We live in a world where we are in constant pursuit of joy and satisfaction, to sum it in one word--we keep seeking happiness. Truly speaking, happiness is our natural state of being. It’s something we are born with. Only times that would ever set us off our natural state of happiness temporarily would be our basic survival needs for food, safety and comfort. But as we grow up and learn the “ways of the world”, we forget this natural state of being. We are conditioned into believing happiness as a destination that can be achieved only by certain accomplishments, possessions or by being somewhere other than where we already are. We feel we need to create happiness whereas all we need to do is to tap into the vast reservoir of happiness that nature has already blessed us with both inside and outside of us.

Our body carries all the happiness hormones we need to be in our natural joyful state. Yet with our limited knowledge, ill management of emotions and restricted perception, we tend to deplete it. The effects of the imbalance of these happiness hormones leads to ailments and conditions of all sorts - Stress, depression, hypertension, low immunity, indigestion, stroke and many more critical diseases like Parkinson's and Dementia.

When we are unhappy, it also obstructs our healing from an illness or disease. Our body has a state of Homeostasis, a dynamic state of equilibrium required for body functions to work at their optimum level. In Homeostasis, many variables, such as body temperature, fluid balance, pH levels, blood sugar levels, concentrations of sodium, potassium and calcium ions, etc are all at a certain level. An illness or disease occurs only when this balance gets disturbed due to wrong foods and lifestyle.

Our hormones also exist at a state of equilibrium, hence the commonly used term hormonal imbalance. If one is suffering from an ailment, there is already an imbalance the body is trying to resolve. If that person is unhappy or stressed or has negative thoughts, it is another imbalance the body has to deal with and hence being unhappy comes in the way of healing from disease. Haven’t we all heard of people who were able to beat the gravest of health challenges because they were happy and positive people?

Your daily DOSE of Happiness Hormones

1) Dopamine - This hormone takes care of your emotional responses. It provides you a “natural high” when you receive a reward or appreciation. There is another special fact about this happiness hormone- this is responsible for keeping you motivated on your goals- hence a natural self-esteem booster. When you feel demotivated, you need a dopamine release! Proper levels of dopamine induce focus, concentration and controls impulsive behaviour.

To-do: Since this hormone is directly tied to your goal-achievement and is released at receiving the reward, here is a logical hack for you! Chunk down your bigger goals into smaller tasks and reward yourself at the achievement of those tiny tasks too. It keeps you motivated as well as discourages procrastination. We love this hack - for every 2 hours of focused activity-writing or any other work that you have to do, reward yourself with 10 minutes of social media browsing time.

2) Oxytocin - Widely known as the love hormone. This is the hormone responsible for feelings of love, empathy, trust, sexual arousal and bonding. This is a very critical hormone for social bonding and companionship.

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To-do: You have kept postponing the meet-up with your neighbour, now is the time. And when you do that, do carry a gift along. Receiving a gift elevates oxytocin too, and so does hugging. Being thankful, expressing gratitude and saying kind, motivating words to others - help to stimulate oxytocin in them and you! It’s a boomerang! You get what you give!

3) Serotonin - This is your natural mood manager. From regulating your bowel movement, to maintaining your bone health, or making your feel nauseated , this guy has a lot many jobs to do in your body. However, it deserves your special attention if you complain about stress- the curse of the contemporary lifestyle. Speaking of stress, its imperative we talk about the hormone cortisol - that is produced because of stress. It does have its work to do in our system however, excessive stress produces more cortisol and it reduces serotonin in our body. So simply put, the more you stress about something, the more cortisol will take over, depleting your happiness hormone serotonin. A prolonged depletion in serotonin levels can cause depression and anxiety.

To-do: Stimulating your serotonin naturally is easy and fun! Fifteen minutes of walk in the sun can do wonders, couple it with some stretching or walking -you doubled your gain! What we call weather blues or loneliness are the serotonin level sinking down. Visualization is another effective method to boost serotonin- during stressful times. Calm yourself down focusing on your breath. Now visualize a moment in your past where you were extremely happy. Observe in details – bring your focus on how you were feeling, what were you seeing, what were you doing. Memories of good times, nurturing a mindset of seeing things in a higher, lighter perspective reduces stress. It also keeps cortisol levels on check allowing serotonin to thrive, help you feel calmer, focused and more in charge of your emotions.

4) Endorphin –This provides you natural pain relief. You know how you feel after a 30 minutes run, or a dance or aerobic exercise? That pleasure is produced by the endorphin hormones. It’s popularly known as “the runner’s high”. This is the hormone what makes some people dance, walk, run, or do any activity they love without worrying about a wounded limb or a hurt. Endorphin blocks pain!

To-do: The easiest you to stimulate endorphin release is having a hearty laugh- go ahead, indulge in watching your favourite comedy show. Sexual intercourse releases endorphins too. Ever wondered why you feel so good after aromatherapy body massages- the fragrant oil stimulates endorphins. Any volunteering activity, meditation, gratitude- recounting -can release the pleasure feeling hormones for you.

Conclusion

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Keeping these hormones at their state of balance, so you can avail their optimal benefit, is the key- and doing it is as easy as living naturally and laughing every day. Our body is a part of well-endowed, self -sufficient system that can very well take care of us provided we take care of it. A natural lifestyle incorporating Natural Foods, exercise, sleep, rest, sunlight, fresh air and happiness is vital in maintaining your hormonal health and leading a disease free life.