Oxytocin: Often called the “ love hormone,” oxytocin is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. It can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships. Levels generally increase with physical affection.

If you’re familiar with meditation, you might already know of its many wellness benefits — from improving sleep to reducing stress. If you really want to feel those happy hormones, note that dancing and sex both lead to endorphin release, while orgasm triggers dopamine release. Serotonin: This hormone and neurotransmitter helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.Listening to instrumental music, especially music that gives you chills, can increase dopamine production in your brain. Of course, laughter won’t treat ongoing health issues. But it can help relieve feelings of anxiety or stress, and improve a low mood by boosting dopamine and endorphin levels. According to studies, massage boosts endorphins and oxytocin. Older research found that massage also increases serotonin and dopamine. Simply being attracted to someone can lead to the production of oxytocin. But physical affection, including kissing, cuddling, or having sex, also contributes to oxytocin production. If you have a dog, giving your furry friend some affection is a great way to boost oxytocin levels for you and your dog.

For one, it can contribute to an imbalance of hormones, particularly dopamine, in your body. This can have a negative impact on your mood as well as your physical health.Weinstein D, et al. (2016). Group music performance causes elevated pain thresholds and social bonding in small and large groups of singers.