Hacking Your Happy Hormones #happinesspodcast #scienceofhappiness #happinesscurriculum

Do you want to be happy? We have four neurotransmitters in our brains that are primarily responsible for our experience of happiness – dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin. Together, they are known as the “happy hormones.” It is a little-known secret that we can actually hack these hormones in order to produce the experience of happiness. We can hack dopamine – our reward hormone – by eating healthy food, accomplishing a task, and doing things that bring pleasure. We can hack endorphins – our natural pain killers – by engaging in physical exercise, eating dark chocolate and spicy foods, laughing, and being creative. We can hack oxytocin – the love hormone – through physical touch, group activities, and expressions of empathy. And we can hack serotonin – the mood stabilizer – through healthy eating, sun exposure, and thinking positively.