Boost Your Mood: Methods To How To Increase Serotonin Levels
By Dr. Nikita Toshi +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nikita Toshi
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Nikita Toshi +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nikita Toshi
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Table of Contents
Serotonin, or “happy chemical”, has a big role in our mood and overall well-being. It not only controls our moods but also changes many parts of daily life, including sleep and digestion.
We are about to uncover the secrets of serotonin. We’ll learn how important it is and how to increase it naturally. Also, we’ll find out what causes low serotonin levels. You’ll see how your living conditions and mental methods can improve serotonin levels. Also, we’ll discuss yoga, massage therapy, acupuncture, and creating strong relationships.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter; it allows signals to be sent to the brain. Serotonin impacts every part of your body from feelings to how you move. Low levels of this important chemical can cause problems.
It’s key that serotonin is balanced. Too little could cause depression or anxiety; too much could lead to Serotonin syndrome, which is serious.
Low levels of serotonin can cause sadness, high anxiety, panic attacks, bad sleep, impulsive behaviour, anger, suicidal thoughts, and in severe cases, hallucinations.
Serotonin greatly impacts mood. Low serotonin could lead to anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and lots of anger.
Let’s look at situations that can lower levels of serotonin.
Busy lives, lack of exercise, bad sleep, and poor diet can all contribute to low serotonin levels.
Bad eating habits and low amounts of tryptophan can lead to low serotonin levels.
Stress, trauma, and depression could decrease serotonin levels and greatly affect mental health.
Health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s, MS and even types of cancer can negatively affect serotonin levels.
Serotonin is one of the four feel-good hormones and having adequate serotonin levels is important as too little serotonin can increase your risk of depression and other mental disorders like anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Consulting a psychiatrist is very essential if you frequently feel low or anxious.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D. in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology
Did you know ?
We’ve learned from research that we can raise serotonin naturally. Here’s how:
What we eat greatly impacts serotonin levels. Eating a diet with enough vitamins, minerals, and particularly, tryptophan raises serotonin levels.
Foods with a lot of tryptophan can raise serotonin levels. Turkey, salmon, tofu, milk, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds are all good for this.
Most of our serotonin comes from our gut. Eating probiotic foods like yoghurt, kefir, and fermented foods can raise serotonin naturally.
Regular exercise is not only good for fitness, it also helps make more serotonin.
Workouts that work both the mind and body can help raise serotonin levels, like yoga, Qi Gong, and Tai Chi.
Even simple workouts, like a 20-minute walk or 30 minutes of aerobics could help make more serotonin.
Sunlight helps to set your mood and raise serotonin levels. Just spending time in daylight can affect serotonin in the brain.
We have to get a safe amount of sunlight. It’s best to be in the mild sun for 10-15 minutes during off-peak hours.
Vitamin D goes along with serotonin, so if sunlight lessens in winter, serotonin can drop. This can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that changes with seasons.
Getting a good night’s sleep helps get rid of tiredness, and it also helps balance serotonin.
Adults should aim for a good 7-9 hours of sleep every day.
These could include keeping a regular sleep schedule, having a bedtime routine, making sure where you sleep is comfy, dealing with stress before bed, and avoiding large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before sleep.
While not sleeping enough over time is bad, a little lack of sleep can raise the amount of serotonin to make up for the lost sleep.
If exercise, sunlight and pursuing hobbies do not help you feel better, you must consult a psychiatrist for evaluation. Persistent sadness, irritability, lack of interest in activities you otherwise liked, change in diet and sleep, hopelessness and worthlessness are some signs that the need for professional help.
Dr. Arpit Verma, MBBS, MD (Pharmacology)
Also Read: Boosting Your Brain: How to Increase Dopamine Levels Naturally
The places and spaces you inhabit have a big impact on your serotonin levels.
Being in nature causes a sensory shift that helps you relax and makes more serotonin and dopamine.
Being in brightly lit indoors can mimic daylight and likely helps to make more serotonin.
A home that feels cosy and comfortable can really affect serotonin levels by reducing anxiety and promoting calm.
Exposure to bright sun light, excercise , high protein diet and milk is clinically found to improve serotonin. α-Lactalbumin, a minor constituent of milk, is one protein that contains relatively more tryptophan than most proteins.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)
Our mindset has a great power to affect serotonin levels.
Mindfulness and meditation help you focus and push out thoughts that cause anxiety, raising serotonin levels.
Start with guided mindfulness or meditation exercises. Regular practice will give big benefits in the long run.
Just sitting for a short 10-minute session each day can help you relax and raise serotonin levels.
Positive thinking and self-talk have a direct impact on serotonin levels and can help keep away depression and anxiety.
CBT, a type of therapy that solves problems and boosts happiness, is really good at raising serotonin levels and managing depression.
Write powerful positive messages on sticky notes and place them around your home. This keeps reminding you to stay positive and helps to make serotonin.
Showing gratitude often helps you stay hopeful and content, which helps to make serotonin.
The music we listen to affects our feelings, so positive music can help make more serotonin.
Laughing a lot has been found to reduce the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and raise levels of serotonin and good feelings.
Close, meaningful relationships and social interactions play a big part in raising serotonin levels, helping us feel happy and ensuring our emotional well-being.
Also Read: What is Kefir? A Comprehensive Guide to Its Health Benefits
Healthcare providers recommend more activities to raise serotonin.
Yoga does more than just exercise for stress relief. It helps you relax, balances hormones, and may help to make more serotonin.
Massage therapy isn’t just for muscle relaxation. Research shows people who get massages often also have higher serotonin levels.
Acupuncture, once seen as an alternative therapy, has recently become mainstream. This is true, especially given its positive effects on serotonin levels.
Regular time with pets or animals lifts our mood and makes serotonin. This is due to the pure love and companionship they offer.
Also Read: What Causes Wet Dreams: Research-Backed Explanations and Implications
Even after trying all the natural ways, there might be a time when you need to get help from a professional.
When feelings of sadness or depression are too much or last a long time, and affect your day-to-day life, it might be time to get help from a pro.
If changing your life doesn’t fix the problem, your doctor or healthcare provider may prescribe some SSRIs or other types of antidepressants. These could help manage symptoms by helping to make more serotonin in the brain.
Your healthcare provider will likely suggest where you can find help. This could include a psychiatrist, group therapy, or online counselling.
In a nutshell, the “happy hormone” serotonin has a big impact on our wellness and happiness. We have a great deal of control over it. From eating foods rich in essential amino acids, exercising often, and getting plenty of natural light are all tried-and-tested ways to raise serotonin levels.
Also, creating a positive living space, practising mindfulness and positive thought, and establishing rich, meaningful relationships can help to boost serotonin levels. Even though these options are doable and easy to put into practice, remember that too much of anything could be harmful.
Always keep your life balanced, and ask your healthcare provider before making any big changes to your life. Especially if you have a tough time dealing with feelings of lasting sadness or depression.
Eating fresh fruits, green veggies, and foods high in omega-3 fats, lots of daily exercise and getting enough sunshine can boost serotonin fast. Also, laughing a lot and being around positive, energetic people can also help.
Things like a poor diet, inactive life, lack of sun, sickness, certain medicines, chronic stress and trauma could all reduce serotonin levels.
Yes, too much serotonin could lead to a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. This usually happens when the amount of medication to increase serotonin changes or is taken wrong.
A Psychiatrist can evaluate your condition and offer the best advice on the type of therapy or lifestyle changes that may be needed for you to improve your serotonin levels.
While a blood test could tell you your serotonin levels, it would only show levels in your bloodstream, not in your brain. Your healthcare provider can best guide you on this.
Always approach any attempt to change serotonin under caution and only with your healthcare provider’s guidance. By doing so, you’ll be on your way to happier times ahead.
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