We often talk about happiness but do you know how we feel happiness?
Making close friends, traveling, attending festivals, movies, and dance music can give us immense happiness. But we do not know how this happiness comes in our experience. It is caused by a chemical drift in the brain. It is known in the language of science as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.
D.O.S.E: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins
These chemicals or hormones affect the positive emotions you experience. By understanding how these chemicals work at a basic level of life, we can learn for ourselves which of our activities are helping or harming our happiness.
Dopamine
Surely you must have heard about the addiction of mobile or online games, then there is a role of dopamine in this too. This is the neurotransmitter we’ve heard the most about. The brain releases this chemical during activities that are considered pleasurable. Like walking, exercising or eating etc. It acts in many areas of the brain and therefore can affect many different activities such as memory, thinking, and behavior.
Dopamine causes that little pleasure when someone likes your post on Facebook or Instagram or when you complete a task, we are rewarded in the form of a feeling of happiness by the effect of this chemical. Dopamine is a wonderful chemical found in the human body. It motivates you towards achieving your goals. Without dopamine, ancient humans would never have had the motivation to hunt larger animals and pursue long-term goals.
Today, dopamine is what helps you complete your to-do list or motivates you to start a new habit. However, in the current environment dopamine is becoming a hindrance due to its habitual nature and it is making us addicted or addicted to technology related subjects.
There is also a dangerous aspect of this that the effect of dopamine is fleeting. It’s not the type of long-lasting happiness you’ll be able to savor in the long run, and it probably isn’t the goal of your pursuit of happiness. Its effect is limited to checking social media on your phone or going from stage to stage of a mobile game. Eating a well-balanced, healthy and nutritious diet will boost dopamine.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is often affectionately referred to as the “hugging drug” or “love chemical” because it is released by the brain during human-to-human interactions such as hugging and kissing. It is also the cause of the feeling of love, friendship or trust. If humans are social animals, oxytocin is one of the main reasons for this. Oxytocin energizes our immune system, makes us better problem solvers and makes us more resistant to dopamine addiction. Unlike dopamine, which is largely responsible for short-term happiness, oxytocin gives us a lasting sense of peace and security. We can also increase our oxytocin levels. Positive social interaction is the best way to increase the production of this hormone. Working together with others, eating, giving gifts, socializing emotionally, paying close attention while listening and hugging someone with love.
The important thing about oxytocin is that it often works in two ways. A loving hug gives both you and the other person a dose of oxytocin. This is the process in which both the giver and the recipient of the gift receive a small dose of oxytocin.
Oxytocin also plays an important role in reproduction. Studies have shown that it can trigger labor contractions and the flow of breast milk in women and sperm in men. Oxytocin can be your best friend in the pursuit of happiness. It can help fight stress, improve your relationships, and promote long-lasting positive emotions. There is even some scientific evidence that oxytocin aids in physical wound healing. If you want high levels of oxytocin, focus on maintaining relationships with loved ones, friends, and family.
Serotonin
Serotonin is another social chemical, but it acts in a completely different way. Serotonin plays a role in pride, integrity, and social standing. It is one of the major hormones associated with our emotions and mood. It is associated with satisfaction and optimism, and has a role in our physical health. When we aspire to be respected or respected by others, we are experiencing the effects of serotonin. It can be from getting you a degree, completing a race or getting appreciation for hard work in the office. Serotonin can create strong, positive emotions. The funny thing is, serotonin can help build both sides of social activities. Serotonin is what motivates a leader to achieve a specific position and increase his influence so that he can get any reward.
Endorphins
You know that feeling when a famous player talks about setting new records? This feeling comes from a lot of endorphins. Endorphins are unavoidably released by our brain as a response to pain. It is considered a natural pain reliever and “mood booster”. This hormone is released during laughter, constant exercise, listening to music, having sex and eating chocolate. They help us recover our bodies from the level of inactivity and remain there even when we are tired and want to give up. Once you have faced a body troubling experience, you may feel a higher level of even a deep sense of calmness. For example, a cold shower in the morning, if you can withstand a minute or two of physical discomfort, can give you a huge burst of endorphins. It has also been argued that the pleasure you feel from a loud laugh is due to endorphins. The pain of contracting abdominal muscles is enough to cause your body to release some amount of endorphins. Its flow also occurs during continuous exercise, listening to music, having sex and eating chocolate. Endorphins are chemicals like the drug of happiness for humans, with endorphins being the main reason exercise is often suggested to help cope with stress. This is the reason why starting the day with exercise, yoga, workout etc. can help you to relax after a hard day’s work.
Each of the chemicals mentioned above plays a big role in the way our body functions physically, mentally and emotionally. This article is just a surface, and is really intended to encourage you to learn more. By understanding the role of these hormones, you can better understand how they are affecting you in everyday situations. The more you know, the more you will be able to control those effects and enjoy a healthier, happier life.
Here’s a Recap of These Brain Chemicals
- Dopamine – the “temperament builder” of developing good or bad habits, is an incredible tool for human life if used appropriately.
- Oxytocin – The hug drug or “love hormone,” oxytocin makes us social and creates relationships with feelings of trust and loving.
- Serotonin – The “leadership hormone” related to pride, loyalty, and prestige.
- Endorphins – “Natural Painkillers” Players’ Best Performance.
