These Are The Hormones That Affect Your Mood:

For hundreds of years, when Western medicine wasn’t around as much, we were forced to rely on our own inner healers and nature during painful experiences. Although the life expectancy was significantly lower back then, when we needed to deal with a broken bone or an animal attack, our bodies were ready to calm the mind or reduce the pain with the help of magical hormones that our bodies are designed with. Naturally, our bodies are very well equipped to cope with common problems.

Childbirth is proof of how well equipped our bodies are. To this day, in many parts of the world, women don’t have access to doctors or nurses during labor. Yet they can have painless and easy labor with the help of miracle hormones that we naturally produce within.

In the western world, when we feel anxiety, depression, or worst, physical pain, we immediately turn to medicine without even giving a chance for our body’s natural healers to come out. Here are a few magical hormones that our body produces naturally that affect our mood, mental state, and physical well-being:

Oxytocin

Oxytocin – a.k.a the love hormone- is a hormone and neurotransmitter which plays a significant role in female reproductive functions, sexual activity, and bonding, according to Medical News Today.

Oxytocin is naturally released during childbirth and causes contractions, helps with the widening of the uterus, and other functions supporting childbirth. It’s also released during sex, lactation, or even hugging. As a result, it can help with anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and pain.

According to Healthline.com, there are many ways to stimulate oxytocin release naturally. These can be simple daily activities such as practicing yoga, listening to music, or meditation. Since oxytocin is the love hormone, activities that involve touching such as hugging, cuddling, petting animals, sex, or massage can also help stimulating oxytocin release.

For the natural release of oxytocin during labor, the partner can give breast massage or nipple stimulation. Try frequent social bonding and physically or mentally to trigger this love hormone naturally.

Endorphins

Endorphins – a.k.a feel-good hormones- are naturally released chemicals that help us deal with stress and pain. Endorphins can help with reducing pain and boost feelings of happiness. According to Medical News Today, the name Endorphins come from “endogenous” which means “from the body” and “morphine” which is a pain reliever.

There are many simple ways to boost endorphin release. Some of the most common ones are having an exercise routine, yoga practice, meditation, mindfulness, and laughing. Simple but yet, very effective! 

Even if you are dealing with chronic pain, there are always small exercises to keep the body active during daily life. Following your doctor’s instructions, try to challenge your body. For example, if you are advised to take 10 minutes of walk every day, make sure to fulfill that goal. Plus, maybe challenge yourself to walk for 12 minutes the next day! The feeling of accomplishment upon completing the challenge will be due to endorphins!

Serotonin

We hear about serotonin pretty frequently in the wellness and mental health world. Serotonin – a.k.a happiness hormone- is a neurotransmitter and hormone that can be found in the body naturally. According to Medical News Today, serotonin plays a significant role in mood, emotions, appetite, digestion, and sleep.

The intestines and brain produce serotonin. This may be another reason why gut health is very significant. According to research, serotonin levels of the body can affect cardiovascular health, eye health, bone metabolism, and even blood clotting.

A study that was published in the National Library of Medicine explains that there are ways to improve serotonin synthesis in the body. The first one is the conscious change of mood with self-help tools such as meditation, breathwork, or mindfulness. The second could be bright light exposure. Another strong correlation was found between serotonin release and regular exercising and diet. Although we cannot take serotonin into the body via food, certain foods can trigger serotonin synthesizing within the body.

Cortisol

Many people have a negative idea about cortisol since it’s related to stress and survival. Cortisol -a.k.a the stress hormone- is the body’s built-in alarm system that fuels the body during a crisis and helps with maintaining bodily functions meanwhile. Cortisol has been necessary for our survival and helped us, humans, survive in nature for centuries. However, excess levels of cortisol can be toxic. 

Cortisol can help with reducing inflammation, regulates blood pressure, boosts energy, and manages the sleep cycle, according to many resources.

lt is released during a crisis and it’s supposed to come back to its normal levels after the danger has passed. Unfortunately, in the modern-day, stress is not due to a one-time experience but rather part of a lifestyle. Therefore, high cortisol levels are becoming a significant problem for the vast majority of society. High cortisol levels can affect the body and the mind in the form of anxiety, headaches, sleep problems, or even weight gain.

In other words, if you are dealing with chronic stress, you may have high cortisol levels. Thankfully, there are many helpful ways to balance the cortisol levels in the body. The most important one is stress management. Self-help tools such as meditation, mindfulness, self-hypnosis, or breathwork can be very helpful to keep the cortisol levels balanced. Having a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining healthy and supportive relationships are amongst the other natural ways to keep cortisol levels low.

Dopamine

Dopamine -a.k.a pleasure hormone- is a neurotransmitter that can be found in the body naturally and transfers messages from the brain. According to Harvard Health, dopamine plays a significant role in motivating behaviors and how we feel pleasure. It’s naturally released in the body when we do simple things like eating delicious food, having sex, after a challenging exercise, and successful social engagements.

A protein-heavy diet with an addition of probiotics while limiting saturated fats, regular exercise, and meditation are the best helpers for the natural release of dopamine.

Conclusion

Clearly, the body is a miracle in itself that can heal, recover, and change. Throughout the years, as we learned about medicine, we lost contact with our own powers. Instead of allowing the body to heal, we learned to choose medicine. Medicine is very helpful, however, it can also dampen our overall healing abilities. Always listen to your medical doctor first and after, try to see if you can add some activities in your daily life that can strengthen your physical and mental well-being!

***The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.