Hurray for Happiness Hormones! ??

HAPPINESS AS A CHEMICAL REACTION

You don't have to wait for that magical moment that spontaneously activates your happiness hormones. But it should put a smile on your face just knowing that you have them and that they exert a powerful and positive influence on your mood.

I operate regularly on the premise that unless you're seething with evil 24/7, like a raging demon, you deserve to be happy. And despite the sensational news stories that would have you believe otherwise, I'll bet the phrase "good people" describes the majority of the population on planet Earth. I'm headed to Mars or another alternative location if it doesn't. Got rocket?

DON'T LET NEGATIVE MEDIA REPORTS TELL YOU HOW TO FEEL

For a black woman 40 plus, this article should serve as a bit of a cheerleader's rah-rah to remind you, in particular, that the negative portrayals of your image so often seen in the media don't have to apply to you. So instead of watching those toxic shows with a glassy-eyed stare of hopelessness or developing a sadistic appreciation for them, you can busy yourself finding and recognizing your bliss, your fulfillment, and your peace.

FOUR OF OUR HORMONES DESERVE A KISS ??

So let's shake hands with those happiness hormones I referred to, acquaint ourselves with them, and thank God for introducing them to our bodies. They include:

• Endorphins
• Oxytocin
• Dopamine
• Serotonin

Each one helps you "get your smile on" in a different way:

ENDORPHINS ??

When I used to participate in a host of 10K races (6.2 miles each) before discovering those events were ill-advised for someone with flat feet and no money to buy custom-made shoes costing hundreds of dollars, I had to work hard to motivate myself to get started for my daily run.

But after the first few miles, beautiful things began to happen. I was living in Colorado then, and the vistas—particularly the multi-dimensional cloud formations that took my breath away—were stunning. The other phenomenon was that I began to feel the euphoria that came with activating my endorphins. At that point, I could run the extra distance with an energetic joy I hadn't expected.

OXYTOCIN ??

And although I have never had a baby, dozens of women have expressed the euphoria that came just after they delivered their little ones (we'll shelve the issue of post-partum depression for now.) One woman described her feelings to me: "Terise, I could have hugged everyone in that delivery room that day—the nurses, the doctors, and the surgical techs. I have never been that happy since, and I knew immediately that it was God who placed that precious, beautiful baby in my arms."

Elevated oxytocin levels aren't limited to childbirth, of course, but that's a moment everyone can understand would bring a mother unbridled joy and begin to cement the closest human bond imaginable—the mother-and-child connection.

DOPAMINE ??

Dopamine has several important functions, but if you really want to learn about this hormone, just think about your last trip to Vegas or anywhere else casinos abound. Club owners are intimately acquainted with what is a lucrative dopamine reward loop.

The mechanism can work this way: gambling establishments use shiny objects (like the chrome that frames the one-armed-bandit betting machines) to attract attention. Bright, flashing colored lights dazzle the eye, and literal bells and whistles sound whenever the customer performs a specific action. When the player "hits," they rejoice when hearing coins cascade down into a metal tray while the beeps, alarms, and sometimes track-lit arrows point to and announce the "Winner!"

Let's face it: everyone loves to win. There are so many examples of this. We love to win dollar bets and lottery jackpots, achieve the highest score on an exam, gain the affection of someone we're attracted to, or get offered that prized promotion. In each of these examples, the brain rejoices as it receives a sudden flood of dopamine.

WHAT MAKES US WANT TO WIN?

We're wired with reward centers in the brain that tell us, "Hey—That felt good. That felt great. I want to feel that way again. In fact, I'll do anything to feel that great again." So in our casino scenario, the players continue to repeat what worked the first time, gradually emptying their pockets and exhausting their credit card limits at the prospect of feeling that rush of victory just one more time...

A SLIPPERY SLOPE TOWARD GETTING HOOKED

And yes, that's also a basis for the development of some addiction patterns. Of course, gambling addiction can be even more insidious than alcoholism or drug addiction because it's behavioral—it doesn't involve the use of a tangible or illegal substance. So have fun, but set a gambling limit ahead of time. Use a moderate amount of cash and leave the credit cards at home. Or bag the mechanized bandits and go entertain yourself with a stage show.

SEROTONIN ??

Serotonin is more than a hormone; it's also a neurotransmitter that gets involved in the function of several of the body's organs. It's sometimes referred to as a happy chemical because it regulates mood, and depression is often associated with insufficient serotonin levels.

So let's say you've allowed the doctors to run their tests and clear you of any significant hormone level issues. Guess what? You can still choose to be happy and intend to have a great day regardless of those test results.

Yes, you and I have a mind that, as I have expressed in a former article, can be our close friend or our occasional enemy. The mind often goes into overdrive protecting you from what it considers to be considerable risk. I have actually heard people say they were "afraid to be this happy." When you think about it, that is one stinky mound of unnecessary anxiety. I have yet to hear someone go through a hard time saying they were afraid that, at any moment, they might be hit with a feeling of joy.

SUMMARY

In conclusion, if you're mentally healthy, you can always choose to stay on the positive side of things—although as a human being, you'll occasionally have those other moments when life slams you with the stuff that flew out of the fan. Recognize them, experience them (because squashing them down means you'll only have them resurface in some other unpleasant way), and realize you don't have to keep them around like a treasured keepsake.

As long as you monitor your overall health and engage in healthy behaviors, you and your hormones will get along just fine and keep each other happy.

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