Hack Your Happiness

Many things, good and bad, influence our mood.

Spending time with loved ones or friends can improve it. In contrast, Sitting in an hour of unexpected traffic can ruin it.

That said, our emotional state is not just a function of the situations we encounter. There is also brain chemistry that plays a significant role. Between sensing a situation and responding to it, chemicals called neurotransmitters or hormones help our brain understand, evaluate and communicate what we are experiencing. These various neurotransmitters have specific jobs — each being activated in a certain way, signaling certain emotions, and stimulating specific areas of our brain.

There is a quartet of neurotransmitters specifically responsible for our feelings of happiness and overall wellbeing :

• Dopamine
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin
• Endorphin

Instead of waiting for random external events, there are ways by which we can get these activated in our brains, proactively. Here’s how.

Dopamine-The Reward Chemical

• Complete a task
• Focus on self-care activities
• Getting good sleep
• Celebrating small wins.

Oxytocin-The Love Hormone

• Getting or giving a hug
• Playing with a baby
• Playing with a pet
• Giving a compliment
• Random acts of kindness

Serotonin-The Mood Stabilizer

• Meditating
• Running
• Exposure to the early morning sun
• Walk in nature
• Swimming & Cycling

Endorphins- The Pain Killer

• Getting a massage
• Eating dark chocolate
• Exercising
• Watching Comedy shows