The so-called happy hormone is your body’s in-built moodimproving switch. But securing a regular buzz needn’t mean indulging your more libertine impulses. Use our score sheet to enjoy a healthy high, whenever you want it. Consider it self-care without the scented candles
1 GET A GRIP ON YOUR MOOD Skin-on-skin contact is a proven antidepressant: simply holding hands with your partner releases serotonin, as well as regulating your heart rate. Or, for a more high-octane hormone hit, take up a close-contact sport such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Grappling with your foe will flood your body with stress-relieving chemicals. A choke hold isn’t so different from a cuddle, is it?
2 LIVE IN THE PAST
The irrepressible popularity of mindfulness meditation might have you convinced that “staying in the moment” is the key to enlightenment. But that, ironically, is old news: San Francisco State University found that nostalgia correlates strongly with life satisfaction and that looking at photos of loved ones will trigger the production of mood-improving hormones. It seems that Facebook Memories might have a purpose, after all.
3 START A NEW PET PROJECT
Not only does man’s best friend provide plenty of fodder for your Instagram feed, but a University of Missouri study found that a #doggo can keep depression on a tight leash. Just a few minutes spent petting a dog releases serotonin, as well as the feel-good “bonding hormone” oxytocin. No pet of your own? Volunteer as a dog-walker and you will enjoy the healthy brain-chemical boost that altruism also bestows.
4 TAKE THE PLUNGE
Go wild swimming. Cold-water immersion fires up your endorphin production, which gives you a warming hit of serotonin. Plus, just think how good that warm towel will feel.
5 WAIT FOR THE DROP
Denne historien er fra August 2019-utgaven av Men's Health Australia.
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Denne historien er fra August 2019-utgaven av Men's Health Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Good Guy, Bad Drinker
When booze is involved, you might not be as charming as you think you are
How To Change Your Story
For a third of my life, I lived in an endless replay of the story of how I never measured up – a loop that kept me locked in a spiral of shame and meaningless hustling. Then I got the nudge to do some fact-checking
THE GOOD FIGHT
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TAKE REMOTE CONTROL
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The eye-catching star of the track has stopped running from a troubled past and is doing things her way. Get used to it
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Big, fast and ultra high-performing, Mercedes’ latest offering could make a grown man cry
KUMAIL NANJIANI CAN DO ANYTHING
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HOW 25 YEARS OF THE GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL CHANGED HOW MEN COOK
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BETTER MAN
Pop superstar Robbie Williams got in fighting shape while beating his mental demons into submission. Here he reveals how he pulled off perhaps the biggest transformation of them all