Boosting Brain Happiness as Part of a Healing Journey

One of the most difficult parts of a healing journey is facing things from your past that you never wanted to face again. It’s essential, though, because we can only heal – can only become whole again – by understanding and integrating our past with our present.

Healing is about reinterpreting past events (trauma) with a new perspective focused on comprehending, forgiving, and moving forward.

The process of healing can become intense and often challenging, as well as frustrating and irritating.

Everyone's healing journey is different. Every path is unique, so it is vital to find the tools that will help you heal. We have a tendency to ignore and neglect all aspects of our health while focusing on the day-to-day challenges of life, so a healing journey means a change in priorities -- and a new focus on healing, which can be disruptive and taxing.

With a healing journey comes the importance of focusing on yourself and your self-care. Part of that self-care routine should be dedicated to utilizing healthy methods for boosting your happiness chemicals. (Learn more about the process of starting a healing journey.)

The premise of this article is to demonstrate that implementing a regimen to boost certain key brain chemicals can be highly beneficial as you work through your healing journey.

Why? Because everyone has a collection of powerful chemicals coursing through their brains, shaping not just their emotions and emotional profile, but their entire sense of well-being

Anyone can use these tools to boost their happiness and sense of fulfillment, whether or not they are on a healing journey. (Of course, it is my belief that everyone should be on a healing journey.)

The remainder of this article discusses the key brain happiness chemicals, along with strategies for boosting them when you need a healthy lift in your spirits.

Brain Happiness Neurotransmitters

The following chemicals act as neurotransmitters and hormones (sometimes also referred to as neuromodulators), influencing our mood, pleasure, and feelings of connection, and include dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin.

And while we refer to these as “brain” chemicals, our gut also plays a major role through the gut-brain axis. In fact, your gut microbiome helps regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, all of which are crucial for mood stability. Some experts say as much as 90 percent of all serotonin is produced by our gut microbes, not in our brains.

Happiness comes from these four chemicals: DOSE – dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

Dopamine: the reward and pleasure neurotransmitter that motivates you to accomplish a goal, rewarding you with each step you take toward that goal. It is also crucial for learning and memory.

Oxytocin: known to many as the “love hormone,” this chemical helps promote love, trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships.

Serotonin: the “feel-good” chemical that comes from being recognized and seen as valuable, and which is crucial for mood, appetite, digestion, learning, bone health, wound healing, and sleep.

Endorphins: natural pain killers (often resulting in a “natural” high) that the body produces in response to stress or discomfort, and are released during exercise and movement, resulting in a feeling of euphoria.

Tools for Boosting Brain Happiness

Here’s how to DOSE yourself in the healthiest way possible:

Dopamine: the key is focusing on the healthiest ways to increase this chemical, such as listening to favorite music, meditating, and getting safe sunlight. Eating foods rich in tyrosine (an amino acid critical for dopamine production), including turkey, grassfed beef, pastured eggs, organic dairy, and legumes. Be wary of dopamine traps, such as social media. (See my article and book review… Dopamine Nation)

Oxytocin: building healthy, supportive, and loving relationships and spending quality and happy times with these people is critical. Hugging, touching, and safe physical connection (cuddling, hugging, and intimacy) are essential. The love of a pet is another way to get oxytocin, as is partaking in a healing massage, and serving others.

Serotonin: get out in nature, including daily sun exposure (but only very early or late afternoon, when the sun is not as dangerous), especially in winter months when serotonin drops for many people. Another amino acid, tryptophan, helps increase serotonin levels. Find it in these foods: chicken, turkey, beef, fish, beans, dairy, nuts, seeds, tofu, and eggs.

Endorphins: yet another reason to move every day (throughout the day). Making exercise a priority is not only essential for our physical health but also for our mental health. And you can make exercising fun by dancing, biking, or walking. Sniffing certain essential oils can release endorphins, as can performing random acts of kindness and eating your favorite foods.

Final Thoughts on Boosting Brain Happiness

The five critical things you can do to boost your overall happiness and sense of well-being include:

• Eating nutrient-rich real foods.

• Exercising regularly.

• Spending time in nature.

• Partaking in activities that you enjoy.

• Cultivating/sustaining healthy, supportive friends.

Of course, other habits that will improve your mental health and help propel your healing journey forward include:

• Reducing chronic stress levels as much as possible;

• Striving for consistent, quality sleep;

• Activating your inner child and engaging in fun activities;

• Eliminating environmental toxins in and around homes;

• Practicing gratitude, mindfulness;

• Healing, growing, or deepening your spiritual practices.

Remember: Gut health is essential. Improving your gut health (through eating a healthy diet) is critical to helping boost your happiness chemicals, propelling you forward in healing. A healthy diet means removing as many toxic chemical additives as possible from the foods you eat, eliminating refined sugars and carbohydrates as well as all seed oils. For a quick overview, please read my article, Eight Solutions for Healthier Eating.

Finally, some supplements have shown potential benefits for improving happy brain chemicals, including SAMe, St. John’s Wort, and 5-HTP.

Additional Brain Happiness Resources

• Happy Chemicals: Understanding Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins

• Happiness Chemicals In The Brain (And How To Activate Them!)

• How to Hack Your Hormones for a Better Mood

• 8 Key Factors Behind the Production of Happiness Hormones

• The 36 Best Natural Ways to Increase Dopamine Levels in the Brain

• Oxytocin: 13 Natural Ways to Increase the Love Hormone

• Try These 9 Natural Serotonin Boosters for Happier Moods and Less Worry

• 31 Powerful Ways to Boost Your Endorphin Levels Naturally

• Brain Happiness Chemicals: How to Boost Your Feel-Good Hormones Naturally