Indispensable Guardians
18th May was my special day. I was celebrating my birthday at a great venue with my friends and loved ones, bonding and enjoying every moment. As expected, I sang and got everybody to do the same. We were in a total state of joy.
Later on as I pondered over the events, thanking God for such wonderful people in my life, it dawned on me that the positive feelings were also a major contribution of four other friends. S,D,E and O, lurk in the background, working silently and imperceptibly to allow one to actually experience those happy emotions!
These four are your indispensable guardians who will serve you till the end if taken care of.
S, D, E, O
S, D, E, O, as I would like to refer to them for now, is a group of” happy chemicals” which reside in our neurons.
Their names will be revealed later in my blog.
Each one of them plays a different role in different situations.
When I hugged or kissed my spouse and created feelings exemplifying “love”, “O” was backing me up.
When I felt a sense of accomplishment it was “D” cheering me up.
The friend who relieved my anxiety, pain and stress after a hard workout was “E”
We all deserve a good night's sleep and a great mood the next day. Well, you can bank on “S” for sure.
I assume most of us know that chemicals such as Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen constitute a large percentage of the human body mass (96.2%). It is therefore not surprising that many of the solutions to the body’s problems will also mostly be found in the domain of Chemistry.
Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine, Oxytocin
These four emotion elevating friends deserve a very special focus from us. Let's call them by their designated scientific names: S: Serotonin, E: Endorphins, D: Dopamine, O: Oxytocin
As life progresses these hormonal friends can become depleted, as part of the natural aging process. When this happens we begin to feel low and depressed.
Therefore, should I get annoyed if my spouse feels less affectionate, is irritable or has less joy for life? Well, hold your horses! This could be a sign of low Oxytocin levels and an indication for me to become more affectionate and intimate. After all the nickname for this hormone is “Love Hormone”
It's always good to try natural ways before jumping to a pill.
Self-check if your memory and learning is slowing down and depression, sadness and mania are setting in. It’s time to touch base with Serotonin. Though many people are on medical prescriptions for this hormone, there is no harm in trying out natural ways to boost it first. Regular exercising at least thrice a week and keeping yourself hydrated and eating an adequately nourishing diet is the simple key.
Endorphins are commonly known as “Feel Good Hormones” and can be heightened with exercise of high intensity but it does not imply that you have to suddenly go for an aggressive exercise regimen. Studies have noted that building up a gradual pace can bring forth desired results.
When Dopamine decides to take a downward trend in our bodies, this can result in a slow drive for life. This will outwardly be expressed as lack of motivation and low interest in activities we normally enjoy doing. It could lead to depression and psychosis or even schizophrenia. Like the other three friends it can be boosted through adequate sleep, exercising, enjoying your favorite music and going for a walk when the sun is out.
These hormones impact your relationship with your family, friends and yourself.
A Gardner
Like a gardener you have to nurture and attend to these four friends, in order to reap a robust life.
We can assist our Happy Hormones by the following activities:
*Gym Workouts or any other activity of your choice, enjoying laughter and comedy boosts Endorphins
*Listening to your favorite music, singing or creating your own songs boosts Serotonin and Endorphins
*Spending more time with friends and eating favorite meals with loved ones can boost Oxytocin and Dopamine
Remember all the elated feelings of wellbeing are micromanaged by our brain and not the heart since our hormones, our quiet friends, dwell in our neurons.