Who doesn’t want to be happy and have a jolly good mood? However, in this fast-paced world of today, no one seems to find a magic formula to feel better all the time. According to experts, happiness is fleeting - something experienced in brief, euphoric moments, rather than a state we can achieve all the time.

And despite that, there are lots of things you can do to lift your mood when down and bring more of these moments of joy into your lives. Most of them have something to do with your hormones which can be tweaked to bring happiness into your lives.

Hormones are chemicals produced by different glands across your body. They travel through the bloodstream, acting as messengers and playing a part in many bodily processes. The “happy hormones” that help elevate your mood include dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins.

A few ways to produce more of these natural mood-busters include:

According to mental health experts, music gives more than one of your happy hormones a boost. Listening to instrumental music can significantly boost your dopamine production in the brain. Also, any kind of positive change due to soothing music helps increase serotonin production.

You may also experience an endorphin release while performing music, especially in a large group.

Apart from having many physical benefits, meditation does wonders for your mental health. From improving sleep to reducing stress, meditation boosts the production of dopamine like nothing else.

Getting quality sleep is important for your overall health and well-being in many ways. Not only does it contribute to balancing hormones, particularly dopamine, but it can also have a significantly positive impact on your mood as well as your physical health.

Setting aside 7-8 hours daily for sound sleep restores the balance of hormones in your body, which will likely help you feel better.

Exercise has a lot of physical health benefits. However, according to experts, working out daily also impacts your emotional well-being. Runner’s high - a term used for boosting your endorphins is one way to also regulate your mood. However, experts say exercise doesn’t just work on endorphins and regular physical activity can also increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.

The old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine” holds absolutely true. Of course, laughter does not treat ongoing health issues but can relieve anxiety or stress and improve a low mood by boosting dopamine and endorphin levels.

According to studies, social laughter helps trigger endorphin release.

Cooking, according to studies, is among the best ways to give a massive boost to your happy hormones. Not only does it give enjoyment from eating something delicious, but it also triggers the release of dopamine along with endorphins. Sharing the meal with someone you love, and bonding over meal preparation, can boost oxytocin levels.