Common Fixes For Sadness

on common, fixes, sadness, daily, and psychology

Feeling down? The blues come and go, but this checklist covers the basics to help lift your mood.

This is especially relevant during COVID-19 lockdowns, when it’s important to work on each of these areas.

Before I start: I’m not a doctor nor brain scientist. Don’t listen to internet advice. Please, see your doctor, especially, if you feel depressed.

Your Brain

Your brain is a complex mix of chemicals that influence how you feel. As you may know, we humans have a very basic understanding of how brains work.

While there are many chemicals in the brain, this post uses a simplified model focusing on four. The first three form the Happiness Trifecta.

Dopamine

Dopamine is commonly called the feel-good hormone. This is the hormone that many websites and games try to trigger to keep you on the platform. It’s that rush that’s triggered by completing a task.

It is also triggered by natural acts such as having sex, but I’m not sure I would suggest that in the office[source].

Serotonin and Oxytocin

Serotonin and Oxytocin are the other two parts of the happiness trifecta. Oxytocin is called the love hormone, and it gives a clue to its main source, though both chemicals can come from a variety of activities.

These hormones can be boosted by spending time with people you love and building relationships and trust[source].

You can also boost your levels by helping others. If you see someone struggling, help them out, it may be just what you need to boost your mood[source].

Endorphins

Beta endorphins are released when you exercise. These endorphins are the reason that you get the post exercise high. They also play a role in pain management[source].

In Summary

The checklist to make sure you are doing the basics is the following.

You may have a lack of:

  • Endorphins - Go exercise.
  • Serotonin & Oxytocin - Go help others & spend time with loved ones.
  • Dopamine - Complete a task.

Even better if you can build these tasks into your routine.

References

This post was inspired by the talk Going Pro - Lifestyle For Exceptional Developers.