We all want to feel happier, but most of us secretly think it depends on having more time, more money, fewer emails or a calmer life. In our recent webinar, 'Unlock Your Happiness Hormones', our Wellbeing Coaches Grant Payne and Carin Söderberg explored a different perspective:
Happiness isn’t something you wait for; it’s something you build through small daily choices that tap into your body’s natural chemistry.
We've summarised the key messages from the session and show you how to work with your happiness hormones: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins, so you can feel more balanced, resilient and energised in everyday life.
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What Does Happiness Mean to You?
One of the biggest myths about happiness is that you’re supposed to feel upbeat all the time. In reality, happiness is built through habits, perspective and connection, helping you to weather the inevitable challenges of life.
When we asked people in the webinar, 'What does happiness mean to you?' we didn’t get 'new car' or 'perfect life' as answers. Instead, people shared words like:
For many, happiness felt less like constant excitement and more like being okay in the moment, appreciating what you have and resisting the urge to compare yourself to others.
Grant shared a lovely story about his five-year-old daughter, Grace, who once said on their walk home from school, “Daddy, I feel very happy today,” and when he asked why, she simply replied, “Because I want to.”
Adult life is certainly more complicated than that, but her answer captures something powerful: while you can’t just think yourself happy, you can choose to practise the habits that make happiness more likely, and that’s exactly where your happiness hormones come in.
Meet Your Happiness Hormones: D.O.S.E.
To make the four key happiness hormones easy to remember, we used the acronym D.O.S.E.:
Each happiness hormone plays a different role in how you feel and each one is activated by specific actions and habits.
Dopamine: The Reward Hormone
Dopamine is all about progress, reward and motivation. It’s released when you work towards a goal, learn something new, complete a task or experience a sense of 'I did it!'.
These small hits of dopamine are essential for building habits; they reinforce behaviour and make you more likely to do it again.
Ways to boost dopamine:
Micro action → Choose one thing you’ve been putting off and complete it today, then pause and acknowledge that little win.
Oxytocin: The Love & Connection Hormone
Oxytocin is commonly known as the 'cuddle hormone'. It’s released when we feel safe, connected and valued. It’s strongly linked to trust, bonding, physical touch, and feeling part of something.
You don’t need grand gestures to boost oxytocin; small, everyday moments are often the most powerful.
Ways to boost oxytocin:
Oxytocin doesn’t just feel good; it also helps quiet your stress hormone, cortisol, which many of us run on throughout the day.
Micro action → Pick one person today to consciously appreciate and tell them why.
Serotonin: The Mood Stabiliser
Serotonin is one of your key mood-regulating happiness hormones. It supports emotional balance, reduces anxiety and supports a stable, positive mood. A large proportion of serotonin is produced in your gut, meaning your diet has a significant impact on how you feel.
Ways to boost serotonin:
Micro action → Tonight, write down three things big or small that you’re grateful for.
Endorphins: Your Natural Painkillers
Endorphins are your body’s natural pain relief and are strongly linked to exercise, movement, play, laughter, fun and novelty. You might recognise this as the 'runner’s high', but you definitely don’t need to run to benefit!
Ways to boost endorphins:
Micro action → Schedule 10–20 minutes of movement or fun into your day and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment.
Happiness isn’t about having a perfect life or avoiding difficult moments; it’s about understanding how your body works and using simple, everyday actions to support your wellbeing.
By tapping into your happiness hormones: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins, you can create more balance, resilience and joy, one small habit at a time.
Start with just one micro-action today, and notice how these tiny changes begin to shift your energy, your mindset and your overall happiness. If you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply, be sure to watch the full Unlock Your Happiness Hormones webinar and begin building your personalised pathway to a happier, healthier you.
Interested in Bringing a Happiness Webinar to Your Team?
If you’d like to hold a Happiness Webinar for your organisation or explore how we can support your team’s wellbeing, please get in touch with a member of our team. We’d love to help.