No need to manufacture your own drugs in your kitchen... you can make it inside your own body with no tools, no financial outlay, and very little effort.
[This is the third in a series of three articles | Part 1: Moodiness | Part 2: Happy Hormones]
What Happy Chemicals Can Your Body Produce?
Oxytocin (not to be confused with the narcotic, OxyContin) is one, and it also promotes social interaction, reduces blood pressure, increases your pain threshold, reduces anxiety, and promotes healing.
How do you produce it when you need it? Oxytocin is known as the love hormone and is produced when making love, but sex is not the only way. Even hugging friends or cuddling animals can produce oxytocin, making you feel good. Receiving and giving compliments, really listening to someone (without the presence of a distracting cell phone), meditation, and exercise are all ways to produce oxytocin naturally in your body.
Trying to control your emotions reduces oxytocin levels, and repressing your feelings causes stress and physical problems to appear. Crying releases this energy, allowing oxytocin to be elevated again.
Endorphins is another free drug that your body produces that boosts happiness and helps to relieve pain or stress.
Endorphins are produced much like oxytocin, i.e. through exercise, yoga, meditation, and sex. Additionally, endorphins are produced when having a good laugh - not sending a laughing emoji, but actually laughing or giggling – you can even go for laughter therapy, but the cheapest option is to spend time with friends telling jokes or just being silly together.
Some other ways to produce endorphins involve eating, which will already make some people happy! Eating your favourite food, whatever that is, helps you to feel good, and eating chocolate - the darker the better, as well as eating spicy food with plenty of burn in it, all produce endorphins.
It may be that chilli chocolate is the answer to your quest for happiness!
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