{"id":3108,"date":"2022-06-21T17:17:40","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T09:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gqq.gfl.temporary.site\/website_b2c438e3\/?p=3108"},"modified":"2022-09-05T20:57:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T12:57:38","slug":"7-ways-to-effectively-take-a-break-and-hack-your-happy-hormones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/?p=3108","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways To Effectively Take A Break And Hack Your Happy Hormones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking breaks is essential to one\u2019s productivity. It allows you to rejuvenate and recharge before taking on another load of work. For all the busy bees out there, taking a pause is something you should do more of as it allows your happy hormones to fire up, allowing you to start on new tasks with renewed vigor.<\/p>\n

However, not all ways of resting are \u2018effective\u2019 and may leave you feeling more exhausted than before. So the question is, how do you exactly pull off a relaxing time? The answer is to hack your \u201chappy hormones\u201d!<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to be a psychologist to know that happy people are more motivated and productive. While there are many factors affecting your mood, one of them is your body’s chemicals known as your hormones.<\/p>\n

More specifically, your \u201chappy hormones\u201d are dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. These chemicals make you feel good! They can affect your mood, intimacy, productivity, feelings of well-being, trust, and motivation, among other positive feelings.<\/p>\n

And if you have low levels of these four major chemicals, it\u2019s easy to feel lonely, stressed, anxious, and lack the motivation to get things done. Luckily, you can increase your odds in the following ways.<\/p>\n

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1. Take in some sunlight and get out
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Sunflowers are not the only ones who need sunshine! Boost your serotonin and endorphin levels by spending at least 15 to 20 minutes outside each day. Have lunch or coffee outside and expose yourself to the sun; if you\u2019re tired of the same old sights, try exploring a new neighborhood or park. (Just don\u2019t forget to apply some sunscreen!)<\/p>\n

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2. Bond with a friend
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What better way to spend your break than catching up with your friends! Sharing jokes and stories with your friends will surely provide your daily dose of happiness. Laughter can help relieve feelings of anxiety or stress and improve low mood by boosting dopamine and endorphin levels.<\/p>\n

You can also bond virtually by sharing a funny video or meme and watching a comedy movie together.<\/p>\n

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3. Go in for the hug
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If you find some time to meet up with old friends, rather than just a handshake, go in for the hug. Sometimes referred to as \u201cthe cuddle hormone,\u201d your oxytocin will increase when you give someone a hug or experience inter-personal touch.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re working from home and you\u2019re feeling burned out, give your mom or brother a hug for an instant happiness boost.<\/p>\n

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4. Pet your dog
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Of course, cuddling is not only reserved for your human companions! If you have a dog, giving your furry friend some affection is a great way to boost oxytocin levels for both you and your pet. Even if you don\u2019t own one, seeing your favorite dog might also give you an oxytocin boost.<\/p>\n

Now call your dog from the other room or ask your friend to bring theirs and give it a good ear scratch or lap cuddle.<\/p>\n

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5. Do some aromatherapy
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Aromatherapies, particularly the euphoric essential oil aromas, have been linked with the production of endorphins. Aside from lavender, you can also try euphoric oils including rosemary, citrus fragrances such as orange, grapefruit, or bergamot, ylang ylang, and frankincense.<\/p>\n

6. Get a massage
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If you want to relax during your time away from work, then you really can\u2019t go wrong with massage therapy. Massages help in releasing multiple hormones, including endorphins, and increase levels of oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin.<\/p>\n

What if you\u2019ve tried a massage before and didn\u2019t like it? Before giving up entirely, you should try visiting other therapists first, as there are many other types to choose from.<\/p>\n

You can also get a massage from your partner for some extra oxytocin.<\/p>\n

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7. Enjoy a nice meal
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The enjoyment you get from eating something delicious can trigger the release of dopamine along with endorphins. If you have enough time to prepare a meal, skip the processed ones.<\/p>\n

Eating spicy foods and dark chocolate may trigger endorphin release, while yogurt, beans, meats with low-fat content, and almonds are some of the foods linked to dopamine release. You can also get a happy hormone boost with foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt and kimchi.<\/p>\n

Find out more about these stories at http:\/\/woman.ph\/<\/a> or you can visit http:\/\/pageone.ph\/<\/a> for the latest news and updates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you feel overwhelmed by so much to do? Have a hard time taking breaks between work and life? Here’s how to hack your happy hormones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spotlight"],"pageone_source":{"pageone_source":"","author_name":"PAGEONE Online Network"},"_pageone_source":"","zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}