4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels

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Learn How To Naturally Boost Serotonin

4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels | Naturopathic Dr

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in your brain that is linked to feelings of happiness and well-being. We produce it naturally when we laugh, and our hearts sing. 

Serotonin neurotransmitters also contribute to things like cognitive functioning, motor skills, and the regulation of multiple nerve functions. 

Needless to say, it has many important jobs, and the production of serotonin is greatly beneficial to our wonderful bodies!

However, many people don’t get the amount of it that their bodies and minds need and might need a bit of aid in giving those neurotransmitters a boost. 

It’s nothing to fret about because your symptoms don’t have to be ignored! There are multiple natural ways that you can boost your serotonin levels and revitalize your health at the same time!

1. Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule

4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels | Naturopathic Dr

When you’re a child, it’s much easier to get on a consistent sleep schedule. You wake up, play for as long as you can, eat, and then fall asleep- what a life.

This is repeated until you’re older and enter the realm of the real world — then sleep becomes one of the most coveted aspects of your entire life. 

Getting the right amount of sleep is essential for your body’s serotonin production. Sleeping too much or too little can make your serotonin receptors less sensitive and make it harder for you to enjoy the benefits of joy. 

It’s crucial to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and routine so that your body learns when it’s time to wind it down. When you go to bed at odd hours and don’t keep a regular routine, your mind and body don’t always understand that it’s time to sleep when you want it to. 

Going to sleep at the same time and doing the same thing before you go to bed each night helps to clue your mind in- sleep is a-coming.

2. Eat Right and Work Out

4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels | Naturopathic Dr

People often talk about how getting active and eating healthy helped them with their depression or other mental health problems. This is partly because having a proper diet and being physically active can boost those serotonin levels. 

What you put into your body is what you get back from it, so filling it with junk food and not giving it the proper amount of exercise is going to result in poor health. Plus, your digestive track makes around 90% of your serotonin, so you should treat it right.

Go ahead and take a walk out in nature today, splash in a rain puddle or bask in the sun- it’s okay to play like a child for at least a little while. Whatever you do- move you. 

Some wonderful gut-health aids are kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh. It’s good to eat a wide range of healthy foods because there are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestinal tract and you want to aid them all!  

3. Daily Meditation

4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels | Naturopathic Dr

People are nervous about giving meditation a try, but it can truly change your life for the better. For centuries, some of the most healthy, sharp, and well-balanced individuals have practiced meditation. 

Now, it’s gaining much more popularity because more research has been done on the topic. Meditation has a lot of benefits for the human mind, one of those being that it can help you to deal with the stress that is lowering your serotonin production. 

Naturopathic doctors who prefer natural medicines will recommend meditation as a form of self-healing and care. It gives you time to relax, breathe fully, and work through anything that is gnawing at you.

One great method of meditation is called anaipanna. It has been around for thousands of years, and is derived from the heart of India. It consists of remaining aware and focusing on the breath. 

Here is how you do it in three steps:

1.Set a timer for 10 minutes before bed.

2. Sit up with your back straight and focus on your breath. How does it feel as the breath enters and leaves your nostrils? Maybe hot, maybe cold, can you feel it touch your upper lip?

3. Remember that it is  perfectly natural and human for your mind to wander while focusing on the breath. Each time your mind wanders catch yourself, laugh it off and carry on until that timer dings!

Meditation can boost serotonin levels and offer you a great night’s sleep. Give it a try!

4. Speak with a Naturopathic Doctor

4 Natural Ways You Can Boost Your Serotonin Levels | Naturopathic Dr

If you want to boost your serotonin naturally,  see a naturopathic doctor. They have approaches to health and mental stability that takes a different path than the pharmaceutical route. 

You can figure out what measure you need to take in your personal life to get your mind and body where you want them to be. Naturopathic medicine is for anyone, and it is based on your specific body, which is different from anyone and everyone else. 

Natural medicine can aid you in the process of getting your life back, and it is all based on your body’s natural ability to heal itself with the aid of the herbs from the earth which have evolved with you for millions of years. 

A huge part of boosting serotonin is changing bad habits and living an overall healthier lifestyle. A little help being more mindful about how you think and behave can make a massive difference in the way that your mind and its chemicals function. 

Take a look at what you can change in your life, even if you start small, and you might see a difference in how you feel in a short amount of time. If you want to learn more and speak with a professional — give Dr. Karen R. Threlkel a call today!

About The Author:

Dr. Karen Threlkel, Naturopathic Physician, Washington DC

Dr. Karen Threlkel, Naturopathic Physician, Washington DC

Dr. Threlkel received her degree of Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from The National College for Naturopathic Medicine (now called The National University of Natural Medicine) in Portland, Oregon. She also holds a Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology from The University of Maryland. She is licensed in Naturopathic Medicine by the Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health. Dr. Threlkel is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, past president & current member of the Washington DC Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

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