Happiness is an Inside Job: How to Harness the Power of Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins for your Health

Join us as we journey into the science of happiness through the lens of neurobiology. Imagine reshaping your mindset by understanding the powerful roles of the "happy hormones," dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, the neurotransmitters that fundamentally influence our joy. Inspired by the work of Loretta Granziana Bruning, we explore how to nurture these happy hormones naturally and shift from seeking external validation to finding fulfillment within ourselves. Delve into insights from influential thinkers like the Dalai Lama and Ralph Waldo Emerson as we highlight the significance of personal responsibility in cultivating happiness.

This episode is your invitation to embrace self-love and radical acceptance, aligning thoughts, words, and actions for true happiness. Tune in and embark on a journey that promises to enrich your understanding of your own body and mind, leading you toward enduring joy and fulfillment.

I'll take you through a meditation to help reset your happy hormones and have you feeling love, peace and joy from the inside out. 

If you want to just listen to the meditation portion of this episode - I got you covered! Follow the link for the meditation only bonus episode: Balance Your Happy Hormones Mediation. 

We close out this episode with a quote that is particularly relevant for our thoughts, actions and behaviours but I want you to think about the importance of how our chemical makeup also applies to this idea. It comes from Mahatma Ghandi  who said “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." 

Mediation Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay

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Transcript

Exploring Inner Happiness and Self-Love

Speaker 1 0:00

Hello, you've tuned in to Reverse, Reset. Restore the space where we explore the incredible potential within ourselves for reversing false beliefs, resetting our inner narratives and restoring our authentic selves. I'm Sally and I share all my experiences, my learnings, even my trauma, everything I know or am learning while on the road to recovering my well-being inside and out. In today's episode, we look at what makes us happy and how we can help ourselves experience it in a more authentic way. Stick around change comes from within. Happiness true, pure happiness can feel completely elusive, yet it is intricately woven into the fabric of our biology. We're just so often at the mercy of the world around us, of our situations and our personal circumstances, that we don't always make room for this part of our being. We've removed ourselves from joy, and it's not just a feeling or an experience. It's actually a chemical reaction that forms a big part of how we exist. In today's episode, we're going to discuss the quartet of neurotransmitters known as the happy hormones dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals play a crucial role in regulating our mood, our emotions and our overall sense of well-being. I think if we can come to understand their mechanisms and influences in our bodies, this understanding can offer profound insights into the nature of happiness itself. Loretta Granziana Bruning, author of Habits of a Happy Brain, retrain your Brain to Boost your Serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and Endorphin Labels, breaks down these four neurotransmitters as this.

Speaker 1 2:16

Four happy chemicals Dopamine, the joy of finding what you seek, of finding what you seek. Endorphins, the oblivion that masks pain. Oxytocin, the comfort of social alliances. And serotonin, the security of social importance. We're going to delve into each chemical shortly and talk about what they do, how they work and ways we can naturally increase their levels in our lives.

Speaker 1 2:44

Now you might be thinking inner happiness is not attainable because I've got PTSD or I've been diagnosed with depression or I have other conditions that mean I'm not able to produce, or I've got limited production of these chemicals that you're going to talk about. And let me be clear if you are on mood stabilizers or taking antidepressants, I'm not suggesting to get off them and only follow the suggestions that are in this episode. Firstly, I'm not a doctor, nor am I attempting to be one. That would be reckless and irresponsible of me for one thing. For another thing, these treatments can really work well in restoring the chemical imbalances going on. These treatments can really work well in restoring the chemical imbalances going on. I know because they have helped me in my own depressed and anxiety riddled brain in the past.

Speaker 1 3:37

What I'm hoping to achieve in this episode is to get you thinking about how you can understand happiness a little more and what you might be able to do as a person who is willing to take responsibility for your own joy. But firstly, I'm going to throw a whole bunch of questions at you to ponder on. What does it mean to be happy? What does happy look like to you? Do you find happiness in being miserable or cynical or grouchy? Do you think happiness is what you own or how you dress or what work you do? How much of your pursuit of happiness comes from external rather than internal sources? I guess what I'm asking is what exactly is happy For the Dalai Lama?

Speaker 1 4:24

He says happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. Ralph Waldo Emerson wryly observed that for every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. Aristotle said happiness depends upon ourselves. Ralph Marston claims that happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. Steve Maraboli wrote happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them. And Peanuts creator Charles M Schultz unsurprisingly says that happiness is a warm puppy, and warm puppies or kittens are always a good place to start in terms of happiness, aren't they? Let's just notice the common theme here Happiness is a choice, it's an action and it ultimately lies within us to create.

Speaker 1 5:25

We can all get caught up in this idea that happiness is based on what happens to us or the things we acquire or the relationships we have. And yes, a lot of our happiness should come from things and people and experiences. After all, we are living in the world. There is nothing wrong to pursue happiness from outside ourselves. But that's not the questions I'm trying to figure out here. Because ultimately, if your happiness is only based on fleeting external sources, like that next purchase or pursuit of the cute guy or getting likes on your social media posts, we've got to ask ourselves am I truly happy? And if we are brave enough to recognize that we only feel our worth by attaining something, whether that is a relationship, a job, that new fashion forward coat or an insta-like, then maybe we're focusing too much on finding our joy on the outside and forgetting happiness is also an inside job. It's one of the reasons why I encourage practices like affirmations and mirror work and meditation, because these are actions that can help bolster your self-love, which in turn, has a positive impact on your happiness.

Speaker 1 6:46

I know that when I'm diligently practicing these things, plus gratitude, I feel better, I feel happier, I am happy, and that happiness is not something that is shaken by a bad day or an experience or how my life is going in that moment. It isn't dependent on the things around me or outside of me. None of that makes a dent when your joy is rooted from within you. I'm not going to lie With the state of the world right now. I can let that stress me out, make me fearful and have me set up in panic mode. The external reality of the world definitely has an impact on my happiness If I focus my happiness only on what is beyond myself. So every day, I have to choose inner happiness to be my guide. That doesn't mean that I don't let what is going on get me down or distract me. I do have a habit of righteous rage just to ask my partner or my mother or practically anyone who knows me, but perhaps it's because of this tendency to be opinionated and hold justified resentments and be angry at the amount of hatred and vitriol and violence towards, in quotations, others that I can see the line between what is external and internal happiness more clearly.

Speaker 1 8:16

A couple of episodes back, I talked about being recently diagnosed with depression and complex trauma, or the complex trauma is not so recent. Depression and complex trauma Well, the complex trauma is not so recent. But another bout of depression In early January of this year, 2025, I was feeling very low, but after being told there was nothing that could be done about the horrible chronic pain I've been in since August of 2024, until my mental health aka depression was better, I went home feeling hopeless and helpless and I wallowed in that feeling for about a week before my rage took over, or maybe we should call it my will. If the medical team weren't going to help me, then I would have to help myself, and I started not with the antidepressants they gave me a prescription for and again, no judgment here for anyone that has taken them. Like I said earlier, I've been on them in the past and had success, but this time around I wanted to go back to the practices I've been doing since before starting this podcast, the ones that have helped me improve my mental health and sense of self-worth and love.

Speaker 1 9:26

So I began with my gratitude practice of starting the day naming things I was thankful for, and I encourage you to do this. You don't even have to get out of bed, heck, you don't even have to open your eyes. It can take less than a minute to do this List what you're thankful for and then expand on it if you like. For example, I adore clouds, so I might say I'm grateful for clouds and that's it. That would be enough, no explanation necessary. But sometimes it's really helpful to expand on this thought, to really re-energize yourself about your life and your existence and your place in the world. So I could also say I'm thankful for the clouds I get to see. How amazing is it that I get to be alive in this moment and see that cloud that has never existed before and will never exist again. It exists now, here in this moment. Not even some of the greatest artists who ever lived have seen this cloud.

Speaker 1 10:33

Now you may think, sally, that is a weird example if you're not particularly fond of clouds, but when you do this for something that you do like or you're grateful for, you naturally create a shift in your body and in your thinking, let's try for shits and giggles another example right now and let's go for something that most of us take for granted our toilet. I'm grateful for my toilet. Now let's expand upon that idea and that gratitude. I'm grateful that I live in a time and place, that indoor plumbing exists and that I have access to a toilet and running water. I'm grateful that when I need to go, I don't have to worry about trying to find somewhere to go or not having the privacy. I've got it so much better than generations of people who came before me. Even kings and queens didn't have the luxury of a toilet like I do. I am so blessed and I can do my business in safety and at low risk of disease or death. I have access to toilet paper to clean myself and water and soap to keep myself and others safer too. I know this probably is okay this is in the realm of ridiculousness, right but what we're doing here is shifting our thoughts and our focus to the positive things in our lives, even the most mundane or the most silly things that we don't think that we need to be grateful for, so that when things don't go as planned and that happens in life right. We don't sweat the small stuff because we know we can see ways that we can still be grateful in that moment. This type of practice builds resilience, it builds gratitude and thankfulness for what you've got in your life and it builds happiness.

Speaker 1 12:29

We had an internet outage a couple of weeks ago and I was on a Reddit thread for it, and some people were losing their mind because the internet was down their home internet, not their mobile phone internet, obviously and some people were, as we say, down under spitting the dummy because they were inconvenienced. People were threatening to take their business elsewhere and some were adding to high call volumes, determined to speak to a manager. One person in this thread was complaining that it wasn't okay because it was dinner time and she had four kids to feed. I have to giggle and say that my first initial thought when I read that was if you're feeding your kids the internet, they're definitely not getting a well-balanced meal. But I do get it.

Speaker 1 13:19

When you're used to living a certain way with a lot of privilege, as most of us here in the West are, it is easy to be aggrieved. However, if they're chosen to be understanding or empathetic and practice some gratitude for what we still have available to us. In this case in point, you still had internet access via your phone, then maybe they wouldn't have felt so hard done by and so angry. An internet outage for a night isn't actually going to kill anyone, right? There are far worse conditions that people around the world, or even in our own cities, are living under. So I encourage you to try shifting your gratitude focus to the mundane things in your life, the expected things in your life, and you'll feel the shift not only in your mind and in your responses to situations and your resilience, but in your body too.

Activating Happiness Hormones Through Meditation

Speaker 1 14:21

The internet outage situation reminded me of this perfect analogy about chocolate boxes. No, I promise I'm not going Forrest Gump on you. This analogy comes from Loretta Granziana Bruning, who illustrates that how what we choose to focus on can lead our feelings one way or another. So, she says, choosing a chocolate from a box brings the risk of disappointment. To make matters worse, you may see someone else get the chocolate you'd been hoping for. You can end up feeling bad, even as you're enjoying intense chocolatey goodness. The difference between your dream chocolate and your disappointing chocolate is extremely small, but that's what you focus on. I think that we're all guilty of doing this in our lives from time to time, and that's just a natural part of being human as well. But I think, as we're doing this journey of self-discovery and becoming more conscious and more aware of who we are and how we think, what sets us off and the behaviors that we undertake based on our personal experiences and our understandings of things, when we remind ourselves that actually what we focus on can really contribute to our feelings, we can also then choose a different place to put our focus, which will then create a different feeling in our bodies. Okay, that's enough of me on the bandwagon.

Speaker 1 15:53

For a minute, let's take a look at these four essential chemicals that can help us create happiness from within by also harnessing some of the power of external happiness sources. I'm going to get a wee bit technical here, as we are talking about the specifics of these neurotransmitters. Hopefully, I'll be able to identify the areas I'm talking about easily enough for you to understand, or you can look them up. So we'll start with dopamine, or, as I like to call it, the motivation molecule. Dopamine is often dubbed the reward neurotransmitter, and it's primarily synthesized in the brain's ventral tegmental area, which is an area located in the midbrain, and it's released in response to pleasurable experiences or anticipated rewards. Its functions extend beyond mere pleasure, though, as dopamine also plays a key role in motivation, in your focus and your decision making. How we see this most played out is in activities such as achieving goals, receiving praise or engaging in enjoyable tasks. These all trigger dopamine release, reinforcing these behaviors.

Speaker 1 17:05

Obviously, if you can have dopamine, you can also not have dopamine, so we're going to talk about the deficiency in dopamine, which is associated with symptoms of depression and lack of motivation and difficulty experiencing pleasure. The impact of a dopamine deficiency means that you'll have reduced motivation and enthusiasm, you might have difficulty concentrating or staying focused, and you might have feelings of apathy and just a general lack of pleasure with anything that you might have normally gained pleasure from. There are some simple ways that you can increase your dopamine levels. One is to engage in rewarding activities, so that could be exercise or hobbies or socializing, whatever makes you feel good. That's what the key thing here is. It's creating that feeling of good that you want to be able to tap into without it solely being available to you only by external sources. Increase your dopamine levels might be looking at setting and achieving goals, or even consuming foods that are rich in tyrosine, which is a precursor to dopamine, and those foods are things like almonds, avocados and bananas.

Speaker 1 18:19

Our second happy hormone is serotonin, which I call the mood stabilizer. Serotonin is often referred to as the happiness neurotransmitter, and it's primarily synthesized in the brain's roughing nuclei. It regulates mood, emotions, sleep, appetite and cognitive functions. The serotonin levels are also influenced by factors like exposure to sunlight exercise. Low serotonin levels have been linked to mood disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as sleep disturbances and poor appetite regulation. If we look a little at the impact of serotonin deficiency, we might find that we're experiencing feelings of sadness, anxiety, irritability, disrupted sleep patterns, changes in appetite and weight. I feel a little bit targeted with this because I relate to these things. The good news is that we have natural ways to increase serotonin levels, which includes exposure to sunlight, so getting out, getting in the fresh air, spending some time out in natural light is going to be good for you Getting regular exercise, consuming foods rich in tritophan, which is things like turkey and nuts and seeds, and practicing mindfulness and meditation.

Speaker 1 19:40

Oxytocin, the bonding hormone, is our third happiness hormone. Now, oxytocin is often called the love hormone or the bonding hormone and it's produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It plays a crucial role in social bonding and in trust, empathy and intimacy. Oxytocin is released in response to positive social interactions, such as hugging, cuddling or just spending time with loved ones. It promotes feelings of connection and attachment, fostering healthy relationships. A lack of oxytocin has been associated with difficulties in forming social bonds or having trust issues or feelings of isolation. The ways that you might show an oxytocin deficiency in your body is if you're having difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, forming and maintaining relationships, if you have feelings of social isolation and loneliness, or if you have trust issues and interpersonal conflicts. But there are some really good ways that can help you to increase oxytocin levels Physical touch, hugging, cuddling, hand-holding Something so many of us were starved by or got out of the practice of doing during the pandemic. I also acknowledge that a lot of people did not grow up with a lot of physical touching or have painful associations with touch, so this is something that should be practiced carefully and with consideration to your personal circumstances and with the right people. Acts of kindness and generosity could be another way that you increase your oxytocin levels. Positive social interactions, whether that be in person or online, and through meditation and deep breathing exercises.

Speaker 1 21:32

And last but certainly not least, endorphins, often referred to as the body's natural painkillers, are produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland. They are released in response to stress, pain or intense physical activity. Endorphins bind to opioid receptors in the brain, reducing pain perception and inducing feelings of euphoria and well-being. So activities like exercise, laughter and even certain foods can stimulate endorphin release, providing a natural mood boost and stress relief. The impact of an endorphin deficiency is that you might have increased sensitivity to pain, elevated stress levels and mood disturbances and low mood. So what are some of the ways that you can increase your own endorphin levels? Exercise, especially aerobic activities, laughter and humor. Eating spicy foods is another way to increase your endorphin levels. Yes, I feel seen again. I love my spicy foods and listening to music, because I want to practice what I preach, and this is an episode all about harnessing the power of these four chemicals for your health.

Speaker 1 22:49

Let's spend a few minutes now in a meditation practice that aims to help activate each chemical for you. You'll also find a bonus episode of this meditation if you want to listen to it again without having to rehear all of this episode as well, and the link for that will be in the show notes. So let's begin. Sit or lie down in a relaxed posture, with your hands at your sides or wherever feels the most comfortable to you. Allow your eyes to gently close and take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly release it through your mouth, just continuing to breathe in, breathe out at a rhythm that feels good for you, trying to extend the spaces between taking a breath and giving it away. Today, we will focus on activating the four key hormones in our body that bring us happiness and joy. We will guide each of them into balance so you can experience deeper peace, contentment, positivity and happiness.

Speaker 1 24:10

We turn our attention now to dopamine, the motivation hormone. It's released when we experience something rewarding, like achieving a goal or feeling pleasure. I want you to imagine a golden light at the center of your chest. See it radiating with excitement and possibility as you breathe in, feel a sense of accomplishment, pride and motivation filling your heart. Let that energy of achievement spread throughout your entire body. Repeat after me, either out loud or in your mind I am motivated. I am capable of achieving my desires. Every step I take brings me closer to my goals. Breathe deeply. Breathe deeply with every inhale. Feel the motivation building within you with every exhale, release any feelings of doubt or stagnation. We're going to stay in this space for a minute or two. Just keep breathing, noticing that excitement building, releasing the doubts or apathy with each exhalation. I am motivated. I am capable of achieving my desires. Each step I take brings me closer to my goals. I am motivated. I am capable of achieving my desires. Each step I take brings me closer to my goals.

Speaker 1 26:52

Let's move our focus now to serotonin. Serotonin's, the mood stabilizer hormone, is responsible for regulating mood and happiness. Visualize a soft, warm and glowing light just above your heart, expanding gently with each breath. Choose a color that makes you feel most at peace. It might be an ocean blue or a sunny yellow. It might be the memory of a moment in your childhood, the texture of a multi-coloured quilt or the soft brown of your mother's hair. And this light is soothing and calming. With each inhale, feel your mood lifting, filling your body with a sense of peace, balance and joy. Imagine this light spreading throughout your body, filling you with contentment.

Speaker 1 28:09

Repeat after me, or repeat in your mind, if you prefer I am at peace. I am grounded. I welcome joy into my life every day. I am safe. I know peace is within me. As you breathe in, feel the soothing energy of serotonin, creating a sense of calm and positivity. Exhale any negativity or stress. Let it go. Breathe in, breathe out. Let's stay right here in this moment. Let's stay right here in this moment, breathing us into a space of calm, letting go and feel the freedom and reassurance that comes with peace. I am at peace. I am grounded. I welcome joy into my life every day. I am safe. I know peace is within me. I am at peace. I am grounded. I welcome joy into my life every day. I am safe. I know peace is within me. I am at peace. I am grounded. I welcome joy into my life every day. I am safe. I know peace is within me.

Speaker 1 30:39

Let's turn our focus now to oxytocin, which is the love hormone associated with connection, bonding and feeling. Supports In your mind's eye. I want you to see a pink light surrounding you like a warm embrace. Feel this energy in your heart spreading to your entire body as if you were being enveloped by love and affection. Imagine this light connecting you to those you love, to all of humanity and to yourself. Feel the warmth of love filling your entire being. We're going to speak love over and into our life. Feel free to join along with me, out loud or silently, as we speak these words of affirmation I am loved. I am deserving of love. I give and receive love freely. I love myself. With each inhale, feel your heart opening to love and with each exhale, let go of any barriers or fears that might block the flow of love. As you repeat the affirmations, let them be the truth. You are open to receiving. I am loved. I am deserving of love. I give and receive love freely. I love myself. I am loved. I am deserving of love. I give and receive love freely. I love myself. I am loved. I am loved. I am deserving of love. I give and receive love freely. I love myself.

Speaker 1 33:25

And finally, we turn our attention now to our endorphins, our pleasure hormone that we experience during physical activity and laughter or moments of intense joy. We acknowledge how they help reduce pain and enhance feelings of happiness From the top of your head. I want you to visualize a bright, vibrant yellow light, like sunlight, moving down through your body, slowly releasing any tension or discomfort, as it filters down, as it moves through your body, it brings a sense of lightness and joy and ease. Allow the light to expand, filling you with a carefree and playful energy. As you notice this light and allow it to cover every inch of your being, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, I invite you to join me as we speak these affirmations over your life.

Speaker 1 34:47

I am joyful. I embrace, laughter and play. My body is filled with vibrant energy and happiness. With vibrant energy and happiness, I can always find my way back to joy. With each inhalation, feel the endorphins filling your body with lightness and with each exhalation, release any heaviness or discomfort. Let's just stay in this moment, basking in the delight of this light, keeping a soft focus on your breathing. I am joyful. I embrace, laughter and play. My body is filled with vibrant energy and happiness. I can always find my way back to joy. I am joyful. I embrace, laughter and play. My body is filled with vibrant energy and happiness. I can always find my way back to joy. I am joyful. I embrace, laughter and play. My body is filled with vibrant energy and happiness. I can always find my way back to joy.

Speaker 1 36:57

Allow the energy of these four hormones to blend together, creating a radiant, harmonious feeling within you. You are now filled with motivation, peace, love and joy. Feel your entire being vibrating with this positive energy. Remember what it feels like in your body. Pay attention to where it is sitting within you and hold on to it. Sit quietly and appreciate the power of these hormones working in harmony within you. Know that you have activated your body's natural capacity for happiness and know that you can come back to this place of peace and joy anytime you want it. It is already within you. It is already a part of who you are. As we come towards the end of our practice, let's end with a final affirmation I am balanced, I am happy, I am in control of my being and happiness. Slowly bring your awareness back, gently wiggle your fingers and your toes. When you're ready, open your eyes, bringing the sense of peace and happiness with you into the present moment. Wow, I hope you feel as good as I do right now. I hope that has brought you somemer and more hopeful and happy when I spend some time reminding myself of my own worth and breathing in all of that truth and letting go of all the toxic thoughts and behaviors that I can so easily get caught up in.

Speaker 1 39:18

Our neurobiology is an incredible contributor of who we are, is an incredible contributor of who we are. It's an intricate symphony that chemicals like our four happiness hormones play active roles in in shaping our emotional landscape From the thrill of accomplishment, fueled by dopamine, to the warmth of connection facilitated by oxytocin. These neurotransmitters orchestrate powerful connections of joy and well-being. Yet they are always at risk. Their delicate balance can be easily disrupted, leading to a cascade of emotional imbalances and mental health challenges that are further complicated as we navigate modern life. Navigate modern life.

Speaker 1 40:08

Let us remember the profound impact of nurturing our neurochemistry and just how much we can have control over our bodies, our thoughts and our beliefs. When we understand our bodies in much finer details, we're able to come to it from a place of love, knowledge and acceptance. This not only will improve our neurochemistry, but our overall relationship to ourselves and the way that we can interact and handle the world. So, whether it's through acts of kindness that boost oxytocin, or moments of laughter that release endorphins, or the pursuit of meaningful goals that stimulate dopamine, we hold the power to cultivate happiness from within. I encourage you to join me as I continue on this journey of self-love and radical acceptance, with curiosity and compassion, and a steadfast commitment to fostering the chemistry of joy. In the words of neuroscientist Loretta Granzino-Bruning, understanding your brain can help you build a better life. Now I'm not suggesting that you try to become a neurobiologist or spend years reading research and scientific journals, but I am encouraging you to get more curious about this intricate and detailed machine that we know as our body. I know the more I learn, the more I feel amazed and grateful towards my body, even when I feel at times so disconnected and even furious with it.

Speaker 1 41:37

If you've found value in this episode, I would love for you to hit that follow, subscribe button, all of that jazz. You know how it's done's done. If you haven't done already, and let me know by hitting me up on threads or Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to read your comments. We'll close out this episode with the final quote that resonates with me, and this quote is particularly relevant for our thoughts and actions and behaviors. But, as I say, I want you to internally, and the reminder of the importance of our chemical makeup as well as applying to this idea. It comes from Gandhi, who said happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.