How to Increase Seratonin

Serotonin is what many refer to as the “feel-good” chemical. Your brain releases it naturally during certain events and activities. When the chemical is released it makes you feel good. Certain drugs will force your body to overflow the release of serotonin, which is one reason why you feel so good while taking the drug. However, the body can only produce so much of this drug. Over time, you need to take more of the drug in order to release the chemical. Eventually, you may tap out the body’s ability to produce the chemical altogether.

One reason why it’s so important to take advantage of a drug recovery program is to help regulate your body’s release of certain chemicals, such as serotonin, and to repair the damage done to it. However, there are ways for you to help your body release serotonin naturally. When you learn how to increase serotonin levels, naturally you’ll help reduce your reliance on drugs. At Beaches Recovery, our addiction treatment programs in Florida can help you learn about the different ways of increasing serotonin naturally.

Understanding How Serotonin Influences The Body

Before understanding how to increase serotonin levels naturally, you should know how the chemical affects the body. According to Medical News Today, it helps improve bowel movements while reducing your appetite. It improves your mood, helps with the clotting of blood, boosts bone density, assists with reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and helps flush the body of toxins you might consume.

Ways to Boost Your Serotonin Levels Naturally

Medical News Today also reports on a number of ways you can boost your chemical levels naturally. Many of these methods you can do on a daily basis and control on your own. Some of these methods include:

• Natural lighting
• Your diet
• Exercise
• Improve your mood

Natural Lighting

People in regions that experience months of cloudy days during the wintertime understand all-too-well seasonal depression. This occurs when the body does not see sunlight for long periods of time. It is important for you to be outside in the sunshine for as much as possible. Opening a window can help with this (instead of leaving the shades down), and if you do currently live somewhere that goes through long bouts of cloudy days you can purchase lights that replicate natural sunlight.

Diet

The food you eat will impact your level of serotonin. Now, you can purchase serotonin supplements, although you’ll want to be careful with this (talk to your recovery professional about these supplements ahead of time). Foods that increase your tryptophan levels will help boost your serotonin levels. These foods include turkey, cheese, eggs, bananas, and others.

Exercise

If you know any avid joggers you’ve probably heard them talk about a “runners high.” This comes from the serotonin released in the body during long periods of running. You don’t need to become a distance runner, but just working out will help you with how to increase serotonin levels naturally. At Beaches Recovery, we offer a fitness therapy program in Jacksonville, Florida, as a supplement to our evidence-based addiction treatment therapy.

Improve Your Mood

This is something you may need help with. However, by simply doing something you like and improving your mood you’ll increase your serotonin levels. So get out and do something you enjoy. Whether you like reading the morning newspaper or you like knitting, whatever you like to do make sure you spend time doing it. You’ll feel better and you’ll increase your serotonin levels.

Continue Your Self Improvement Today

One of the best ways to help with your personal recovery is to focus on self-improvement. The better you take care of yourself the better off you’ll be and the easier time you’ll find the recovery process becomes. One way to assist with this is to discover how to increase serotonin levels naturally. You don’t need to flood your system with drugs in order to do this. Instead, by following through with these different tips and suggestions you’ll begin to feel better about yourself. However, if you’re currently struggling with addiction and need help taking the first step, now is the time to give the admissions staff at Beaches Recovery a call. This one phone call can make all the difference.