ACHIEVE HAPPINESS BY STIMULATING

WELL-BEING HORMONES

It 's already back to school with its shortened days, its autumnal temperatures, and its share of worries. But there is no question of losing morale. It is up to us to stimulate the hormones of happiness. They are nicknamed: Serotonin: good mood hormone Dopamine: pleasure hormone Endorphin: happiness hormone Oxytocin: tenderness hormone Cortisol: stress hormone Adrenaline: warrior hormone.

A good dose of serotonin, lots of endorphins, a few spoonfuls of dopamine and a hint of oxytocin... that's how to face this new school year.

1 Laugh

Laughter makes it possible to synthesize serotonin, the hormone that regulates our mood, but also endorphins, which reduce anxiety and stabilize mood. Some doctors even recommend using laughter therapy to treat stress and depression.

2. Drink green tea

Green tea has been cultivated for millennia for its medicinal properties. In addition to being packed with antioxidants, green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that both relaxes and uplifts. How? By raising levels of alpha wave activity in the brain. Its relaxing effect on the nervous system would also increase the concentration of serotonin and dopamine in the body.

3. Fill up on light

Those who suffer from seasonal depression will recognize themselves. Lack of sunlight can have adverse effects on mood. Research has shown that daylight, via the hypothalamus, increases the level of serotonin.

4. See his friends

The lower our serotonin level, the more depressed we become. To increase the production of the hormone of good humor, we do not hesitate to provoke encounters and maintain friendships. If we really love our friends, we welcome them with open arms: hugs are a formidable weapon against stress and depression. They allow the body to produce endorphin, oxytocin and dopamine in large quantities.

5. Be open to different activities

When it comes to well-being, Buddhists and yogis have something to inspire. Meditation and yoga lower cortisol levels, stimulating the secretion of serotonin and endorphins. These activities also promote the production of estrogen, the hormones that affect mood. Exercise too...

6. Eat carbohydrates

Several slimming diets want to avoid them at all costs, but carbohydrates influence our mood by promoting the production of serotonin. Bread, pasta, cereals, rice, slow-digesting carbohydrates are favored rather than those that are digested quickly, such as candies, cakes and cookies.

"It does not depend on you to be rich, but it depends on you to be happy." - Epictetus.