“The Physiology and Psychology of Happiness: Understanding the Hormones and Neurotransmitters That Affect Our Mental and Physical Well-being”

Happiness is one of the positive psychological states that a person seeks, and it is a state of feeling contentment, pleasure, success and achievement. The physiology of happiness is represented in many chemical and physical processes that occur in the body when a person feels happy, as some hormones and neurotransmitters are secreted in the body when a person feels happy. It affects the psychological and physical condition of a person.

One of the most important hormones and neurotransmitters associated with happiness is the dopamine hormone. Which plays an important role in the feeling of happiness, as it is secreted when a person feels contentment, pleasure and achievement, as well as the hormone (endorphins) that helps relieve pain and tension and increase the level of happiness, and is secreted when a person exercises or feels joy or laughter. Also, the hormone (serotonin), which affects mood and psychological state, and is secreted when a person feels satisfied and relaxed. Likewise, the hormone (oxytocin), which is associated with the feeling of love, togetherness, and social bonding, and is secreted when a person feels love and affection.

These hormones and neurotransmitters affect many bodily processes, such as: improving blood circulation, relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, improving immunity, stimulating metabolism, and affecting the central nervous system and stimulating the parts of the brain responsible for feeling happy and pleasure, and there are many things that can be done to improve Mental and physical health, the most important of which is regular exercise; Exercise helps improve physical and mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood. As well as eating healthy and balanced meals; Proper nutrition helps maintain a healthy body and mind, and improves mental state. Also, getting enough sleep; It helps improve mental and physical health, reduces tension and stress and increases energy.

What achieves a high level of pleasure and happiness is dealing with stress and pressures in a positive way. This is done by practicing meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques, and practicing activities that help relieve stress such as yoga and breathing exercises, as well as maintaining social communication. Communication with friends and family and social interaction helps to improve the psychological and mental state, including interest in hobbies and activities that make a person happy. This is by doing activities that you love and enjoy, that stimulate the mind and improve the mood. also maintaining a balance between work and personal life; Paying attention to personal activities and spending quality time with family and friends, in order to achieve psychological and physical balance. It also includes seeking professional help if needed; Where professional intervention such as psychotherapy, psychological support and appropriate medication can help improve mental health.

We can say that happiness is not a specific goal that we seek to reach; It is a life journey, and it is not something you get, it is something you can build within you, a state of mind that depends on how we think and act and not on the circumstances we live in, and it is a sense of satisfaction with oneself, with life and with the relationships around us, and it is an inner strength that comes from stability Emotional satisfaction, self-satisfaction, healthy social relationships, and positive interaction with the world, which are the natural result of positive thinking, positive behavior, and work to achieve personal and professional goals. Royan Holiday says, “Happiness is the ability to enjoy the present moment without worrying about the past or the future.”