Boosting your 'happiness hormone' raises your mood, productivity and success levels.getty
Here are five ways to help keep this neuronal messenger at optimal levels:
> Play with your pet
Many studies have shown that pets, especially dogs and cats, are a source of happiness, and even a way to limit stress. Not only do they help reduce the levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – according to American research, but our four-legged friends could also stimulate the production of dopamine. Several scientific studies agree that petting a furry friend releases two essential substances: oxytocin, the love and social bonding hormone, and dopamine, our famous happiness hormone.> Get some exercise
It is often said that exercise or playing sports releases endorphins. This is true, but it is not the only pleasure or well-being hormone that is secreted by physical activity. Whatever the chosen form, exercise naturally stimulates the production of dopamine during and after exertion, providing that feeling of well-being, accomplishment and satisfaction, or exercise “high”, that gym junkies often talk about. It is therefore not surprising that certain scientific studies point to a link between physical activity, memory and concentration, or that it can be a source of motivation – and in excess, of exercise addiction.> Listen to music
Music may soothe the savage beast, but that’s not all it can do. It could also play an active role in stimulating the production of dopamine. Music and pleasure appear to be intimately linked, provided of course that you choose tracks that you particularly like. Activating the brain’s famous reward system, listening to music could even arouse feelings of euphoria and desire that are more often associated with eating, sex or taking certain drugs, as revealed by researchers from Canada’s McGill University. It is therefore not surprising that music is now used in healthcare settings, with music therapy used to complement nursing care during painful procedures, for example.> Make love
From relieving migraines to fighting certain cardiovascular (heart) diseases and even looking younger, sex seems to be particularly beneficial for health, according to numerous scientific studies. But beyond that, sex could also be a stimulant for dopamine production – and for good reason, since it is obviously also directly associated with pleasure. Making love is enough to secrete the famous molecule, but the orgasm alone provides a veritable cocktail of hormones, releasing serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, which are all associated in one way or another with happiness and pleasure.> Eat a healthy, balanced diet
A poor diet can be the cause of a dopamine deficiency. Meanwhile, certain foods can help to naturally boost its production. For this, it’s advisable to turn to certain foods rich in tyrosine, such as meat, fish, seaweed, leeks, spinach, legumes, avocados, bananas and chocolate.All these ingredients help fight against stress, improve mood or limit fatigue. – AFP Relaxnews
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Learn how to breathe properly for exercise and to relax
Inhale. Exhale. We normally don’t think about breathing – it’s automatic.
Breathing the right way
Breathing this way during sporting activities reduces the amount of energy at our disposal. Athletes would therefore do well to learn diaphragmatic breathing technique and practise it regularly. It can bring their breathing rate down from 15-20 breaths per minute to six, according to Laborde. It can also be worthwhile to attend a yoga class, where emphasis is placed on diaphragmatic breathing training, says Nützel, a yoga instructor herself. Athletes can breathe either through the nose or mouth. “No matter what the sport,” Laborde says, “it’s best to breathe through your nose because the air is then moister and warmer.” This protects the respiratory passages from drying out and cooling down. It also protects them from dirt, Nützel says, since “the nose acts as a natural filter for airborne particles”. During intense athletic activity, however, it’s normal to breathe through the mouth to meet the body’s oxygen requirements. “At high intensity, you need a lot of oxygen, so sometimes, you’ve got no choice,” says Laborde. “If oxygen intake through the nose is too low, your performance suffers.” Which breathing technique is best for a round of jogging or strength training at the gym then? Nützel says: “Whatever sport you do, the point is to require as few breaths as possible.” When we run, there’s no need to consciously adapt our breathing to our strides. “It’s best to give your breathing free rein,” says Laborde, “because our body knows exactly how much air it needs.” For strength sports such as weightlifting, on the other hand, a targeted breathing technique is useful. “You should exhale as you work against gravity, and inhale again in the relaxed phase,” advises Nützel. A well-known breathing technique during weightlifting is called the Valsalva manoeuvre. “Athletes try to mobilise more strength by pressing air against their closed mouth and nasal passages,” notes Laborde, but adds that it makes little difference in their performance. Practising yoga is a good way to increase your respiratory volume. “You learn to breathe more deeply, and with a little training, you’ll need fewer breaths to reach the same volume,” says Nützel. Breathing efficiently doesn’t only boost athletic performance by supplying the body with an optimal amount of oxygen. “Conscious breathing strengthens the immune system as well,” remarks Nützel. What’s more, she says, exhaling more slowly lowers blood pressure. Your heart rate – and resting heart rate – decrease. Breath training can also have positive psychological effects, such as stress reduction. By breathing more mindfully and slowly on a daily basis, you not only enhance your performance capacity, but your quality of life too. Laborde recommends integrating slow breathing into your evening routine as a relaxation technique.“Over time, slow breathing is beneficial to health and advisable,” he says. – By Pauline Jürgens/dpa;
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