Serotonin seems to make the news every other day. There’s constantly new and changing opinions about what it is and what is does. One question that has been on people’s minds with all the craziness of the past few years, is how to change your serotonin levels. How do I become chemically happier? Do I have to take all of those drugs with the crazy side effects? Today, we will be talking about how exactly to do that, without the use of a prescription. These are things you can start doing right now!
What is it?
Serotonin is actually a hormone that is responsible for leveling out people’s moods, assisting memory formation, and even plays a role in the reward process of the brain. It is pivotal to the development of healthy kids, as well as adults, due to its generally assisting in your brain’s messaging systems.
I GET IT… IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD. BUT WHY IS THAT REALLY IMPORTANT?
Well, serotonin doesn’t just help treat depression. Having lower levels of it than normal actually increases your risk of developing mental health issues and has you preform worse physically than you would with higher levels. Positive moods have been linked with longer and healthier lives, with those people even functioning better socially.
That sounds GREAT! Where do I start?
ARE YOU A POSITIVE PERSON?
Start with changing how you think. That’s a much harder task than what it sounds like. But it has been proven that changes in thinking, either self-driven or with the help of therapy, can increase the levels of serotonin in the brain.
WE LIVE IN DARK TIMES…
How much fun in the sun do you get? Lights in the eyes can increase the levels of serotonin circulating in your brain. This doesn’t count if you just shine a flashlight in your face, I’m talking about some good ol’ fashioned sunlight. Even going out in the winter on a cloudy day has much more impact on your serotonin levels than the fluorescent lights of your office/school.
EXERCISE YOUR MUSCLES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAIN!
This is a tip that has been around for a long time. What interesting about this one, is that fact that it not only raises your levels but it increases the functions of serotonin in your body. So, it’ll raise those happy hormone chemicals while allowing you to process them even more efficiently.
FOOD IS LIFE
Serotonin is mainly made from an amino acid called tryptophan. You may have heard of this from everyone’s favorite holiday food, turkey. Unfortunately, in the American diet, we use a lot of corn and other filler foods that taste great, but are lacking in tryptophan specifically. I would recommend people getting more protein packed foods like healthy cooked meats, or even nuts, seeds, and chickpeas. The diet is such an important point here. It can have such a big impact, that studies shower higher murder and suicide rates in populations that eat more corn. In areas where they were getting a lot of tryptophan, those rates were lower.
In Short…
Serotonin is important. It will help stabilize your moods as well as improve them. There are things you can do from home to help your body with serotonin production and usage. It starts with a mindset to improve and positive outlooks that lead into eating better and exercising, Self-care is important, and is one of the keys to happiness.
