hormone?
- Importance of these hormones for our health
- Engaging these hormones
- How do these hormones reduce ageing
WHAT IS THE HAPPINESS HORMONE?
Let’s begin with the basics, and define what exactly are hormones. Without diving too deep into the sciences, we can simply say that hormones are chemicals that travel through our bloodstream with the purpose of acting as messengers to many operations.
With over 50 hormones in the human body all functioning differently, there are certain hormones in which we can call ‘happiness hormones,’ which are in charge of regulating our mood. These include; dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. Now as scientific and confusing as these words can appear, the fundamentals remain the same; they make us happy :) .
IMPORTANCE OF THESE HORMONES FOR OUR HEALTH
Why are these hormones important?
When parents are often asked about the future of their children, they often reply as long as they are happy and healthy nothing else matters. In those words alone, parents are clarifying that as long as these 4 hormones are engaged, nothing else matters.
Now, to scientifically understand why these hormones are important.
First of all, by engaging these hormones a general sense of gratitude and satisfaction is felt within the outlook of life. Through a greater sense of gratitude we can improve our ability to balance and regulate our problem solving skills that the many obstacles that life presents us with. This is critically important to understand, by engaging our happiness hormones, it isn’t to say that life will become miraculously perfect and flawless, no, we will still be presented with situations that challenge us, however we will be better equipped to respond more positively.
Secondly, a longer life span is expected by those who feel happier and show a higher presence in these happiness hormones. This can be related specifically to stress levels, something we have all experienced or are yet to experience. The presence of happiness hormones allow us to better manage stress and control the situation, ensuring it doesn’t become overwhelming and the cause of anxiety or depression. Scientists saw this within a study where people who were happier, possessed lover levels of cortisol (our stress hormone).
Lastly, by having a larger presence of the 4 happiness hormones, you are more likely to eat healthier (fruits and vegetables) and exercise more regularly, both habits which since birth we have been taught should be incorporated into our daily lives without fail.
This essentially ensures we are less likely to fall ill, increasing immunity.
ENGAGING THESE HORMONES
There are many ways we can actively try to engage these hormones. Some of which include:
- Spending more time outside in the sunshine and fresh air. This specifically relates to an increase in serotonin levels. Now you may say, but I live in England or any other country with typically little sun, but even walking outside a few times a week on those cloudy days can be seen to increase these levels. Think back to covid lockdown, and how those daily walks became the highlight of many of our days.
- Regular exercise is proven to be a release for dopamine and serotonin levels, due to the pure sense of achievement after completing the goals you had set yourself for that hour in the gym.
- Laughter, the best medicine. This needs no explanation, we all know laughter is the best medicine to exist.
- Mediating 20 minutes a day. Meditation for some is seen as something strange and spiritual, however meditation has been proven to ‘shrink the portion of your brain called the “amygdala.” This is the section of your mind which controls fearfulness and anxiety, so the smaller that is, the happier you’ll be as a whole.’ Berbari, 2018.
HOW DO THESE HORMONES REDUCE AGEING
Hormones are the very decider as to the speed in which we age. By increasing volumes of the happy hormones and decreasing volumes of others (eg, cortisol) can literally reduce or increase ageing. It sounds like a confusing maths formula, but in fact it’s quite simple. By engaging happiness hormones we are adding a positive variable into this maths equation, and reducing the dreaded ageing process.
To summarise everything discussed in this article, a conclusion can be made that through engaging these happiness hormones, a youthful glow will project from around you, due to physically and mentally looking after your health. Who wouldn’t want this?
‘The findings indicate that even small increments in happiness may be beneficial to older people’s longevity,’ Malhotra.
‘Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions’. Dalai Lama
‘Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.’ Hawthrone.
The experts:
Berbari, 2018 Why Meditation Makes You Happy, According To Science (elitedaily.com)
Malhotra, 2018 Does Being Happy Contribute to a Longer Lifespan? | Psychology Today
Dalai Lama, 175 Happiness Quotes to Make You Happy | Keep Inspiring Me
Hawthrone, 175 Happiness Quotes to Make You Happy | Keep Inspiring Me
