How to Boost Serotonin Levels

Serotonin is a chemical that when released in the brain elicits feelings of happiness and euphoria. Scientific research shows that people who experience depression and anxiety have lower levels of serotonin than people who are not depressed. Scientists believe that most antidepressants increase the amount of serotonin that is available in the brain, but there are other methods that may boost serotonin.

Instructions

• 1

  Induce happiness. Improvement in mood is associated with doing things that make us happy and thus boost serotonin. Each person is an individual of course, but some common activities that have been shown to increase feelings of happiness include social interaction and optimism. If it makes you feel happy, surround yourself with friends and family or find a hobby that you enjoy.

• 2

  Expose yourself to sources of natural light. The amount of sunlight you receive each day is directly related to the amount of serotonin in your brain in a positive way. Our bodies and our brains need sunlight in order to metabolize calcium, absorb vitamin D and regulate sleeping patterns. If you live in a northern climate or you are indoors for most of the day, consider using a light box, which is a form of artificial sunlight you can use indoors.

• 3

  Exercise regularly. Physical activity has consistently been shown to improve mood in people who have depression and even in people who don't. Exercise increases serotonin levels in the brain and the effects continue even when you're not exercising. In addition, exercise can improve your body's immune system that, when weakened, can make any existing depression worse. Physical activity also enhances the quality of sleep, another way to increase serotonin and decrease depression.

• 4

  Increase the amount of tryptophan-rich foods in your diet. Unfortunately turkey and bananas are not rich in this amino acid, despite claims that they are. Proteins such as garbanzo beans, nuts and seeds tend to have high amounts of tryptophan. Your body utilizes tryptophan to produce serotonin, increasing the amount available and improving both mood and sleep.

• 5

  Think positively. Science has shown that your thoughts have an effect on your brain's biochemistry, and so making a concerted effort to see things in a more positive light can help increase serotonin. This is a cascading positive effect because optimism has been found to be inversely correlated with the risk of developing heart disease. In short, the more optimistic you are the less likely you are to develop one of the top causes of death.

• 6

  Get treatment. In addition to social activity, psychotherapy has been found to be helpful in improving mood which correlates with increased serotonin. Unfortunately, people in the midst of moderate-to-severe depression are often unable to participate wholly in therapy, rendering it ineffective. Antidepressants are the first line of defense in treating depression and many of these medications specifically target serotonin levels. The most popularly prescribed and used antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which block the absorption of serotonin. Antidepressants are often administered with psychotherapy, at least initially, in order to facilitate the therapeutic effects.