SALM TEAM 
We’ve all heard of hormones when it comes to our health and wellness, but what are they exactly, and how do they affect us? Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers that travel around your bloodstream to your organs and tissues, telling them what to do and how to function. Hormones affect everything from your growth and metabolism to your reproduction, sex drive and even your mood – so they’re vitally important to our health. Most of all, small changes in your hormone levels can have a huge impact on how you feel day-to-day, so it’s important to keep them balanced.
When it comes to mental health specifically, the subset of ‘happy hormones’ is particularly relevant. So what are these? They’re the feel-good hormones that promote feelings like joy, contentment and pleasure – and the more of those emotions we feel on a consistent basis, the more likely it is that we’ll have a handle on our mental health.
With this in mind, here’s a rundown of the main ‘happy hormones’ in our body, and how to get more of them:
Serotonin
According to Chris Bailey’s book, ‘How to Calm your Mind’, serotonin makes us feel important and happy – he likens it to the feeling of when we accomplish something we’ve been working towards. Serotonin also sends signals between our nerve cells that help to regulate our bodily functions. These include the physical aspects, such as our bowel movements, appetite and sleeping patterns, and the mental ones, including our memory function and our ability to learn.
How to get more serotonin:
- Eat foods containing tryptophan. While you can’t get serotonin from food, you can get tryptophan from it, which is an amino acid that your body then converts to serotonin. Tryptophan is mostly found in high protein foods such as whole milk, tuna and salmon – and research has found that eating them with carbohydrates (for example brown rice or wholewheat bread) makes it more likely that the tryptophan will cross the blood barrier into your brain.
- Get enough sunshine. Sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of serotonin. We’re lucky enough to have plenty of sunshine in South Africa – even in winter – so spend some time outside each day, whether it’s gardening, walking or exercising.
Endorphins
Endorphins are natural pain relievers that your body produces in response to stressful or difficult physical situations – for example if you twist your ankle. They work by blocking your brain’s perception of pain and increasing your feelings of wellbeing. But higher endorphin levels can also make you feel euphoric, like when you engage in reward-producing activities like exercising or having sex.
How to get more endorphins:
- Stick to an exercise routine. To get the most benefit, exercise consistently a few days a week so that you can get those endorphins pumping on the regular rather than only sporadically.
- Up the laughter. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh, or swap the horror movies for a funny movie or comedy special instead.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin manages important parts of our reproductive systems – in women this includes labour, delivery and lactation. It’s also the hormone that helps us feel connected to others: the classic example of oxytocin at work is the bond a mother feels with her newborn baby.
How to get more oxytocin:
- Hug or kiss a loved one. Whether it’s your children, partner or friends, being affectionate with them is good for both of you!
- Pet your pets. If you don’t have one of your own, pet-sit your friend’s dog or cat – or volunteer at an animal shelter on a regular basis.
- Get a massage. Touch is a great oxytocin booster, so getting a massage or even a facial can help up your levels.
Dopamine
Known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, dopamine is an important part of your brain’s reward system and is associated with pleasurable sensations – but it’s also a tricky beast. Why? According to Bailey, where we get our dopamine from matters deeply. For example, getting that dopamine rush from gambling, online shopping, alcohol, or social media can do more harm than good in the long run. ‘Disengaging from the dopamine that comes from stimulation and replacing that with dopamine sourced from engagement is one of the best trades you can do for your mental health,’ he says.
How to get more dopamine:
- Engage in mindfulness or meditation. It doesn’t have to be an official meditation class – it can be about finding your own form of meditation, such as walking mindfully in nature, practicing yoga, or listening to calming music.
- Get enough sleep. Research has found that dopamine receptors in your body can be adversely affected if you don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. Other research has also linked sleep deprivation to the suppression of certain dopamine receptors in your body. To prevent this, aim to get 6-8 hours of sleep per night as consistently as you can.
Working towards increasing the levels of ‘happy hormones’ in our body has a knock on effect in other areas of our lives too. On a practical level, taking these positive actions can save you money on medication or your medical aid contributions if you belong to a medical scheme. Fedhealth, for example, offers a range of flexiFED plans that allow you to pay less each month for medical savings you’re not using.
By adopting healthier habits and routines as outlined above, you’ll feel more motivated and more content, which further promotes a sense of wellbeing to add to your increased happy hormone production. Overall? It’s a win-win.
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