Best vaccination DOSE you can get in 2022!

What if you could get a dose of something which would make 2022 better immediately?!

How will you feel being able to access good feelings at any time and any place in the world?

Would you want to be first in line to get a dose of that vaccine?

Yes?

You’re sure?!!

Well, luckily and happily you ARE in line and better yet this vaccine is FREE, without side-affects and can be re-administered anytime you need a booster….and it’s available right now!

Here is the great news!

We have a DOSE of happiness for everyone and anyone who wants it

All you have to do is read to the bottom of this Blog and there it will be…a present…waiting for you!

When I talk about getting a DOSE of something I am of course referring to the beautiful chemical reactions and effects of the lovely neurotransmitters and hormones that create happy feelings.

Our happy DOSE is Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins.

D for Dopamine is a motivator.  It’s released when you’re doing something you find pleasurable and or fun, and your brain loves it, it wants more. Reaching goals is a great way to increase your Dopamine but we need to celebrate the journey it takes to reach our goals not simply the time when we get there. One way to do this is to have Semi Goals.

Semi Goals are the parts that make up the whole goal. They are the little wins, the tiny triumphs, and the places where we acknowledge….yep…that’s a job well done. Semi Goals act as signposts to our brains that we are progressing and as we celebrate each semi goal we get another hit of Dopamine. These not only make us feel good but motivate us to keep going.  It even works with the seemingly un-fun stuff.  So, if you think you’re running a little low on motivation, you simply need to find just a tiny bit of fun or pride in whatever you’re doing then celebrate the success in actually doing it. This is an easy way to boost your dopamine levels.

Ways to find fun in the un-fun: Doing household chores can be less than pleasurable but, when we make a conscious decision to inject a little DOSE into our lives, despite what some people believe we can bring fun into the everyday. Try hoovering in stilettos whilst playing Queen ‘I want to break free’ VERY loudly. Or how about emulating Hugh Grant in Love Actually with a rendition of the Pointer Sisters song Jump whilst cleaning the windows. Fun can be found anywhere….we simply have to look for it and help the Dopamine get into our systems.

Grinning is a great way to get the Big D coursing through your veins. When you give yourself a big cheesy grin in the mirror you automatically fire off some fun factors in the D range. It’s silly. It’s fun. It gets more dopamine into your system and you feel invigorated to proceed with the daily tasks ahead.

Use dopamine to your advantage. Increase your celebrations of little wins along with your ability to do something fun.

More celebration = more dopamine = more motivation = more to celebrate.

O for Oxytocin is what I call the hugging hormone!  It is released when we feel connected to others, and it creates and strengthens the bonds of relationships.  It’s easy to come by Oxytocin as you only need a kind word, a smile or a cheeky wink to cause the release of Oxytocin. Simply spending ‘quality time’ with someone can also raise your levels of Oxytocin so practicing your ‘being present’ strategies will get your O levels up easily.

Huggability:  We all have huggability to some degree and hugging is by far THE best way to way to raise your Oxytocin levels. It doesn’t need to be a daunting task. You can do it on your own or with others and you can practice many different kinds of hug:

The A-Line Hug: Easily created by standing opposite your intended hugger and leaning towards each other with outstretched arms. This hug is non-space invading and feels comfortable for many people. It may develop into a closer hug but it does stand alone as a provider of Oxytocin.

The Sider Hug: Standing next to the huggee means you can easily slip an arm around their shoulders for them to feel the hug. Even those you only know a little can benefit from a Sider hug. I would suggest you alternate arms as both sides of you can benefit from the side hug!

The Bear Hug: Bit of a no-brainer this one as you simply try and envelope someone in the biggest hug possible! Big, long squeezes can really help to diffuse situations of angst as well as celebrate simply knowing someone.

Like dopamine, you can easily use Oxytocin to your advantage.

Feel connected = oxytocin release =  more connection through smiles and hugs = oxytocin release =  more connections through smiles and hugs  =  on and on……

S for Serotonin flows in our system when we are feeling important or significant as well as when we feel grateful. We can also get it from UV Rays (not too many) which is one of the many reasons we need to get outside into Mother Nature even in the winter.  Serotonin is all about the feeling we get from different situations and we can grab some feel goods by using some simple tools.

Getting the Feel Goods: We can create a feeling of significance or importance just by thinking about things we’ve done well, and we can create feelings of gratitude just by being thankful.  Serotonin production is one of the key reasons why so many people continue to keep gratitude diaries and many people I know also keep achievement diaries.  Writing down the things we are grateful for, or recording our accomplishments not only makes us feel good but reading back over the entries causes a serotonin release that can boost our happiness. It’s OK to celebrate you.

Sharing is Caring: Having a DOSE Buddy can really help when you are in the first throws of practicing self-happiness. By telling someone else of your achievements you can celebrate them again. Doing this with someone who is on a similar journey and for whom you can reciprocate is a brilliant bonding experience and not only helps with serotonin release but with the build-up of Oxytocin too.

Serotonin means we feel good = we want to do more good = we have more to celebrate…etc etc!

Serotonin helps remind us to practice gratitude and recognise our achievements on our journey.

E for Endorphins. These are released as a response to pain and stress as well as pleasurable acts such as exercise, eating and sex. They attenuate inflammation, improve mood, boost self-esteem and support your immune system.

Endorphins can be produced by exercise which makes it easy for the whole DOSE of happiness to be rolled up into an easy plan!

Get outside to exercise…walking is great!….release Endorphins

Be in the sunshine and be grateful…..release some Serotonin

Connect with people you meet….release the Oxytocin

Celebrate your progress….enjoy the Dopamine

Of course, you could do all these or you can simply laugh!!

 

After years of running Laughter workshops, I know that one of the easiest ways to induce an endorphin release is simply to laugh…or to simply think about laughing. Even the thought of laughter or doing fake laughter can draw those endorphins out and so your hint for the day, your gift from me, is to find the laughter, the fun, the joy the hints of happiness in your life every day.

For some more information please see my BLOG post about the Science of Laughter and why laughter isn’t a giggling matter

https://thelaughterworks.com/laughter-isnt-a-giggling-matter