Discussion What gives your brain happy chemicals? (healthy answers only)

[symphony]

I'm curious what things in your life cause your brain to make all the happy chemicals (aside from self-harm or substance use or anything destructive like that). For me it's my kitty. Even seeing her across the room makes all those pleasure centers in my head light up, and when she climbs on me and starts to purr? Well, in those moments it would seem to me that everything is okay for a bit.

 

[Foresight]

Definitely pets for sure. Even on the darkest days.

It's cliche but yoga. I think my anxiety resides in my muscles. When I get a really good stretch and hold for a few quiet moments I can't even describe the peace. It somehow tells my mind that everything is okay in that moment at least.

 

[brnggundottxt]

It's the "healthy answers only" that got me.
The other person said pets, If you're an animal person I think that would be great.

 

[Umbrella Weather]

Riding a bicycle for hours... This a recent discovery, relative to my desire to die, though it has provided peace and I truly love pedaling around. There are moments when I find bliss, truthfully, a sensation that feels foreign. I ride track bikes, so I am not distracted by changing gears or fiddling around with mechanics, and am thusly left to simply enjoy the feeling of flying... With myself being directly responsible for all of that which is occurring around me.

I fucking love it... And I have never found a way to properly explain it.

 

[Leiden]

When I was not as far gone as I am now, a couple of the things that really helped me were, walking. I can't believe how beneficial it was and what a difference it would make. I would recommend it to anyone who can do it. The other thing for me was helping others, that gave me so much of that happy chemical that it was almost like a high. It felt so dam good.

 

[Umbrella Weather]

When I was not as far gone as I am now, a couple of the things that really helped me were, walking. I can't believe how beneficial it was and what a difference it would make. I would recommend it to anyone who can do it.

I can't agree more... Walking will always be my favorite activity in life. I just teared up, because of the purity in it... It would never happen, though I would love for my gravestone to read: Blah blah blah—Pedestrian.

 

[Hangnailinajar]

Coffee,laughing at dark things/random things,dogs,cleaning my grandma's backyard,cleaning,excercising/ dancing around the room like I'm Pee-Wee herman or other cartoonish characters.. listening to music,watching shows/films and certain documentaries. I also like to turn off all electronics and just draw/anything to avoid the internet using my imagination .

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I don't think owning a cat would be a very healthy answer for me since I am allergic to them even though if it weren't for that fact I would be pretty stoked on the idea. Unfortunately I can't own any pet since I already am taking care of a disabled relative who is more than enough of a handful and drains all my energy anyway.

I also feel attacked by the "healthy answers only" stipulation because all of my answers are probably considered unhealthy.

Do orgasms count? You can't really argue those are unhealthy…in moderation at least…

 

[CameronFrye]

Im able to find some happiness in a few things. None are enough to get me out of the deep depression, but they help ease the pain a bit.

My dog, it's hard to not get happiness from a dog being excited to see you and doing silly things like when she is outside and finds a stick she really likes and is all proud of it.

Music, sometimes when the right song comes on at the right moment I feel a brief flood of happy chemicals. For example I was driving and I heard Kids by MGMT on the radio. I hadn't heard that song in a long time and it brought me back to a time when I was happier and less weighed down by life. Moments like that, for just a few minutes, can few good.

Good food/drinks. Getting a warm coffee drink and sipping it on a cold day, a dinner from a family-owned restaurant, or late night ice cream, these can give me temporary happiness.

Nature helps, even if it's just to disconnect from everything for a bit. Sometimes I can get really lost in nature and temporarily forget my pain, and feel a bit of warmth from the world I rarely feel.

But most of all is genuine, human connection. I can't really apply this to my life because I completely lack it and can't seem to find it, and I'm not sure if I ever will again. But I've had a few moments here and there that made me feel truly alive. I wish I could bottle up that feeling and save it because it's truly better than any drug and has made me feel the closest I've ever felt to being happy I exist. Unfortunately all these connections were reduced to brief moments in the past as a result of various circumstances, mostly a result of my inability to maintain them. But I believe genuine human connection gives me those happy chemicals more so than anything else.

 

[waitingforrest]

A nice cold glass of water.

Not lukewarm.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

My cat

 

[NearlyIrrelevantCake]

Making my friends laugh.

 

[whatevs]

Becoming skilled at something that's hard to master.

 

[symphony]

Loving reading through the variety of wholesome responses here. I should add the reading what gives other people happy chemicals, gives me happy chemicals

 

[KimKevorkian]

A little bit of good luck. I just came across some and I feel, with a lot of hard work, I can accomplish one of my life's goals. So I feel that's one less thing I need to obsess over and can just get rolling on it. Also, Folgers with some Bourbon Cream liqueur. Homemade chicken soup. Smelling the blooms on my citrus tree. Feeling the warm California breeze.

 

[Pallf]

Listening to music and dancing like a dumbass.
Playing and replaying my favorite games.
ASMR (don't judge me).
Watching funny shit on YouTube.
Talking with friends online when I'm not pissed at them.
When I was younger and had a better attention span, getting lost in a good book. There's nothing like it.
Oh, and badminton. Badminton owns.

 

[lili]

These answers are really great. Especially love a lot of animals are mentioned here. I have been taking care of my friends cat and she's leaving tomorrow I'll miss her so much :(

I think dancing helps a lot. There's some soothing music that's not as upbeat that's great for very slow rhythmic dancing. I think it's a good way that if you are experiencing some agitated emotions, to be able to manifest it through your body. I would especially recommend to do this while your eyes are closed to just purely feel the vibrations of the music and let your body guide you. I tend to raise my arms a lot while I'm doing it. Also to do it while your alone so you don't feel self conscious or anything.

It's actually helped me a lot when I feel a lot of pain. Feels like a sort of release.

Would also recommend acting, although I know that might not be ideal for some people. But when I act I like to use my emotions with the different characters I'm playing and feels very liberating and like a release. There's also a lot of meditation involved in acting.

 

[ThriveOrDie]

Look into dopamine rich foods such as velvet bean aka dopa bean

 

[Livingvsdying25]

This is a really great question and I think I'm more "depressed" than I thought bc nothing is my answer. I don't even have an "unhealthy" thing.. literally just nothing... damn some necessary self reflection but honestly I dunno what to do about this... or if I should even do anything...