The ultimate objective, goal, and purpose of life is to be happy. The reason behind every act of a human being is to seek happiness. Right from working to earning and spending, we do things to arrive at fulfilling moments and happy occasions. We eat well, sleep tight, and exercise to keep our bodies fit and healthy, while the objective of happy sustenance remains the ultimate. We get into relationships and exchange love, affection, and compassion for a gleeful bond. Though the perspective of happiness and success differs from person to person, the hormones that trigger happiness are identical and function similarly.

While setting apart the abstract causes of happiness, biologically, happiness is said to be an outcome of feeling good or happy hormones. They are chemical messengers that, when released, give you a feeling of warmth and relieve you of pain and negative emotions.

The blog is an articulation of the hormones that make you happy and describes how to increase happy hormones in the body.

Hormones are secreted by various glands across the body. These hormones travel through the body to act as messengers. Once they are secreted by the glands into the bloodstream, these hormones work on various cells, tissues, and organs in the body to control every activity the body performs. Because they carry messages between the nerve cells, they are also part of the neurotransmitters.

Hormones for happiness include oxytocin, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and phenylethylamine. They are called “happy hormones” or “feel-good hormones." Happy hormones, or feel-good hormones, make us feel great, both mentally and physically. They give us a feeling of positivity and happiness and keep us lively from within. The hormone for happiness depends on the quality of our thoughts, activities, sleep patterns, lifestyle, and food intake.

• Oxytocin:
  Oxytocin is the love or cuddle hormone, which is released after people hug, snuggle, kiss, have sex, or indulge in any other form of physical intimacy. It is also the hormone associated with birthing and breastfeeding. This is one of the important hormones that make you happy. Oxytocin plays a major role in relationships and social bonding. Foods rich in nutrients, namely magnesium, dietary fats, vitamin C, and vitamin D, maintain the proper functioning of the hormone. Bananas, fatty fish, mushrooms, dark chocolate, coffee, avocado, etc. are the foods that trigger the hypothalamus to produce oxytocin. Cuddle your pet, do yoga, converse with a friend, have intimate moves with your loved one, or hug a friend while oxytocin gushes to make you feel warm and happy. This is an important hormone for happiness and joy.
• Adrenaline and noradrenaline
  This hormone couple is called the courage hormones, which are important hormones that make you happy. Have you ever come across the term ‘adrenaline rush’? It is the intense excitement we get while doing something adventurous. It provides the required energy to handle situations that are stressful. It increases alertness, which enables the person to respond immediately to the situation. Noradrenaline is secreted in severely stressful and pressurising situations. The reactions in the body include a spike in heart rate, blood sugar levels, and oxygen supply to the brain. Hence, it is also called the fight-and-flight hormone.
• Dopamine
  It is the feel-good hormone that is released after we do things that we find enjoyable. It is watching films and hearing songs for many. Figure out what works for you. It drives the brain’s reward system positively. By keeping dopamine levels at balanced levels in the body, we dispense ample motivation to the body. When dopamine is discharged in concurrence with another serotonin happy hormone, it results in feedback looping. We desire to repeat the act again and again. This is akin to a coffee addict drinking coffee over and over. Dopamine ensures deep concentration and coordination and regulates the fine motor activities in the brain.
  Amino acid-rich foods are proven to increase dopamine levels in the body. A protein-rich diet supplies the needed amino acids to serve this purpose. Fish, meat, chicken, eggs, nuts, and seeds like sesame and pumpkin are good sources of protein. Consume these regularly to balance the dopamine level in the body.
  Dopamine can also be triggered by listening to music, sleeping more, savouring your favourite food, and gifting your loved one, and it is an important hormone for happiness.
• Serotonin
  Serotonin is the actual feel-good hormone that is vital to perpetuating tranquilly in the mind. It waves off stress and anxiety and makes us feel calm, content, and joyful. You get up after a sound and deep sleep to feel calm and fresh because of serotonin-happy hormone secretion. Spending time outdoors, exercising, and sleeping well can boost serotonin production. Meditating, journaling, and hearing music can also help you feel ecstatic and boost the secretion of the serotonin happy hormone. Enhance your mood by consuming protein-rich foods like tofu, cheese, and pineapples, and stimulate the secretion of hormones for happiness.
• Endorphins
  Endorphins are the energy hormones that make you happy and act as natural painkillers. They forbid the transmission of pain stimuli. Endorphins desensitise the feeling of exhaustion. They are released during acute injuries and intense workouts. Sometimes, the hormone leaves the person intoxicated. The hormone is called runner's high, as it helps heal discomfort during and after an intense workout, exercise, or physical activity. Further, it amplifies pleasure and happiness. Physical touch, exercising, stretching, and consuming dark chocolate can trigger the pituitary gland and the central nervous system to produce endorphins.
• Phenylethylamine
  We usually hear people getting butterflies in their tummies or tummy tingles when they fall in love. All this amusement and delight is due to the phenylethylamines produced in the body. Phenylethylamine is the hormone behind all romantic sensations in the body. It produces intense pleasure when a person is sexually aroused or in love. Besides oxytocin, these determine the quality of a relationship in chemical terms. These hormones, when aroused, give rise to a sudden sensation and a gush of happiness that is highly satisfying. Consumption of phenylalanine-rich foods sets off hormone secretion. Poultry, meat, seafood, chocolates, etc. are rich in PEA. In some cases, PEA is consumed orally in the form of pills to get the high and rushes.

Do you know that you can actually boost the body’s hormones for happiness and experience bliss? Yes, it is possible to include these elements in your daily routine and get accustomed to them.

• Exercise regularly. Do yoga and Do workouts to improve your physical health.
• Get the needed sun exposure.
• Cuddle or stroke your pet. Being close with your partner and physical touch will also release happy hormones.
• Follow a healthy and nutritious diet plan. The more protein your food has, the happier you are. The diet ought to be well balanced. Eat well!
• Relax, chill out, take proper rest, and most importantly do things you love. Be it listening to music, meditating, journaling, or anything. Put yourself in a very good mood and be grateful. Imagine some beautiful moments in life, smile, and laugh out loud.
• Abide by optimism and stay hopeful. Remember to stay distant from toxic relationships and negative emotions.

Each one of the aforementioned activities relates to the release and secretion of the happy hormone or the feel-good hormone. Follow a healthy lifestyle and induce the secretion of these happy hormones naturally to experience happiness and embrace yourself with joy.
If you are looking for ways to boost happy hormones, we at Abhasa Rehabilitation Centre in Coimbatore are lending hands to people for staying close to their own bodies. We enable people to live in connection with their minds and bodies. If you are looking for counselling or therapy to boost your happy hormones, reach out to us.