How to top up your happiness tank
We all have different notions of what happiness means to us. For some, it means getting contentment in life and work, while for others, it means getting more time to spend with loved ones.
For me, happiness is all about contentment and fulfilment. I feel in the present day I am crafting and curating a path that feels very much my own. Of course, I'm also definitely a lot happier when I've had my basic needs taken care of—I've had a good eight hours of sleep, I've eaten well and moved my body for exercise. Another notion of happiness for me is knowing that I'm supporting my clients in their own happiness journey as a Happiness Consultant.
As you see, happiness is different for us but what matters for most of us is how we can make sure it is present almost all the time. Of course, challenges, feelings of procrastination, anxiety and sadness are inevitable, but there are ways in which you can fill up your happiness tank.
There are actually four brain chemicals responsible for making us happy (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins). When you know how to use these four to your advantage, you can add them as tools and bring them out whenever you need a boost of happiness.
Let's discuss what each of these chemicals means for you and your happiness!
The four happiness brain chemicals
Dopamine
Dopamine is all about enabling your motivation, and it gives you the determination needed to accomplish your goals. In addition, it helps you reinforce your goals with a sense of pleasure.
However, it can also be quite addictive. When the effects of dopamine are fleeting, and we have too much of that instant gratification and develop a distinct thirst for more things that may not be good for us, leading to bad habits and addictions.
On the other hand, when you're low on dopamine, it can lead to depression in the extreme. It also increases procrastination, where you just have 0 energy and focus on dealing with your tasks.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is all about igniting a feeling of trust. It motivates us to build strong relationships and helps us know that we can co-create different social solutions or emotional solutions to our problems.
Another benefit is that it boosts the immune system as well and helps fight off stress.
When you're deficient in oxytocin, it can result in a feeling of disconnection from your relationships. It has definitely resulted like that for me when I couldn't be with friends and family due to the lockdown restrictions. It can also lead to general stress and difficulty sleeping.
Serotonin
Serotonin is the kind of pleasure you get from social power. You can say that it is a form of confidence that helps you lead as a manager.
Personally, I felt the effects of serotonin the more I stepped into my career. For example, when I give talks, I get the rush of just standing in my power and knowledge and supporting people in the changes they want to make.
Being low on serotonin can get you into a place of feeling hopelessness and depression. There can also be a bit of social phobia, panic attacks, and mood swings.
Endorphins
Endorphins is the euphoria you get after physical exercise that helps alleviate anxiety. However, deficiency in this chemical can cause bodily aches and pains, being a bit impulsive and mood swings.
Now that you know what the four happiness chemicals are and what can happen when you're low in them, it's essential to do an assessment. You can reflect on how you're feeling each period of the day (morning, afternoon, evening) and what you can do to shift your feelings.
Ways to top up your happiness tank
When your emotional health is improved, you are open to embracing positive emotions, you're able to decrease the amount of stress hormones you have, you're building stronger immune systems and relationships, and you can creatively solve problems that life throws in your way. Sounds good? Let's dive into how you can top up your happiness tank!
When you're low on dopamine…
I highly recommend making meditation a part of your routine as it has been known to increase dopamine by at least 70%. You can also include foods rich in triazine like avocados and pumpkin seeds into your diet. Exercise helps too!
When you're low on oxytocin…
If you're able to, I suggest spending time with friends and family in person and hugging them. If not, even maintaining eye contact can contribute to raising oxytocin levels. You can also go for a massage or acupuncture as they have been known to elevate oxytocin too.
When you're low on serotonin…
Meditation, exercise, and cold showers all contribute to increasing serotonin levels. If you can't take a cold shower right away, you can alternate between hot and cold; I personally do that, and it has helped my alertness and sharpness in the morning.
Getting out and enjoying the sunshine helps a lot. So if you're from the UK too, get out once you see the sun is shining! Including greens in your diet (I love my spirulina-chlorella-moringa mix) is also helpful to get that serotonin boost.
When you're low on endorphins…
Exercise is the way to increase endorphins! You can choose any movement you want as long as you enjoy it because, really, there's no point in trying to boost endorphins if you dread moving your body.
There will always be days when everything feels overwhelming, and you may start to be anxious or depressed that are caused by other factors (examples can be long hours at work, gearing into a launch, or that you haven't found a sitter for your kids so you had to do all the work) but hopefully these simple ways can boost your happiness levels.
Boosting your happiness is also about recognizing the symptoms and catching yourself before it's too late. It's true what they say: prevention is better than cure. So I highly recommend fitting these activities into your routine and assessing how they feel for you.
Do you need a bit more help with reducing stress and anxiety? You’re welcome to join our masterclass for this month so you can fine-tune how to better cope with stress and lead others around you with deeper vision, commitment and intentionality. Our Be Happy First programme is going live soon to help you reduce stress and anxiety,