Looking for self-care activities that actually make you feel happier?  I’d like you to meet your new best friends: Endorphins.  

If you’ve never heard of them, they’re the good mood hormones your body creates and secretes in your blood during certain activities. Similar in structure to morphine—yes, morphine—endorphins have the power to reduce physical pain and alleviate stress. 

When released, they give you a greater sense of well-being and balance out your mood.

Now how do we get them in our blood stream? 

If you scour the internet, the bulk of what you’ll find for your endorphin-fix revolves around dark chocolate, cardio and sex. That’s all great, but leaves us with limited options. Throw some more endorphins into your self-care regimen with these four less known activities. 

It’s time to get those feel-good juices flowing.  Here are four self-care activities for women that can help boost your endorphins.

Acupuncture

I always thought acupuncture was a little extra. Witch doctor placebo-medicine stuff.

Come to find out, I was wrong. Our body’s actually cool with it.

When the needle goes into a fixed point, endorphins release into the body and decrease your pain sensitivity. 

In fact, women in labor have been known to experience less pain and more relaxation after they received acupuncture therapy compared to those who didn’t. 

Massage Therapy

Trust me. This is more than just an excuse to treat yourself.

Massage therapy induces endorphin secretion. This means less pain and stress on the body. It can help to balance your hormone levels and even reduces chronic stress.

Depression and anxiety can also be managed with massage therapy. The release of endorphins not only acts as a natural pain killer but as a mood elevator.

Live Music

Simply listening to music doesn’t cut it.

Taking part in the music is what triggers an endorphin release. Because of the endorphins’ pain-reducing magic, when you dance and sing with live music, you can have an increase in pain tolerance afterward. 

If you’ve never thought of yourself as a concert person, maybe you should start.  

Laughter

Let thy giggles be thy medicine.   

Laughter doesn’t release enough endorphins to relieve pain, but it’s still releases enough to boost your mood and keep you thriving. 

Some weeks, a healthy dose of laughter is hard to come by. Try out a nearby comedy club or plan a night out with old friends. Not feeling extroverted? Next time you sit down for a Netflix binge, turn on a Rom Com or a stand-up act. 

When it comes to self-care activities for women, learning how to ride the endorphin-high is a great idea! Next time you need a little pick-me-up, I hope these activities help!