The Four Hormones that Create Happiness: Understanding their Actions and Effects, and how to Stimulate Them!
Exploring the Science of Happiness Hormones with Loretta Breuning, PhD.
According to Loretta Breuning, PhD, author of "Habits of a Happy Brain" and "The Science of Positivity," and founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, the hormones associated with happiness, such as dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin, and serotonin, are intended to boost our chances of survival. In her book "Meet Your Happy Chemicals," she goes into greater detail on the subject.
When we experience positive emotions, it is often due to the release of certain hormones. These are referred to as "happy hormones" and can induce feelings of pleasure and contentment. According to Loretta Breuning, there are four key happy hormones: dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin.
“Your feelings are unique, but the molecules that convey them are the same in everyone. Your life experience is unique. However, there is one thing all life experiences have in common: every brain aims for its own survival.”
Understanding our Happy Hormones
1. Dopamine: the hormone of success and reward
The function of dopamine is to energize us before fulfilling a crucial requirement.
Dopamine played a critical role in our ancestors' survival, enabling them to conserve their energy efficiently. They would move at a slow pace while searching for food, waiting until they found something that piqued their interest. This "I seek to find something that will ensure my survival" process was marked by the discovery of a promising resource, which triggered the release of dopamine and motivated them to take action, whether it be picking, hunting or fishing.
By gaining a deeper understanding of the functions and mechanisms of happiness hormones, it becomes possible to develop new habits that create circuits of happiness.
The mammal brain scans the environment for rewards and dopamine is the signal that we've found one. - Loretta Breuning
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that not only gives us a pleasurable sensation by releasing energy but also helps store information that leads to similar pleasurable experiences in the future. It operates via an "I seek-I find" mechanism that is triggered by the anticipation of a reward.
According to Loretta Breuning, a mathematical problem-solving activity is an instance of a "seek-find" process that is significantly different from searching for food. The sensation of successfully solving a mathematical problem triggers a positive feeling, prompting one to say, "I did it!" This momentary sense of accomplishment neutralizes the negative hormonal effects associated with stress, such as cortisol, the stress hormone.
Building new dopamine circuits
Tell yourself as often as possible "I did it!”
Celebrate Small Victories: The Loretta Breuning Way
Loretta Breuning's secret to success? Celebrating small wins with a little dance every day. No matter how big or small, acknowledging and reveling in your accomplishments (even if it's just through a mental "I did it!" cheer) can keep you connected to positive emotions.
Why Celebrating Small Milestones is Important
Acknowledging every milestone, no matter how small, can actually lead to a greater production of dopamine than waiting for one large achievement. Remember, you don't need to celebrate with champagne and caviar every time. Simply allowing yourself to feel the "goal!" emotion is enough to keep you motivated.
Celebrate Your Personal Achievements, Not Someone Else's Failure
According to Loretta Breuning, it's better to celebrate our own accomplishments rather than taking pleasure in the defeat of others. This approach encourages a positive mindset and helps to keep you motivated towards achieving personal success.
Transforming Dreams into Actionable Plans
It's not enough to simply dream about your goals from afar. You need to gather all the information you need to create a viable project plan. Dedicate ten minutes each day to a goal that is both attainable and measurable. This will give you time to research the necessary steps to achieve your objective, which will result in the release of dopamine.
However, after the ten minutes are up, it's important to come back to the present moment and avoid getting lost in the future.
How to Overcome Procrastination with Simple Steps
At times, we postpone our obligations, which can cause us undue stress. Overcome this tendency by dedicating ten minutes to the task. Initially, you may not have a flawless solution, but by taking it a step at a time, you can complete it. Dividing more complex tasks into smaller ones and working in ten-minute increments can enhance your confidence and inspire you to say, "I accomplished it."
Harnessing the Benefits of Goal Readjustment
Adjusting goals is a powerful tool for triggering dopamine release and feeling a sense of accomplishment. It's critical to strike the right balance in the level of challenge – a basketball hoop that's too low is too easy to score on and not fun, while one that's too high makes the game unenjoyable. The ideal approach is to link the effort expended with the resulting reward, and adjust goals accordingly to achieve maximum benefits.
2. Endorphins: related to the body
Exploring the Function of Endorphins
Endorphins, which function as hormones in the body, play a crucial role in our well-being. Whenever the body feels pain or stress, endorphins are released to help alleviate pain, minimize stress, and enhance mood.
Endorphins play a vital role in helping us cope with pain and providing temporary relief, allowing us to seek refuge for survival. While some individuals may push themselves to the brink to experience the pleasurable sensation of endorphin secretion, this approach is not sustainable and can lead to premature exhaustion. The evolutionary purpose of endorphins is not to cause harm, but rather to help us escape pain while ensuring the survival of ourselves or others we care for. This may involve fleeing, finding shelter, or even saving someone in danger.
Building new endorphins circuits
The Importance of Laughter: How It Positively Impacts Our Mind and Body
Laughter is a powerful tool that can trigger the release of endorphins throughout our bodies. To benefit from this natural high, it's crucial to find something that genuinely makes us laugh and dedicate time to it. However, it's important to remember that this shouldn't involve making fun of others. Although it may be challenging to discover what makes us laugh, it's essential to our mental health to incorporate laughter into our daily routine.
Exploring the Surprising Benefits of Crying
Did you know that crying can have a positive impact on your emotional well-being? The physical act of crying can release endorphins, which are the body's natural feel-good chemicals. It's a shame that many people suppress this natural urge to cry, but allowing yourself to do so can provide relief from tension and unlock the endorphin floodgates.
The Advantages of Stretching
Stretching causes the release of endorphins, which can produce a positive feeling within the body. Incorporating a few light stretches into your daily routine can be accomplished with ease- whether it be while watching TV, getting up in the morning or talking on the phone. However, it is important to avoid pushing oneself to the point of discomfort. Remember, just because stretching feels good, does not mean that painful stretching is better.
3. Oxytocin: The Hormone of Love, Trust, and Bonding
Have you ever wondered why we feel so positively towards others?
Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for these emotions. As mammals, we tend to live in groups for safety, and humans are no exception. Building trust among one another increases the chance of survival and promotes overall well-being. The brain encourages social bonding by providing a sense of reward and pleasure, which enhances our chances of survival.
Oxytocin plays a critical role in significant life events such as childbirth and loving relationships, particularly through touch. When a female mammal, including humans, gives birth, oxytocin is released, facilitating labor, childbirth, and lactation. It also motivates new mothers to keep a watchful eye on their babies. Additionally, the level of oxytocin in the infant's brain increases, promoting a strong bond that is crucial for survival.
Attachment is a trait that is inherent to mammals. It occurs when oxytocin is released, connecting all the neurons that are active at the time. We attribute this feeling of comfort and security to those around us; this is how attachment comes into being.
According to Loretta Breuning, brains that were incapable of trusting others were eliminated from the gene pool. As a result, natural selection has created a brain that is capable of trusting its companions.
Rebuilding Oxytocin Circuits and Learning to Build Relational Trust through Substitutes
Our brains crave interpersonal relationships and without confidence in them, we feel incomplete. As social creatures, the lack of oxytocin can be detrimental. For those struggling with trust or direct engagement, surrogates can be a gradual way to experience human connection.
The next time you have positive emotions from interacting with animals or a large group, remind yourself that you are the source of good vibes. To foster interpersonal connections, focus on the trust that already exists and cultivate it through selfless acts of kindness.
Techniques for Building Trust through Small Steps.
If you struggle with trust issues or need to repair a damaged bond, it's essential to take things one step at a time. Focus on creating intermediate goals that gradually increase trust. Think of Japanese garden steps, where each one is placed close enough to the other. This will help you avoid any risk of sudden betrayal or disappointment.
Experiencing the Joy of Trust through a Simple Strategy
The main goal of this strategy is to find joy in trusting others, even if it's only for a brief moment each day. By providing opportunities for building trust, we can foster strong relationships with those around us.
However, it's vital to avoid overburdening ourselves while helping others. We can't force others to trust us, and it may take time to gain their confidence. To establish ourselves as reliable individuals, keeping promises is a straightforward yet effective method for building trust.
Boost Oxytocin Secretion with a Massage
Touch is a powerful way to stimulate the secretion of oxytocin. Massages, in particular, can be very beneficial in this regard. You can receive a massage from a professional or loved one, or give yourself a self-massage. There are numerous instructional videos available online that teach various massage techniques, including for couples and self-massages.
4. Serotonin: The hormone connected to respect and social dominance and responsible for promoting feelings of safety.
The Role of Serotonin in Mammals and Humans
In mammals, serotonin is associated with a sense of calmness that arises when we feel secure in acquiring resources necessary for survival. It could be food, or companionship. When we are respected by others and are in a dominant position, we are more likely to have access to these vital resources, resulting in a pleasant feeling. This feeling, in turn, encourages mammals to seek even more respect and dominance within the social hierarchy.
Although humans try to suppress this instinct, we have inherited a brain that rewards social dominance with serotonin, leading to positive feelings and emotions. Social dominance has been a contributing factor to reproductive success, and thus brains that desire it have been naturally selected during human evolution.
In a civilized society, it is not permissible to admit that social dominance is a source of pleasure. But everyone has a brain that seeks pleasure from the influx of serotonin. - Loretta Breuning
Humans learn to control their dominant impulses to cultivate social confidence, which in turn leads to the production of oxytocin. Our brain continuously seeks to increase serotonin levels (based on respect) without diminishing oxytocin (the bond and trust we share with others), or elevating cortisol levels (stress caused by being excluded from the group and defending our position within it).
Building new serotonin circuits
Encourage a Sense of Accomplishment by Recognizing Achievements – No Matter the Size – on a Daily Basis.
Pride means you dare to say “Look what I've done!” to another living being. Pride is a rudder that helps you navigate the opportunities for gaining social recognition. It helps steer you between two extremes: the relentless search for approval and desperate cynicism. - Loretta Breuning
It is important to remember that not everyone will respond to your requests and share your enthusiasm. This can be discouraging, which is why it's crucial to surround ourselves with individuals who can do so without feeling threatened or perceiving us as boastful.
People often protect themselves by insisting that social respect is irrelevant to them or that it is an unfair concept. But these reasons do nothing to console the mammalian brain, which seeks the sense of security that comes with social respect. - Loretta Breuning
Achieving Acceptance of Our Social Status
Every position, whether dominant or subordinate, has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. For instance, occupying a subordinate role has its upsides. We're not responsible for protecting others, nor do we have to worry about defending our position. On the other hand, occupying a dominant role comes with its own advantages, such as the respect of others and the freedom to make independent decisions.
To reconcile with our social status, we must recognize the associated frustrations and list any hidden benefits of our current position, regardless of what they may be.
How to Recognize Your Positive Impact on Others
It is important to develop the habit of recognizing when others follow our lead without expecting recognition or gratitude (and without gloating "I told you so."). Simply acknowledge the fact that you have a positive impact on others and find satisfaction in the small influence you have on the world.
This reaction may seem arrogant. But all brains want to be important, and if you don't meet that need in the right ways, you will be tempted to meet it in ways that come with side effects. Everyone wants to have an impact on the world. No one wants to die without leaving a trace. Some people even decide to have a negative impact, just to get a feel for their own influence. - Loretta Breuning
Learning to Let Go: A Helpful Tip
Our mammalian brain naturally craves control and dominance, but it's not always feasible to be in charge. While it's comforting to feel like we're on top of things, sometimes it's important to relinquish control. One helpful tip for learning to let go is to choose a habit that gives us a sense of control, and then intentionally let it go. Consider setting aside a specific time of day to indulge in this habit, and then commit to giving it up at other times.
For instance, try hiding all the clocks and watches in your home on days when you have no set plans. Wake up without checking the time and go about your day without worrying about the time to eat or sleep, simply listen to your body and what it needs. This strategy can be a great way to break free from the need to be in control all the time and learn to embrace the flow of life.
Although implementing change and creating new habits can be challenging, it may not yield immediate results. However, in the long term, it can boost confidence and equip individuals with the ability to tackle issues that may arise. The author emphasizes the importance of repetition in cementing new habits and suggests that it takes at least 45 consecutive days to do so. Additionally, adapting these new habits in a playful context, such as a game, can create a sense of positivity.
Navigating Through Distress Hormones with Ease
The hormones of happiness and distress, or positive and negative emotions, are inextricably linked and cannot be separated from one another.
Understanding Distress Hormones and Their Role in Our Survival
Cortisol, the primary distress hormone, is released by the brain in response to threats. Unlike other thought processes, cortisol sends emergency signals to the brain that prompt us to take quick action. This survival mechanism alerts us to potential dangers, whether real or imagined, by creating unpleasant sensations.
By recognizing these signals as warning signs, we can take action to protect ourselves. Cortisol motivates us to rid ourselves of these unpleasant sensations and do whatever is necessary to stay safe. It is similar to how animals use their alarm system, as they don't blame themselves or others for fleeing from perceived threats. Instead, they simply return to their normal activities once the perceived threat has passed.
It may seem difficult to come to terms with the unpleasant feelings you have, but the alternative is worse. If you do not acknowledge your personal alarm system, you end up being unhappy about being unhappy. This is the vicious cycle of distress hormones. The alternative is to accept your brain's reaction to situations that resemble ancestral threats. Some threats will be real and some won’t, but you can't always predict. - Loretta Breuning
Source: Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin by Loretta Graziano Breuning PhD (Author)
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