Ep. 189 - The (Brain) Chemistry of Feeling Good: 3 Happy Hormones

What if those feel-good moments with in life are also doing real, measurable work inside your brain? In this episode, we break down the brain chemicals behind feeling good—dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin—and how everyday experiences help recalibrate your nervous system. Discover simple ways to spark these feel-good systems and create more steady, sustainable joy in your daily routine. 

Transcript

The (Brain) Chemistry of Feeling Good: 3 Happy Hormones 

Just this weekend, I had a long brunch with some longtime friends. And like it usually goes, we covered everything. The life stuff. The work stuff. The family stuff. The hard stuff. And, the laughing. 

Even though we talk real life about real things, I always leave those connections feeling better, feeling calmer. It got me thinking about the very real brain and body boosts from moments like those.

The Bottom Line on Top of this episode is that feeling good is not fluff. It literally changes your brain chemistry.

So come with me on a fun field trip to check in with three specific neurochemicals and how the moments that feel light are also doing very real, lasting work inside of us. 

First up on the tour is our pal dopamine, which a lot of people have heard of. Dopamine gets the press as the reward chemical, but it is really more about anticipation and reinforcement. Dopamine is what your brain releases when something feels worth it. It is the signal that says, Oooo I like this, remember to do it again.

When you look forward to seeing somebody, when you’re anticipating a great conversation, when you make plans that you are really excited about, your brain is already releasing dopamine. And once that moment actually happens, dopamine helps strengthen the memory of it. It reinforces that loop so your brain is more likely to seek it out again in the future. This is one of the ways joy quietly builds momentum. Not through solid discipline, but through chemistry. Your brain learns what feels good and tags it as something worth repeating.

And there’s an important caveat to dopamine. This same system is also what reacts to quick hits like sugar, scrolling, shopping. The brain loves instant rewards. Those rewards give your brain that fast spike of happy vibes–that’s part of dopamine, but the difference is that those spikes tend to fade really quickly– kind of like empty calories.

Moments like connection, laughter, movement, and a shared experience, create a different kind of dopamine. It is still rewarding, but it is more steady and more sustaining. It is the difference between a quick spark and a slow-burning warmth.

Next up on our tour is serotonin, and this is a quieter hormone than dopamine, but has an equally strong pull. This is the chemical connected to our mood and the balance of it, it’s emotional steadiness, and that calm sense of being okay. If dopamine is the spark, serotonin is the steady glow.

Serotonin shows up strongly in moments of real connection and belonging. Long friendships. Shared history. Inside jokes with your family. That feeling of sitting across from someone who knows your story and with whom you do not have to pretend or perform. It is one of the reasons those moments feel grounding, not just fun. This is not just excitement, it’s also safety and contentment. And over time, serotonin helps stabilize your nervous system, not just lift your mood momentarily.

The third happy hormone on our tour is endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. They are released through laughter, exercise, and emotional release. Like the moment when you have a  laugh so hard your stomach hurts, that’s endorphins. When you feel a physical lightness after a good cry, that’s them, too.

Endorphins help reduce physical pain, lower stress, and create a real sense of relief in the body. This is your nervous system actively letting go. Fun isn’t just happening in your head. It’s happening in your muscles, your breath, your whole body. Endorphins are like your brain’s built-in stress mop.

And there’s one more bonus player in the mix: oxytocin. This is often called the bonding or connection chemical. It shows up where there is trust, closeness, intimacy, familiarity, it’s emotional safety. Oxytocin does not necessarily feel exciting. It feels deep belonging, like being known. It’s one of the reasons that time with people who truly know you can help your body feel calm, and your heart feel comforted. And on a side note, oxytocin is one of the very first neurochemicals that gets released when babies have time with loved ones.

Dopamine lights the spark. Serotonin brings a steady calm. Endorphins release the stress. And oxytocin is the glue that helps these moments feel deeply human.

There’s much to be said for how solo time and rest absolutely help refill your energy reserves. But fun does something slightly different. It reconnects you to yourself, to other people, and to a version of you that is not only responsible and productive, but also human.

So where are there opportunities for you to hang out with the happy hormones in the weeks ahead? What are the places, plans, and people you already know will be worth the time every time.

Calendars can be nuts, sure. But happy comes in all sizes. Make room for it in small pockets. Plan ahead for a conversation. Make a quick connection. Send some silly texts.

The happy neurochemicals are not some far off reward for getting through daily life. They are part of how your brain stays well enough to live that life.

So make time to be in the places and spaces and with the people that help you and your brain feel your best. Happy things help, science says so.