We all know that serotonin is the happy hormone. It’s what we get from exercise and good food and hanging with our favorite people. But serotonin does a lot more than just boosting our mood—it helps to stabilize our emotions, regulates our sleep, digestion, appetite, and even improves our memory. With so many benefits, we should all be seeking out regular ways to boost our serotonin levels! These five changes will help you add more of this hormone into your body and your life.
Get Some Sleep
Sleep is important for just stabilizing just about everything going on with our bodies. In terms of serotonin, a lack of sleep can lead to low serotonin levels, which in turn can make it harder to sleep soundly. DOn’t get trapped in a cycle of bad sleep and low serotonin—get those eight hours!
Eat a Balanced Diet
This is a given. Eating the recommended fruits and vegetable serving sizes, as well as enough protein and carbs is necessary for providing your body with the important nutrients it needs, including serotonin.
Eat Tryptophan
Tryptophan has a bad reputation of just making you sleepy. It’s what’s in turkey, which is why people often say they get tired on Thanksgiving. In fact, this amino acid helps produce serotonin, and is found in foods you already probably eat, like oats, nuts, salmon, eggs, and bananas.
Exercise Often
Exercising is often encouraged by health professionals, since exercising can keep your body and mind healthy. Another benefit of exercise is that physical activity releases more serotonin and can actually leave you more energized, contrary to what you might believe.
Stay Social
If you needed more of an excuse to hang out with your friends, this is a perfect reason. Spending meaningful time with your loved ones can help to release serotonin and make you feel happier overall.
