3 Ways To Balance Brain Chemistry To Cope With Depression
Brain chemistry predisposes us towards certain states of mind. Any alteration can make us experience the highest motivation or the most exasperating sadness. Additionally, depression is known to be linked to certain amino acids and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
In short: brain chemistry determines emotional state. Although in many cases there is no other option than to resort to psychotropic drugs, today we want to talk to you about some complementary strategies.
1. Dopamine deficiency and depression
A low level of dopamine translates into apathy, mood swings, loss of interest and a tendency to depression. This is because dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters for the brain, as it mediates the communication of neurons.
Likewise, it is known that it has an essential function when it comes to generating motivation to relate to the environment.
How can I naturally increase dopamine levels?
There is an essential amino acid to increase dopamine: it is L-phenylalanine. The body cannot synthesize it naturally and, therefore, we must obtain it from food. It is then that it becomes tyrosine and generates the production of dopamine.
It is possible to obtain this amino acid from the following foods:
- Meat
- Green Tea
- Bananas
- Beets
- Dark chocolate
- Dairy products
- Seeds (sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin)
- Nuts (like almonds and walnuts)
Likewise, practices such as meditation or moderate intensity exercise also allow us to balance brain chemistry.
2. Serotonin, the hormone of happiness
A low level of serotonin results in stress, negative thoughts, and hopelessness. For this reason, a large part of antidepressants work by preventing a series of inhibitors from stopping the production of serotonin. However, it is important to know that it is also possible to enhance its production.
How to increase serotonin levels?
- Get out of the house, take a walk and meet new people
- Listen to music that you like to generate positive emotions
- Find, choose and put into practice a new hobby: sign up for painting, dance, yoga classes, etc.
- Improve your diet by increasing the consumption of bananas, oats, avocado, fruits, seeds, nuts, among others
Does eating chocolate help?
According to several studies, the consumption of dark chocolate – that is, that which has a high percentage of cocoa – can contribute to an improvement in mood. The Psychiatric Times experts indicate that this is due to several elements in the composition of chocolate, such as flavonoids, caffeine, theobromine, N-acylethanolamines and phenylethylamine.
It should be noted that it is not the consumption of dark chocolate that will significantly improve the mood, but a set of measures aimed at it. Thus, although it is not wrong to have a piece of delicious chocolate to comfort yourself and feel better, the ideal is to do it at the same time as other measures to increase well-being (sleep well, exercise regularly, do an activity that allow catharsis, etc.).
3. To balance brain chemistry you must sleep properly
A bad rest has serious consequences. One of them is the decrease in serotonin. Sleeping well helps neurotransmitters regulate themselves and promote a more stable emotional state.
How to sleep better to take care of brain health?
- Follow the same schedules for your daily activities.
- Exercise in the afternoon, but never before bed.
- Make sure the room temperature is right.
- Keep the same ritual when going to bed: a hot shower, a glass of milk with honey and a book. Two hours before bedtime, reduce your exposure to electronics. That is, try to put your cell phone aside for a long time before going to bed.
Drugs are not always the first option
To balance brain chemistry, do not rush to resort to drugs, as they are not the only ones capable of offering benefits. Good lifestyle habits can contribute significantly to this and, in addition, provide us with additional benefits.
In other words: if we want to get out of this tunnel, we need more psychological resources to be able to manage our emotions correctly. In the same way, good life habits will help us generate those neurotransmitters that we have talked about.
