In the biomes of our mind many different hormones reside, in different habitats like the creatures of the wild, they turn up, if the weather in your brain is one that they like.
Hormones are what stimulate our emotions and the reasons we go through so many moods. Many other mammals and many reptiles also have the same hormones as Humans. The social interactions between wild animals are also dictated by these hormones.
An imbalance of hormones leads to involuntary mood swings; this happens in many different cases. A stand out example of such an imbalance is pregnancy, carrying another human in the body leads to the stirring of many different emotions, both literally and scientifically. Mood swings are a common byproduct of pregnancy, the choice of food, or the sudden urge to have certain flavourful treats also known as cravings. Other examples of hormonal imbalance include medical conditions, mental illnesses, Periods, acute stress; sleep deprivation which may lead to increased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).
Our happy hormones as they are called on occasions are the ones that trigger positive emotions and happy feelings in an individual. These are Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, & Endorphin. Each of these are responsible for giving us good vibes in our mind there may be different events that trigger each of them though, but the four horsemen of positive hormones are here to make you feel good. In contrast to these hormones increased levels of cortisol increase the amount of stress and anxiety that a person might experience. This often occurs when individuals follow an unhealthy lifestyle, & are constantly faced with confrontation regularly, which might be at work with a colleague or a superior, or at home with a family member or a loved one.
Cortisol is the stress hormone and makes us feel fear and emotional pain.
Dopamine is released in our brain when we accomplish a goal and are waiting for the fruitful reward it comes with a sense of satisfaction. It is important to trigger the release of dopamine as it increases our levels of happiness.
Oxytocin is the hormone that leads us to trust events, strategies and people during interactions, when we find ourselves in an experimental scenario when we try something new. When this experimental exchange heads in a way that our brain had predicted. Oxytocin is released in our brain to indicate that this method works and can be used in a similar manner.
Serotonin creates the feeling of social importance; it is released when there is an accomplishment or Moral superiority, or any type of advantage. Winning out in debates, competitions or being proven right in situations of different opinion produces great amounts of serotonin in the brain.
Endorphin (runners high) is released by our brain after exercise, a workout or any kind of physical pain to the body triggers the release of Endorphin, it also can mask pain when exercising or while playing a sport, that is why we don’t notice some injuries until after a game or post a workout session.
Scientifically this is how each of the happy hormones works in our brain. There are ways in which we can reconstruct our schedules and make changes to our lifestyle to stimulate the release of these hormones. Making a routine helps give direction to any plan and a comfortable environment for individuals. Including any kind of exercise will help to keep the levels of endorphin and serotonin topped up in our brain. Making this a regular habit will help maintain those levels. Research suggests that anywhere between 3-4 times a week is a good amount of exercise for the body and the mind.
Dopamine levels can also be monitored and topped up as required, set smaller goals for yourselves that accumulate to a long term objective. And set rewards for accomplishing each small goal, these may depend on your personal preference and to some individuals a reward may be a break or a period of relaxation, others may reward themselves with a trip or buy themselves something as a reward or just have a nice meal.
Small lifestyle changes may equate to major consequences to your happiness and stress. The right kind of change will do wonders for individuals who are constantly feeling anxious and stressed. This is where taking a break as a reward plays a vital role, especially from work. Taking a break will help release the steam a little and take you away from the stress and conflict and burden, two key factors influencing cortisol levels in individuals.
Take care of yourself; keep your chin up and your cortisol levels low. And ascend to the best version of yourself by making the right changes to your routine and lifestyle.
