5 habits that activate happiness hormones according to National Geographic

Experts show how we can be happier if we practice certain habits in our daily lives that influence our mood.

Happiness is one of the most universal desires and longed for by human beings. However, what is happiness and how can it be achieved? Is there a magic formula or a secret to happiness? Science has tried to answer these questions and has discovered that happiness depends on several factors, both internal and external, that influence our mood and well-being.

One of these internal factors is our brain chemistry, which produces substances called happiness hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine or endorphins. These hormones are released when we experience positive emotions, such as love, pleasure, satisfaction or purpose. But how can we stimulate the production of these hormones and what habits can we follow to be happier?

Arthur Brooks, a social scientist at Harvard University who is dedicated to studying how we can live happier lives based on scientific evidence, tells us that happiness is not a place to get to, but a direction to go. This is great news, because it implies that we can all be a little happier if we follow that path.

To do this, we need to have three essential components in our lives that we must balance and cultivate: enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose. These are the "macronutrients" of happiness, and there are ways to incorporate them into our daily lives. Purpose is what they call 'Ikigai' in Japan, which means having a reason for being. Having an ikigai not only makes us happier, but also longer-lived.

WHAT HABITS CAN WE FOLLOW TO ACTIVATE THE HAPPINESS HORMONES?

The "happiness hormones" are the neurotransmitters that affect our mood and well-being. Researchers have found that certain habits and emotions cause chemical changes that increase or decrease these neurotransmitters.

What can we do to promote the release of those hormones that make us feel happier? National Geographic magazine has selected five actions that have increasing scientific support:

Arthur Brooks explains in an interview with communicator Rich Roll that we should not reject unhappiness, but rather live all the emotions that exist and manage them in a healthy way.

To manage emotions in a healthy way, it is important to know how to recognize them. One way to do this is to name them. This is something that is often advised to improve our mental health, and that is repeated a lot in child psychology, along with the validation of emotions. Naming emotions helps us to understand what is happening to us, accept it and then, if necessary, act accordingly. But it is also one of the keys to regulating our emotions.

A study from the University of California published in Psychology Science supports this advice by demonstrating that naming emotions reduces the emotional intensity of what happens to us, as it decreases the activity of the amygdala and other areas of the limbic system in the face of negative stimuli.

TAKING CARE OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Psychiatrist Marian Rojas tells us in her book 'How to make good things happen to you' (Ed. Planeta) that one of the keys to happiness is to feel loved and accompanied.

This is because we are social beings and we need to relate to other human beings creating healthy bonds. Relationships bring us enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose, the three essential components of happiness mentioned by Arthur Brooks.

The Harvard University Adult Development Study, the largest study on happiness ever conducted, has shown that the quality of one's relationships is a key factor in happiness. According to the study, people who are more connected to their friends and family live longer, have better health and achieve more of their life goals.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Exercise is beneficial not only for our body, which produces endorphins that make us feel more euphoric, but also for our brain, which is protected and kept in shape.

There are many studies linking regular physical activity with better mental health, confirming the famous Latin phrase 'Mens sana in corpore sano'. A large study, published in 'The Lancet', found that people who did some sport reported more satisfaction in the previous month than sedentary people.

Team sports were associated with better mental health, followed by aerobic exercise and gym workouts.

GIVING AND RECEIVING HUGS

Hugs make us feel good, but the benefits are also reflected in our body's biochemistry, which generates feelings of satisfaction. This happens because, when giving or receiving a hug, the contact with the other causes us to produce oxytocin, a hormone linked to happiness. A study by the University of London has even investigated where it is best to place the arms when hugging, the appropriate duration and the ideal pressure of a hug

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