Some simple activities like cooking, exercising, and listening to music can help boost your hormones.

Happy woman wearing pink headphones
Aaron Thomas/Stocksy United

Different glands in your body produce hormones. They travel through the bloodstream and are involved in many bodily processes.

One of these important functions? Helping you regulate your mood.

Positive feelings, including happiness and pleasure, can be promoted by certain hormones.

These hormones include:

  • Dopamine: Known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s an important part of your brain’s reward system. It’s associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, and more.
  • Serotonin: This hormone and neurotransmitter helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.
  • Oxytocin: Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. It can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships. Levels generally increase with physical affection.
  • Endorphins: These hormones are your body’s natural pain reliever, which your body produces in response to stress or discomfort. Levels may also increase when you engage in reward-producing activities such as eating, working out, or having sex.

Here is a look at what you can do to help boost your mood.

Looking to boost your serotonin level? Spending time outdoors, in sunlight, is a great way to do this.

According to research, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can increase the production of serotonin.

You can try spending about 15 minutes outside a few times a week. Try exploring a new neighborhood or park if you’re tired of the same old sights. Just be aware that UV exposure can also increase the risk of skin cancer, so don’t forget sunscreen!

Exercise has multiple physical health benefits. It can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being.

If you’ve heard of a “runner’s high,” you might already know about the link between exercise and endorphin release.

“Exercise doesn’t work on alleviating pain. It’s a great option to boost your hormones if you do regular physical activity.”

Maximize your workout

To see more benefits from exercise.

  • Include a few friends: A small 2017 study of medical students found evidence to suggest group exercise offers more significant benefits than solo exercise.
  • Get some sun: Move your workout outdoors to maximize your serotonin boost.
  • Time it: Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at a time. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, but research associates higher-intensity workouts with a greater release of endorphins.

The old saying is, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Of course, There is laughter. won’t treat ongoing health issues. But it can help relieve feelings of anxiety or stress, and improve a low mood by boosting dopamine and endorphin levels.

According to a small 2017 study looking at 12 young men, social There is laughter. triggered endorphin release. Research supports this finding.

Share that funny video, dust off your joke book, or watch a comedy special with a friend or partner.

An extra bonus? It might be possible to bond over something funny with a loved one.

This tip could boost your hormones.

dopamine and nervosa can be released from eating something delicious. Sharing the meal with someone you love can boost your oxytocin levels.

Certain foods can affect hormones, so be sure to plan for a happy hormone boost.

  • spicy foods may trigger endorphin release
  • yogurt, beans, eggs, meats with low-fat content, and almonds are just a few foods linked to dopamine release
  • foods high in tryptophan have been linked to increased serotonin levels
  • foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut, can influence the release of hormones

There are supplements that can increase your hormones. There are just a few to consider.

The effects of supplements have been studied. More research is needed to support the benefits of supplements for humans.

“Some supplements aren’t recommended for people with certain health conditions They can interact with certain drugs, so talk to a healthcare provider before trying them.”

If you take any supplements, read the package instructions and stick to the recommended dose since some can have negative effects at high doses.

Music can help you with your hormones.

Listening to instrumental music, especially music that gives you chills, can increase dopamine production in your brain.

If you enjoy music, listening to it may help you relax. Serotonin production can increase when you have a positive change in your mood.

You may also experience an endorphin release while performing music, especially in a large group. For example, a 2016 study found that choir members experienced increased endorphin release during rehearsals.

If you’re familiar with meditation, you might already know of its many wellness benefits — from improving sleep to reducing stress.

Research links many of meditation’s benefits to increased dopamine production during the practice.

Not sure how to start? It is not as hard as you might think. It can help when you are first starting out.

Try it

To begin with meditation.

  • A comfortable place to sit is the choice you make.
  • Get comfortable, no matter what you are sitting, standing, or lying down.
  • All your thoughts should rise and be passed on to you.
  • Try not to judge them, cling to them or push them away as they come up. Simply acknowledge them.

Start out by doing this for 5 minutes and work your way up to longer sessions.

The reputation of the love hormone is earned by roxtocin.

Simply being attracted to someone can lead to the production of oxytocin. But physical affection, including kissing, cuddling, or having sex, also contributes to oxytocin production.

Spending time with someone you care about can boost their production of the hormone. This can help increase your relationship feelings, making you feel happy, blissful, or even euphoric.

If you want to feel happy hormones, you should know that dancing and sex both lead to endorphin release.

You can share a glass of wine with your partner.

If you have a dog, giving your furry friend some affection is a great way to boost oxytocin levels for you and your dog.

According to research, dog owners as well as their dogs see an increase in oxytocin when interacting.

If you see a dog you like, you might experience an increase in the feel good hormone, oxytocin. This could happen if you get to pet any dog at all.

Give your dog a good ear scratch or lap cuddle if you find it.

Not getting enough quality sleep can affect your health in multiple ways.

It can cause an imbalance of hormones in your body. This can have a negative impact on your health.

Setting aside 7 to 9 hours each night for sleep can help restore the balance of hormones in your body, which will likely help you feel better.

“Try to get a good night’s sleep if you find it hard.”

  • “It’s the same time every day, going to bed and waking up.”
  • Reducing light, noise, and screens will help create a quiet, relaxing sleeping environment.
  • decreasing caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon and evening

It’s normal to experience some stress from time to time. But living with regular stress or dealing with highly stressful life events can cause drops in dopamine and serotonin production. This can negatively affect your health and mood, making it harder to deal with stress.

If you’re under a lot of stress, the American Psychological Association recommends:

  • Taking a break from stress.
  • There is laughter.
  • taking 20 minutes for a walk, run, bike ride, or other physical activity
  • meditation
  • social interaction

Any of these approaches can help relieve stress and boost dopamine, dopamine and even endorphins.

If you enjoy a massage, here’s one more reason to get one: massage can boost all four of your happy hormones.

According to studies, massage boosts endorphins and oxytocin. Older research found that massage also increases serotonin and dopamine.

You can get these benefits from a massage by a licensed massage therapist, but you can also get a massage from a partner.

Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins help promote happiness and pleasure. You can give these hormones a boost with some simple activities.

If you are having difficulty regulating your mood, talk to a healthcare provider who can recommend therapies or treatments that may help.