How to Boost These 5 Good Brain Chemicals For Better Well-Being

Part of maintaining good mental health is keeping our brains humming with the natural chemicals they crave. Your brain and body need dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins to feel good, but we’re not taught a lot in school about how to boost production of those good brain chemicals.

It ends up with a lot of us feeling a little glum and not quite knowing why.

These brain chemicals, known more formally as neurotransmitters, are remarkably complex things that we’re only just beginning to understand. We do know they’re related to emotional balance and even have learned that some of them can be boosted a little through fairly simple efforts.

Now, there are of course many situations where a little change in routine or added activity is not going to solve the significant chemical imbalance a person might be experiencing. If you’re struggling with severe or chronic depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges, medication might be necessary,. and you should talk to your doctor about the best solution for you.

But even people without ongoing mental health issues might experience down periods for any number of reasons. When that happens, these simple activities might be helpful for boosting your brain chemicals and helping you feel a bit better.

1. Dopamine.

   Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects how we feel pleasure and is crucial to our internal reward system. Its release helps the brain categorize certain experiences as important and pleasurable. Because of this function, it’s triggered by rewards or by things you want but don’t yet have. In its worst forms, cravings for dopamine can lead people to develop addictive behaviors, but channeled effectively, dopamine is a great tool for motivating yourself to achieve things. If you’re trying to boost your dopamine levels, think of healthy ways to trigger your reward centers in your brain. Try promising yourself a nice walk after finishing five tasks on your to-do list, letting yourself read a chapter of the book you can’t seem to put down after you can focus for a solid hour on work, and enjoying a healthy treat after smashing your goals for the day (we love a milky herbal tea with a little honey).

2. Serotonin.

   Serotonin is a brain chemical that, in the right quantities, helps you feel calm, confident, and patient. It can be triggered in a lot of ways, but one of the easiest turns out to be sunlight. Research indicates that your skin can synthesize serotonin, meaning that when you spend time outdoors, your body will naturally produce more serotonin than when you spend all of your time inside. To help boost your serotonin levels, try to spend 10-15 minutes a day outside in the sunshine. If you live somewhere gray and dark, consider using a light therapy lamp.

3. Oxytocin.

   Oxytocin is commonly known as the “cuddle hormone” and is produced during social bonding. It was first recognized for its significance during childbirth and breastfeeding, when it triggers intense bonding between the birth parent and the infant. We now know humans produce oxytocin during sexual intimacy, emotional bonding, welcome physical contact like hugs, and even playing with our dogs. During the covid-19 outbreak, though, many of us are living in isolation. Try some of these ideas for boosting intimacy and triggering good brain chemicals.

4. Endorphins.

   Endorphins are neurotransmitters that act on the opiate receptors in our brains. That means they have similar effects to opiates like morphine, reducing pain and boosting pleasure. They’re commonly triggered by pain or stress but can also be released in response to exercise, eating, and sex. Here at Myrth, we love exercise as a way to release some good endorphins, and we know that even gentle movement can be effective in that regard. Try a walk, some very basic yoga, or even just stretching for a little bit.

Ultimately, brains are such complicated things that it will take us much longer to fully understand all of their mysteries. Even so, we know a bit about how to help them function better, and getting the right balance of these key neurotransmitters is an important part of that process. If you’re feeling a little off lately and can’t figure out why, try some of these techniques to help boost your brain chemicals.

Have you undertaken efforts to boost your good brain chemicals? What did you try and how did it go? Share with us in the comments!

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