Young and Profiting with Hala Taha - YAPSnacks: 4 Brain Chemicals that Activate Happiness, and How to Use Them | Mental Health

Episode Date: January 15, 2021

Let's get happy! Learn about the happy chemicals we can fire up in our brain: Endorphins, Serotonin, Dopamine, and Oxytocin. Hopefully, this #YapSnacks episode leaves you motivated to better help your brain help you. Follow YAP on IG: www.instagram.com/youngandprofiting Reach out to Hala directly at [e-mail] Follow Hala on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Follow Hala on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yapwithhala Follow Hala on ClubHouse: @halataha Check out our website to meet the team, view show notes and transcripts: www.youngandprofiting.com

You're listening to Yab Snacks, a series of bite-sized content hosted by me, Halitaha. Are you happy? And no, not what your social media posts say. I'm asking if you're genuinely happy inside. While I'm blessed beyond measure and I'm devoted to practicing gratitude every day, to positive thinking, to saying positive affirmations every day, I'm definitely not immune to sadness. I don't think anyone is.

I'm a human going through the human experience. And like everybody, there's lots of ups and downs in life. And especially in 2020, I think we all had our fair share of challenging moments. Some of us were impacted more than others. But it's been a hard time. It's been a hard year. And so I've been reflecting on how to be more strategic about switching on the feel good chemicals when counting on my blessings doesn't quite feel like enough anymore.

So what feel good chemicals do we want fired up in our brains? Well, there's four major ones, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Before I discuss how to actually activate these chemicals and give you some practical tips there, let's break down what they are and what purpose they serve. Endorphins are what I call the pleasure drug. Serotonin is the life balance drug. Dopamine is the motivation drug. And last but not least, oxytocin is the love drug.

PSA, I'm going to be super repetitive when it comes to this episode. And that's because I think a lot of us have heard of endorphins and serotonin and dopamine, but I think we forget what they really mean and what they actually do. And in order for us to be strategic and proactive about activating these happy chemicals, then we need to actually know what they each do and remember. And so in order for me to help you remember and learn and have it stick in your brain, I'm going to be super repetitive and try to repeat, keep. keywords so that you remember it two years, 10 years, you know, 20 years from now, you remember what these happy chemicals are. So endorphins. Endorphins are all about pleasure, this feeling of pleasure. It promotes well-being and it relieves pain. Endorphins are neurotransmitters secreted in response to stress and pain. Okay. So when you think of endorphins, think of pleasure and pain relief. Serotonin. Serotonin is a key hormone that stabilizes our mood. Serotonin is all about balance. It balances our feeling of well-being and happiness, and it's a hormone that impacts your entire body. It enables brain cells

and other nervous system cells to communicate with each other, and it helps to balance sleep, eating, and digestion. So when you think of serotonin, think of life balance. Dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that ferries information between neurons. The brain releases it when you do enjoyable activities, contributing to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, and it releases dopamine as part of the reward system. It's a neurochemical that boosts your mood, motivation, and attention. It helps regulate movement, learning, and emotional responses. Dopamine is a drug that helps you form habits. It helps you get moving. It is the motivation drug. Oxytocin is a hormone, made in your hypothalamus that causes feelings of love and closeness.

Many experts note that oxytocin is directly connected to positive communication, all closeness, and general positivity. Again, oxytocin is the love jug, and I hope I've made it easy to remember for you. Now that we're on the same page in terms of what these four feel-good chemicals are, let's go into my top methods to switch them on. Let's start with how to increase your endorphins. Again, when you think endorphins, think the pleasure drug. It reduces your reception of pain and it triggers positive feelings.

Its impact on the body is commonly compared to morphine. So how do you switch on this chemical release? Exercise. Now, I know you guys might be tired of this first tip, but you know what? It's tried and true. And exercise is the number one way to boost your endorphins. And by the way, this is also a tip for myself. I need to take my own advice.

In 2020, I worked out way less than I have in previous years. I used to go to workout classes three, four times a week. I was a gym rat. I loved doing cardio kickboxing and Zumba and Pilates and yoga. And I was always in the gym. And I just loved being in that group environment. It just made me so happy, listening to loud music, being with other people, meeting new friends.

And I'm just such a social person that once quarantine happened and COVID happened, it was really hard for me to get motivated to work out because I loved being in that gym setting and just being at home working out wasn't the same. But, you know, I just forced myself to get into it. I do virtual classes on class pass now. I'm really into Barry's boot camp online and I just do that every single day. And it's not as good as the gym, but you know what? I feel better because moving your body and increasing your heart rate triggers endorphin production. And when you're Doing what's right, which is taking care of your body, you always feel great. And not to mention that there's a direct correlation between exercise and reduced anxiety

and depression. When your heart starts pumping and your sweat glands start going, that rush of feel-good chemicals kick in to reduce the brain's perception of pain. But remember, in order to get that endorphin-induced exercise high, you've got to push through that initial stage of discomfort in your workout. So next time you're working out and you feel like you just can't go longer and enough and you're really feeling tired, just remember to push through because that's when you're going to get that endorphin-induced exercise high.

So the second way that you can increase your endorphins is by spending time with friends. Now, I know this is nearly impossible with COVID. I mean, social distancing, increased workloads, homeschooling. There's so many reasons why people have no time to hang out with each other anymore. Not to mention that it's not safe to hang out with people. But let's try to be proactive in terms of connecting with people. We have technology. And so our endorphins and our happiness depends on us feeling connected.

So more FaceTime, more Zoom, more hanging out outside, do whatever you can in order to feel connected. So personally, I've been feeling really connected using the new Clubhouse app. So if you haven't heard of Clubhouse, it's an audio-only app. and it's one of the most fun things that I've done in months. Ever since COVID started and we can't really hang out with anyone anymore, go to social events. Clubhouse has given me so much fulfillment. And I feel so connected when I'm on there.

And I think it's because when we were cavemen, all we wanted to do is listen to stories. And I think as humans, we're just hardwired to love stories. And it feels like you're just around a fire with everyone just sharing. And it's very interactive. And it's just one of the most, again, And it's just the most fun thing that I've done since COVID happened in terms of a virtual event. So I would definitely recommend Clubhouse.

It will definitely boost your endorphins. I think that's why so many people are addicted to this app and spending hours and hours on this app. It's because it's fulfilling. You feel connected. It's one of the first social media platforms where you actually feel connected to everyone who's in the room. And it's an awesome experience. So definitely recommend Clubhouse to get that connected feeling and to boost your endorphins. At Yap, we have a super unique company culture.

We're all about obsessive excellence. We even call ourselves scrappy hustlers. And I'm really picky when it comes to my employees. My team is growing every day. We're 60 people all over the world. And when it comes to hiring, I no longer feel overwhelmed by finding that perfect candidate, even though I'm so picky because when it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post noticed.

Indeed, sponsor jobs help you stand out and hire fast by boosting your post to the top relevant candidates. Sponsored jobs on Indeed get 45% more applications than non-sponsored ones, according to IndyD data worldwide. I'm so glad I found Indeed when I did because hiring is so much easier now. In fact, in the minute we've been talking, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus, there's no subscriptions or long-term contracts. You literally just pay for your results. You pay for the people that you hire. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 dollar-sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com.com.

slash profiting. Just go to Indeed.com slash profiting right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash profiting. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring, Indeed is all you need. Hello, young improfiters. Running my own business has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, but I

won't lie to you. In those early days of setting it up, I feel like I was jumping on a cliff with no parachute. I'm not really good at that kind of stuff. I'm really good at marketing, sales, growing a business, offers. But I had so many questions and zero idea where to find the answers when it came to starting an official business. I wish I had known about Northwest Registered Agent back when I was starting Yap Media. And if you're an entrepreneur, you need to know what Northwest Registered Agent is.

They've been helping small business owners launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. They literally make life easy for entrepreneurs. They don't just help you form your business. They give you the free tools you need after you form it, like operating a greener. and thousands of how-to guides that explain the complicated ins and outs of running a business. And guys, it can get really complicated, but Northwest Registered Agent just makes it all easy and breaks it down for you. So when you want more for your business, more privacy, more guidance, more free resources, Northwest Registered Agent is where you should go. Don't wait and protect

your privacy, build your brand, and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit northwest registered agent.com slash yapfrey and start building something amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at Northwest Registeredagent.com slash yapfree. Happy New Year, Yap, gang. I just love the unique energy of the new year. It's all about fresh starts. And fresh starts not only feel possible, but also feel encouraged. And if you've been thinking about starting a business, this is your sign. There's no better time than right now. 2026 can be the year that you build something that is truly yours, the year where you take control over your career. And it starts with Shopify.

I've built plenty of my own businesses on Shopify, including my LinkedIn Secrets Masterclass. So it's a two-day workshop. People buy their tickets on Shopify. And then my mastermind subscription is also on Shopify. I built my site quickly in just a couple of days, payments for set up super easily. And none of the technical stuff slowed me down like it usually does because Shopify is just so, intuitive. And this choice of using Shopify helped me scale my masterclass to over $500,000 in revenue in our first year. And I'm launching some new podcast courses and can't wait to launch them on

Shopify. Shopify gives you everything you need to sell online and in person, just like the millions of entrepreneurs that they power. You can build your dream story using hundreds of beautiful templates and set up as fast with built-in AI tools that help you write product descriptions and edit photos. Plus, marketing is built in so you can create email and social campaigns easily. And as you grow, Shopify can scale right along with your business. In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com slash profiting. Go to Shopify.com slash profiting. That's Shopify.com slash profiting. Yeah, fam, hear your first. This new year with Shopify by your side.

My third tip to increase endorphins is to laugh. They don't say laughter is the best medicine for no reason. I always feel good after a great laugh. And for me, I love stand-up comedy. So when I want to get a good laugh, I turn on stand-up comedy on Netflix. I pick somebody that I love. I watch it. I get a good laugh. I get a boost of endorphins and I feel better. And they also have live-streaming comedy events now. So just do a little bit of research. Find what you like. Turn on your favorite comedy movie and you will get a boost of endorphins. And lastly, dig. that's right. Food is another way to boost your endorphins. There's specific foods like GINCIG, chocolate, strawberries, oranges, spicy nuts, and grapes. All of those trigger your brain

to release endorphins. But you're not just limited to what I listed. Just eating your favorite foods does the trick. So for me, my favorite food in the world is my mom's homemade lasagna. She does that. I get a rush of endorphins. So if you are feeling down, you have to be a lot. You have my full permission to enjoy that cheat dish that just makes you smile. Just remember everything in moderation. Okay, so let's move on to happy chemical number two, serotonin. Serotonin is the hormone that keeps you feeling centered, balanced, and happy. It's the life balance drug. So how do you trigger it? Firstly, get some sunlight. Yes, that means you got to put on your mask and go outside. Getting daily sun exposure is very important when it comes to increasing your serotonin.

And, you know, if you live in a cloudy environment or, you know, if you live in a city and you feel like it's too crowded to go outside, look into purchasing a light therapy box. You can shop for these online. And not to mention it's wintertime and so the season is against you right now. Serotonin tends to be lower in the winter and higher in the summer and fall. So you should be even more proactive when it comes to going outside. Try to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes a day outside, and why not take your physical activity outside if that's possible, then you'll get the double bonus of endorphins and serotonin at the same time. The next way to boost your serotonin levels is to get a massage. This is due to a decrease in cortisol, which is known as your fight or flight response, or built in alarm hormone, which lets you know when you're in danger, and it keeps you on high alert and with a rapid heart rate.

massages are able to decrease cortisol and increase serotonin, making you calmer and also helping to regulate your mood. So since it's COVID, we can't all go to the spa and get a massage, but if you've got a spouse or if you've got kids, why not treat each other and give each other a massage and help to boost each other's serotonin levels? And lastly, this may seem like a hokey tip, but it's a good one and it's really simple. It's to recall a good memory. All you got to do is remember a positive event that happened in your life and that simple act can increase your serotonin production. Okay, on to happy brain chemical number three. Dopamine. You've probably heard of dopamine if you've been listening to ongoing news about tech addiction. Dopamine is the same brain chemical associated with

food addiction, drug addiction, and sex addiction. Despite all this back, Press, dopamine is an incredible drug. It's meant to motivate your body towards a distant goal, one step at a time. Without dopamine, early humans would have never had the motivation to hunt down large mammals and benefit from investing effort into long-term goals. Dopamine is what helps you get through your to do list. It's what motivates you to start a new habit. So when you think of dopamine, think motivation drug. So how do you tap into the internal motivation that you can find with dopamine? First off, get your sleep. Yes, sleep.

It seems to be the cure for everything. It is so important for our health, our mental health, preventing heart disease, preventing diabetes. It literally is the cure all, it seems, for everything, including your happiness. So you need to get seven to nine hours of sleep. And I don't know about you, but COVID and staying at home and not having to commute and not having to be anywhere at a certain time,

really screwed up my sleep schedule. I was sleeping super late, waking up really late, and just had no rhythm. And I think that's really bad. So I would encourage everyone to set a strict sleep schedule. Be easy on the caffeine in the evening. Make your room comfortably dark. Put down your phone at least 30 minutes before bed and really try to step it into high gear when it comes to your sleep schedule. When dopamine is released in the brain, it creates feelings of alertness and wakefulness. Animal studies show that dopamine is released in large amounts in the morning and naturally falls before you sleep. So sleep deprivation disrupts this natural rhythm. And so all those all-nighters that you may be pulling significantly decrease your brain's dopamine receptors the next

morning. And that might be why you feel like you're in such a crappy mood. If you want more sleep tips, check out YAPS episode number 12 with sleep expert Daniel Gertenberg. Another way to increase your dopamine levels is to play your favorite music. So this is a super easy, simple, and cheap way to increase your dopamine levels. In fact, several brain imaging studies have found that listening to music increases activity in the reward and pleasure areas of the brain, which are super rich with dopamine receptors. So here's a fun idea. How about right after you get up in the morning and before you shower, put on your favorite songs and just devote 10 minutes to dancing. I guarantee that you, that you're going to be in a great mood for the rest of the day.

And so the last quick tip I'm going to give for increasing your dopamine levels is to take a supplement. There's plenty of supplements out there that increase your dopamine levels. And some of the popular ones include ginkgo bilboa, curcumin, and magnesium. Moving on to Happy Chemical Number 4. This is the last happy chemical we're covering today. And it's oxytocin, the love drug. Oxytocin is what makes meaningful experiences heartwarming.

So let's discuss how you can switch this thing on. First of all, perform acts of service. When you provide joy to someone else, you gift it to yourself as well. Giving someone a gift or practicing a random act of kindness makes them happy, which can make you feel happy too. And so the simple act of brightening someone's day can lift your spirits, promote positive feelings, and increase your oxytocin. So we can all find ways to lessen the impact of COVID.

Let's show up for each other. Do something nice. Altruistic and selfless behaviors can promote oxytocin release. The next way to increase your oxytocin levels is to have meaningful conversations. Skip the small talk. Whether it's a colleague or a loved one, try to have an actual meaningful conversation. Connect, be present, be active, put down your phone and make these conversations count. So the next time your friend or partner wants to talk about something important, make sure that

there's nothing around to distract you, make eye contact, give them your complete attention, and this close interaction can trigger an oxytocin release, helping you feel more connected to each other. And the last tip to increase your oxytocin levels is to watch a movie that pulls at your heart. Just watch an emotional movie. When we feel empathy towards each other, we're putting ourselves emotionally in their shoes. In fact, a research study showed that inducing empathy by watching an emotional video clip raised people's oxytocin levels, which in turn led them to be more generous. I recommend to watch the first five minutes of up for a potent boost.

So that's how you can turn on your four main feel-good chemicals. Again, endorphins are the pleasure drug, serotonin, the life-balance drug, dopamine the motivation drug and oxytocin the love drug so i hope you guys learn something new in this episode and in these stressful and unusual times i hope that you're diligent about your happiness and i hope that you're intentional about switching on those feel-good chemicals and is it always easy no but it's definitely possible to be more proactive and more strategic about what you do so that you can feel happier and more balanced so with that said I hope that some of these methods you remember when you're feeling down and that you hold a piece of your sunshine closer.

Don't worry, be happy, and switch on those feel-good chemicals.