Spring and Happy Hormones
Moving on from Winter and SAD
Whilst some of us love the Winter months, many of us spend them waiting for warmer sunnier times. Some are seriously impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Luckily we are in Spring at last.
Seasonal Affective Disorder and Winter
If you have been feeling a bit lethargic and irritable, unhappy or disinterested in going out socialising this Winter, you are not alone. For many this is just a normal winter hibernation.
If you have been experiencing these types of symptoms in a manner that impacts your ability to live your life normally, you may want to speak to your GP about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that impacts more severely in one season, usually winter, than others.
If your symptoms have just been minor, but annoying, let’s look at how we can leave them behind by stepping into Spring making the most of the easy happy hormones available to us now.
Dopamine and Seratonin Tips for Spring
The sunny weather alone will help us all as we emerge from our Winter hibernations, especially if we get out in it and boost our serotonin. Try these tricks to help you get there faster.
Dopamine is known as a reward chemical. When you complete something and feel a rush of good feelings, that’s dopamine. So try completing a task, meditating, celebrating little wins or making and eating a good meal to give yourself that wonderful satisfied feeling.
Serotonin on the other hand, is a mood stabiliser, good for helping us stay calm. Great Spring options for boosting serotonin include running and walking in nature, getting a massage or just sitting in the sun
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Oxytocin and Endorphin Tips for Spring
The love hormone, otherwise known as oxytocin is great year round happy hormone to enjoy. This one is boosted by physical contact, so try hugging your kids or partner or playing with the family dog.
Lastly you can enjoy endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever for both stress and physical discomfort. These can be increased similarly to dopamine, try working out to get an exercise high.
Use Spring to Increase all your Happiness Hormones at once
As we exit the Winter and enjoy the pleasures of Spring, why not boost all the happy hormones at once. Grab a loved one, hold their hand, set a walking goal and get outside in the sun. Even if you are experiencing a little SAD or blue because of other circumstances, this potent combination of happy hormones is sure to help at least a little.
Brightest blessings xx