What determines the mood: important factors, simple ways to cheer up and advice from psychologists

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

A person's mood can change dramatically during the day several times, and for residents of megacities, a sincere smile and a state of euphoria are generally very rare. Constant employment, fatigue and sadness accompanies most of the country's population almost daily. It is generally accepted that mood depends on music, weather, communication with loved ones, problems at work, constant fatigue and other conditions. In fact, everything is much simpler. The “hormones of happiness” produced in the body are responsible for human emotions, and the more of them, the better the mood.

That is, all the "magic" is actually a simple chemical reaction that each person is able to independently control.

Hormons of joy

The very first open substances that affect the human condition were acetylcholine and adrenaline. The history of their discovery began with the invention of morphine, which was originally used as a strongsleeping pill. Discovered in 1906, neurotransmitters became the first established transmitters of impulses to the nervous system. After that, on what the mood of a person still depends, they learned only in 1976, when endorphins were discovered. These hormones in the body affect many important processes: memory and mood, immune function, metabolism and general maintenance of the body depend on them. It is endorphins that give a person a feeling of joy after achieving a goal. In high concentration in the body, the hormone makes a person happy. Its deficiency is often the cause of alcoholism and drug addiction, since one has to look for artificial substitutes for the hormone of happiness, which are addictive and subsequently provoke a failure in the synthesis of real endorphins in the body.

What else does a good mood depend on? In the body, endorphins are synthesized from serotonin and dopamine, which can independently influence a person’s emotions. They relieve nervous tension, improve appetite, normalize sleep and brain activity, relieve pain and even speed up wound healing. That is, happy people really get sick less often, recover faster from injuries and easily endure any stressful situations.

Additional influence

In fact, the production of hormones is a complex process, which can be disturbed by many secondary factors. One of these is dehydration of the body, because with insufficient fluid intake, the distribution of substances in the organs and nervous system is disturbed. Thus, if you drink little water, you can provokethe body lacks endorphins, and as a result, get depression, sleep disturbance, decreased performance, and even the occurrence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

In other words, the mood of a man or a woman largely depends on the observance of the diet. For a good mood and proper metabolism, you just need to drink at least 2 liters of pure water daily.

The reason for the violation of the production of melatonin and serotonin is the presence of free radicals in the body. Nervous tissues are especially sensitive to such substances, so the lack of oxygen in the brain also quickly provokes a deterioration in mood. Prolonged stay in this state causes depression.

Micronutrient deficiency

The main defender of the body against free radicals is selenium, so its deficiency is directly related to good he alth. The trace element is responsible for youth, he alth and longevity, and according to recent studies, also for mood. What does change depend on? Scientists believe that this is due to a violation of the production of an antioxidant with a lack of a substance in the body, which leads to a failure in the production and operation of the main neurotransmitters. With sufficient levels of selenium in the body, a person feels more confident, cheerful and less anxious.

The thyroid gland, which largely controls emotions, reacts very sharply to a lack of selenium.

Want to know whydoes the child's mood depend? Check his thyroid gland, because in Russia almost 90% of the population suffers from a lack of iodine and selenium, which provokes anxiety, depression and mood swings.

Zinc, which is an anti-depressant and anti-stress mineral, also affects the stabilization of emotions. Deficiency of this element is observed in 60% of people, so many people complain about poor he alth. Anger, irritability, despondency and depression are not all the feelings that accompany people with a lack of zinc in the body.

Serotonin

In a small amount, the hormone is found in all organs, but a large proportion of it in the body is located in the gastrointestinal tract. That is, it is the he alth and stable functioning of the digestive system that are largely responsible for a good mood. Of course, the mood depends not only on this. Most of the substance is still located in the brain, from where the regulation of the work of the cells of the whole organism occurs. A sufficient amount of serotonin is responsible for concentration, sexual desire, memory, performance and social behavior. What determines your mood on bad days? Perhaps it is the lack of a hormone in the body that provokes a breakdown, anxiety, absent-mindedness, stress and other negative emotions.

With a sufficient amount of serotonin in a person, almost no external stimuli cause a calm stable reaction. Such people radiate happiness and joy, and are much less likely to get cancer, because the hormone is able to cope with the formation of "bad" cells in the body.

Thisthe substance affects appetite, sleep and feelings of pleasure.

How to cheer up

You can get serotonin from food, but not in its pure form. A large concentration of tryptophan is found in bananas, chocolate, figs and dates. This amino acid is the building material from which the body receives the hormone serotonin, which is useful for well-being. Interestingly, raising the mood is not directly proportional to the amount of food eaten, since the process of releasing the hormone is quite complicated. One can only hope for an instant positive result, but it is better to just keep “fit” and eat the right foods regularly.

A more affordable way to increase serotonin levels is to stay in the sunlight.

It turns out that a person's mood really depends on the weather. Bright sunlight quickly drives away depressive thoughts, and the result can be obtained even with artificial lighting. It is enough to add a few light sources in the room and the mood will noticeably improve.

The automatic appearance of feelings of guilt or shame occurs with regular stooping. A bent back indicates discontent and fatigue, so serotonin is produced reluctantly. To improve your mood for free, it is enough to control your posture. A straight back will not only help the body produce the hormone, but also boost self-esteem.

What else determines the mood? Many athletes feel euphoric after training and connectit is with its own achievements of certain goals. In fact, any physical activity helps to increase the production of serotonin, and the achievement of a certain goal provokes an even greater surge of the hormone, as a reward to the body. Thus, for a good mood, it is enough to give physical exercises at least half an hour a day. If there is no time for this, you can just walk instead of traveling in stuffy public transport. It is important to supplement all this with a full sleep, because it is when the brain is resting that the largest production of “happiness hormones” occurs per day.

Listening to your favorite music, doing what you love and other pleasant moments in life only improve well-being. It is important to remember that the production of serotonin is accelerated in direct proportion to the presence of a good mood, so in order to improve your mood in the future, you need to have a positive attitude towards everything in the present.

Dopamine

Although serotonin actively influences our emotions, mood does not depend only on the weather. The hormone dopamine makes people optimists, discoverers and heroes. Its release into the body is provoked by the anticipation of receiving a reward or a certain result of one's activity. Delight, sincere joy and the desire to experience this feeling again as soon as possible - that's what dopamine is. It is he who determines your favorite habits, dishes, activities and places that you want to go to again. The hormone also regulates the sleep cycle, memory, thinking and is released into the body in stressful situations to smooth out shock, pain or fear.

Lack of substance in humansmanifested by chronic fatigue, obesity, decreased sexual desire and despondency. To help the body get enough of the hormone, you need to eat chocolate and not neglect intimacy with a partner.

Sex is really uplifting.

Endorphins

Absolutely happy, full of strength and energy, an optimist feels only a person whose level of endorphins is normal. These biological compounds not only cheer up, but also ensure the conduction of all nerve impulses, which speeds up the enjoyment of all the “happiness hormones”. What determines your mood if today is the most unfortunate day, and you yourself are the most unhappy of all people? Most likely, it's a lack of endorphins in the body. This substance is very similar in formula to most narcotic substances, and has a similar effect on humans. The feeling of euphoria and happiness gives a person lightness and carelessness. In addition, hormones have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects, which speed up recovery and alleviate the course of any ailment.

I wonder what affects the mood during pregnancy? Just from the level of this substance in the blood. During the bearing of a child, the amount of endorphins in the body rises sharply, so it is difficult for many to cope with sudden mood swings. During childbirth, the hormone is sharply excreted from the body, which often provokes postpartum depression and neurosis. Scientists believe that a violation of the synthesis of this substance iscause and chronic pain syndromes.

Adrenaline

Energy, concentration and good mood provide a person with the right amount of adrenaline in the body. In high concentrations, the hormone causes fear and anger, so you should be careful with the stimulation of its production. A sufficient amount of the substance makes a person energetic, cheerful and allows you to always stay in good shape.

If you find melancholy and despondency, you can try extreme entertainment that will definitely help raise the level of adrenaline in the blood.

Female hormones

The mood of a woman depends not only on the general conditions listed. The representatives of the weaker sex have their own hormones that control certain processes in the body, including emotions. Estrogen is a female hormone that makes her attractive, young and sociable. The substance affects menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, therefore, in such positions it is produced in large quantities and often provokes sudden mood swings.

If you need to raise the level of the hormone in the blood, you can drink herbal tea from rose hips, strawberries and raspberries daily or just have sex. During sexual intercourse, a woman produces large doses of estrogen, which prolongs her youth.

What determines the mood of the fair sex yet? Another hormone, oxytocin, also has an active effect on the mood of a woman. In the male body itit is quickly suppressed by testosterone, therefore it has no effect, but in ladies it causes a manifestation of tenderness and the need for caresses. In uninhibited beauties, the amount of this substance in the body is overestimated. Sex and gentle touches help to develop it. Additionally, the hormone protects women from stress and disease.

Advice from psychologists

You can noticeably cheer up for the next few hours simply with the help of training. Physical activity helps not only the production of serotonin, but also endorphins. Psychologists claim that any activity associated with the pleasure of achieving a goal helps to stabilize good he alth. That is why they advise having a favorite hobby, positive emotions from which will regularly raise the level of “happiness hormones” in the body. In fact, the mood does not depend on the weather, but on how we relate to it. The same applies to music, surrounding people, events and everything else. To be happy, you just need to learn to enjoy the little things, and not strive for unattainable heights.

Also, laughter and sex are considered the best medicines for all diseases, only separately. Watching your favorite comedies will definitely increase the level of endorphins, and closeness with your loved one will positively affect not only your mood, but also your he alth.