Endorphins: 7 Natural Ways to Boost Your Endorphins

Endorphins are neurotransmitters—brain chemicals secreted by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus—that act on the opiate receptors in the brain, reducing stress, boosting pleasure, and easing pain (or elevating the pain threshold). The term “endorphin” is a portmanteau of the words “endogenous” (meaning internal) and “morphine” (a painkilling opioid). This large grouping of chemicals—sometimes referred to as beta-endorphins—is often associated with exercise. Still, you can boost endorphins in several ways, from meditation, eating certain foods, laughing, or connecting with others.

Releasing endorphins can produce positive feelings. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that interact with opioid receptors in the brain and can decrease the perception of pain, like a natural pain reliever. Physical activities increase endorphin levels and can lead to feelings of euphoria or a runner’s high. The rush of endorphins is one of the many benefits of exercise.

Fitness expert and Peloton Head Instructor Robin Arzón believes music can further elevate the boost of endorphins. “Music plus endorphins equals magic,” says Robin. “When you are in the middle of a workout, and the right song comes on, it can elevate you to an entirely different experience. I think the soundtrack to our workouts—not just the energy of the music and the lyrics and artists we love and admire—but the beat directly informs how we want to move to it.”

There are a number of health benefits associated with boosting your endorphins.

1. 1. Mental health boost: A regular release of endorphins can positively impact your overall mood and feelings of mental wellness. Endorphins are the “happy” chemicals, and releasing them can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, and even boost your self-esteem.
2. 2. Weight regulation: Your body releases endorphins during physical activity. Endorphins released during exercise can lead to higher levels of energy and better appetite regulation, which can help reduce binge eating and help to regulate weight.
3. 3. Social connection: Activities like laughing, having sex, and connecting with others can trigger the release of endorphins, helping people to forge strong connections with one another.

When you boost your endorphin levels, you elevate the feeling of euphoria in your body. Consider the following ways to boost your endorphins:

1. 1. Physical exercise: Prolonged aerobic activities like jogging or having sex elevate your heart rate and can trigger a natural endorphin rush called a “runner’s high,” which is a wave of endorphins released into your central nervous system that can lead to anxiety reduction and pain relief.
2. 2. Masturbation: Engaging in masturbation at least once a week is a great way to relax, boost your endorphins, and promote feelings of pleasure. Masturbation, or sexual self-pleasure, is the practice of stimulating your own genitals and erogenous zones by hand or with the assistance of sex toys, like a vibrator.
3. 3. Acupuncture: Acupuncture—which is a form of holistic medicine that uses needles to stimulate certain areas of the body—can trigger your nervous system, creating an endorphin boost that has euphoric effects on the rest of your body.
4. 4. Dark chocolate: Eating a small piece of dark chocolate every day has been shown to boost the levels of endorphins in your body, which is why some people report a feel-good effect after eating dark chocolate.
5. 5. Laughing: Laughter during social interaction can be an excellent way to raise the level of endorphins in your body. Doing activities with friends or family that promote social laughter can stimulate your abdominal muscles and trigger the release of endorphins.
6. 6. Spicy food: Your brain registers the sensation of spicy food as pain when it hits your tongue which causes your body to release endorphins to offset this negative feeling.
7. 7. Meditation: Meditation—an ancient Buddhist practice that has existed for centuries as a way to center the mind and body—has been shown to release endorphins when practiced regularly. A consistent meditation routine can be beneficial to your overall wellness, helping to improve your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Endorphins are commonly associated with another neurotransmitter called dopamine, which causes euphoria and pleasure by acting on the brain’s reward centers. The main difference between endorphins and dopamine is that endorphins release in response to external stimuli—specifically pain or tension—that help relieve pain and cause euphoria.

Dopamine is released after you reach a goal, triggering the brain’s reward system and elevating your mood. Endorphins and dopamine have a symbiotic relationship, wherein endorphin production from an activity leads the brain to associate the activity with a rewarding feeling, which leads to subsequent dopamine production.

As natural painkillers, endorphins are essential to mental and physical health. A lack of endorphins can lead to various health conditions, such as weight gain, mental health issues, and mood swings. Exercise releases endorphins, so a lack of physical activity can cause an increase in cortisol, increasing stress levels and causing more significant anxiety. In worse cases, endorphin deficits can lead to depression, addiction, and severe health complications.

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