Natural mood boosters: How we can activate our happiness hormones

The dark season with its short days and gloomy weather can quickly affect your mood. No wonder, because it's cold and wet outside, and one of our most important mood boosters, the sun, is rarely seen. One would prefer to hide away in their own four walls.

However, we are not powerless against lack of drive and constant fatigue. If we understand what influences our mood, we can do a lot. Above all, it is our hormones that influence our well-being and mood.

Hormone for a good mood

Everyone knows about hormones. Mood swings are often attributed to our hormones. But what are hormones exactly?

Hormones are chemical messengers. This means they transmit specific information in the body and thereby initiate certain processes. Among other things, they control functions such as respiration, blood pressure, sexual function, pregnancy, metabolism, and our nutrition. Furthermore, they also influence our mood, energy levels, and motivation. There are a number of so-called "happiness hormones" that have a positive effect on our mood and motivation when they are released.

The most important happiness hormones that influence our mood are:

• the feel-good hormone serotonin

• drive-promoting endorphins

• the performance-enhancing (nor)adrenaline

• the motivation hormone dopamine

• the cuddle hormone oxytocin

• the pleasure hormone phenethylamine

Happiness hormones and their effects at a glance

The release of these hormones can be influenced by external factors and various activities.

Winter Blues: Hormonal Imbalance

Especially in winter, when the days are short and dark, this often affects our mood. This has been scientifically proven. The reason for this is the shorter days and the lower brightness during the day, which creates a hormonal imbalance. Less light enters our eyes, resulting in less production of our happiness hormone serotonin. In addition, the level of our sleep hormone melatonin remains elevated. All of this leads to feeling unmotivated and tired, rather than full of energy.

However, there are some tips on how to influence the release of happiness hormones and thus counteract hormonal imbalance.

These are the best natural mood boosters:

Nutrition for a good mood:

One of our happiness hormones, serotonin, is produced in the gut from the precursor tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means our body cannot produce it on its own and relies on intake through food. Tryptophan is mainly found in legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), grains and nuts (cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts), fish, cheese (Parmesan, Edam, Emmental), chicken, eggs, and dried fruits. A balanced diet provides the best conditions for tryptophan intake and thus lays the foundation for serotonin production.

Especially the following foods and spices positively influence our hormone balance:

• Bananas

• Plums

• Cashew nuts

• Dried fruits

• Turmeric

Micronutrients for a good mood:

Enzymes direct and accelerate biochemical reactions of metabolism and hormone production. These enzymes consist of proteins or a protein with a co-factor, usually a micronutrient. Therefore, a good supply of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is a basic requirement for hormone production.

In addition, there are a number of micronutrients that contribute to normal psychological function. These are:

• Biotin

• Folic acid

• Niacin

• Vitamin B1

• Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin C

• Magnesium

A good supply of all micronutrients is crucial. So make sure to also consume micronutrient-rich fruits and vegetables in winter.

Healthy intestinal flora:

Around 90 percent of our happiness hormone serotonin is produced and stored in the cells of our intestines. A healthy gut flora, which makes the food for our intestinal cells available and strengthens them, is an essential factor for a good mood. Especially a plant-based and fiber-rich diet has a positive effect on the composition of your gut flora.

Good sleep:

Those who sleep poorly wake up tired and exhausted in the morning. Bad mood and irritability become part of everyday life. This is accompanied by increased susceptibility to stress. Therefore, prioritize your sleep and make sure to go to bed at regular times, which will shorten your falling asleep phases.

A good supply of serotonin will also help you fall asleep faster: As soon as less light reaches our eyes and it gets dark, the pea-sized pineal gland in the brain is activated. With the help of enzymes, it converts serotonin into our sleep hormone melatonin. Melatonin then stimulates the processes that make us feel tired and prepare us for sleep (lowering of body temperature, reduction of blood pressure, decrease in energy consumption, activation of the immune system).

Light:

Light is one of our greatest mood enhancers. When it is bright (outside), almost no serotonin is converted into melatonin and at the same time more serotonin is produced. In winter, bright sunlight is scarce. Therefore, comparatively more melatonin is produced during the day and less serotonin is released, making us feel more tired, unmotivated, and sluggish, and we tend to hide indoors.

Light is indeed the best mood booster and wake-up call, which is why it is also said in winter: get outside! Even on gloomy and cloudy days, daylight outside is three times brighter than our artificial indoor lighting.

Meanwhile, there are also special daylight lamps with an intensity of 2,500 to 10,000 lux that help to stop the melatonin secretion during the day and increase the amount of serotonin in the blood.

Movement and Sports:

Exercise dispels worries and sorrows. The hormone cocktail of endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and (nor)adrenaline after a workout leads to a good mood. However, not only does exercise have a short-term mood-lifting effect, but it also promotes stress relief, emotional well-being, and the feeling of self-efficacy, which is closely linked to self-confidence. Physical activity outdoors is particularly effective. As much effort as it may take, you will feel great afterwards.

Laugh:

Not only those who are happy laugh a lot. Also, those who laugh a lot automatically become happier. Even a fake smile leads to the release of mood-enhancing hormones through the activation of the same facial muscles. Just give it a try and laugh, even if you may not feel like laughing at the moment.

Scents:

Scents have a very special influence on us and our well-being. Surely you are familiar with certain scents and smells that remind you of something or evoke a very specific feeling in you: a perfume that takes you back to a certain time in your life, the smell of cinnamon that reminds you of Christmas, or even the scent of wet asphalt that brings back childhood memories. This is because olfactory stimuli, when transmitted to the brain, also pass through brain areas responsible for our memories and emotions, making it easy to associate an event or emotion with a scent. Once in the brain, certain aromas trigger the release of, among other things, happiness hormones.

In particular, the following scents can positively influence our mood:

• Citrus: refreshing and invigorating

• Orange/Bergamot: has a mood-lifting and anxiety-relieving effect

• Vanilla: has a cheering, warming, and aphrodisiac effect

• Peppermint: has a refreshing and memory-enhancing effect

• Rose: has a calming effect

• Lavender: has a calming, relaxing, and balancing effect

Room fragrances, scented candles, and essential oils can evoke these moods.

Music:

Whether in the morning, during lunch break, or in the afternoon - when the mood shifts, often only one thing helps: good music. Especially rock, pop, and Latin American sounds are true mood boosters and mood lifters. Turn up the music and activate your brain's reward system.