The Beyond the Classroom Blog Series includes tips and tricks from Westside's Counseling and Learning Support Teams.
11.8.22 - Getting our Daily D.O.S.E of Happiness
Written by Adam Elder, Director of Counseling and Social Emotional Learning
After a prolonged summer into late October, the typical cloudy, dark Seattle fall has been a shock to the system. During longer sunny days, the natural light helps with the release of Serotonin, one of the four “happiness” chemicals in our brains. The lack of sunlight can make it difficult to maintain our mental and emotional health, but there are things we can do to activate the four “happiness” chemicals in our brain.
- Dopamine
- Oxytocin
- Serotonin
- Endorphin
The chart shown here explains what each chemical does, how we are impacted by deficiencies, and what you can do to increase these levels. Try out a wide variety of ideas to keep your mental and emotional health strong as we enter the winter season.