What Do People Feel When They Are Happy?

When we are happy and asked why? We usually tell that we’re just happy. It is hard to find any explanation as to why we’re so glad. While happiness is universal to us, it is hard to put why we are happy in words. However, as someone in the personal development niche, it is my job to think deeper and find out why. Upon lots of thinking and research, I’ve found some exciting things about joy and happiness, which I’ll report in this blog post. What do you feel when you are happy?

When you’re happy, you feel an emotion where everything seems to be positive. It is a feeling where everything seems better, such as your environment and yourself. Despite bad things happening around us, a happy person would always see the good in everything. Being happy is an emotion or feeling great about everything that happens to us.

In this blog post, I will talk about happiness in a more profound sense. Furthermore, we can’t forget about the hormones related to happiness. So, we will also talk a bit about the science of happiness.

How do people feel when they’re happy?

People feel a cheerful and positive emotion when they’re happy. Happiness is a feeling where we feel that everything around us is positive, including those that others perceive as negative. People feel happy because of 4 hormones which are Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphins that all act together to make us feel happy.

In my life, I feel happy when I go home tired from the day’s work, lie in my bed or couch, then watch my favorite movies.

These are simple things introverts like me appreciate.

Some might get their happiness from interacting, achieving their goals, confidence, love, and many more.

Upon further thinking, this is because happiness is something you get from a mix of hormones.

These hormones are specialized in giving you happiness depending on the sources.

For example, a person who feels loved will increase their Oxytocin levels, which will make them happy.

Another example is when people achieve something great. This feeling of accomplishment will have a boost of Serotonin which is also related to happiness.

Thus, it is essential to get you familiar with these happy hormones, which are: Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphins.

This mix of hormones is what makes us happy. That’s why it is crucial to have a brief introduction to each of them.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a hormone that is related to giving us well-being and happiness.

Furthermore, this hormone has been related to better quality sleep. ^[1]

Lastly, it is worth noting that the feeling of accomplishment or confidence is also from Serotonin.

Dopamine

Dopamine is a hormone we use to be motivated in doing things. It increases when we anticipate some sort of reward.

Also, Dopamine has been shown to be critical in our learning.

This hormone is related to give us the motivation to do things. ^[2]

That’s why Dopamine is important. Since it provides us with the motivation to do things, it helps us achieve more.

This ultimately leads to the production of Serotonin which we discussed earlier.

It is also worth mentioning that people associate games and social media with happiness because of Dopamine.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a hormone that’s related to love and trust.

Furthermore, Oxytocin has been found to be good at social memory and attachment, maternal behavior, and aggression. ^[3]

It is increased when we feel loved and trusted. That’s why people correlate it to the feeling of happiness when socializing with others.

Endorphins

Endorphins are hormones we release to deal with stress and reduce the feeling of pain. ^[4]

That’s why when people are happy, their levels of stress decrease and increase their pain tolerance.

The Feeling of Happiness

Now that we understand happiness from the scientific perspective, let’s talk about happiness from the emotional perspective.

When we’re happy, the most common thing we feel is that everything seems positive.

People call it being in a “good mood.”

The truth is, being in a good mood is basically seeing things in a very positive light.

That’s why a happy person is always positive when it comes to their thinking, whether for their future, other people, or their environment.

That’s also why being happy feel relaxed and stress-free.

While hormones are related to it, if we check ourselves deeply, the happiness we get comes from being relaxed.

Happiness from the Feeling of Security

A perfect example is a happiness we get from our achievements. The reason why we are happy is that it adds a feeling of security.

For example, if you get a promotion, you get a feeling of safety since you know that the company you work with values you as an employee, and it is a sign that you will not get fired soon.

Another is the happiness we get from love. Feeling love gives us a feeling of security that our love for others is not a waste.

That’s why if we look at it, happiness is a form of security. It is what we feel when new feel secured. That’s why people are always looking for ways to be secured.

They don’t realize it, but they are unconsciously looking for ways to be happier.

In the end, it feels light where you can relax for a bit. It is a feeling of security.

Going back to my experience, going home tired then lying on my couch is happiness from security.

This is because I feel secure when I am in my home, and I know no one can bother me. This feeling that I have a tiny space for myself in this world makes introverts delighted when alone.

Happiness from the Feeling Positive

Another feeling you get from being happy is a positive feeling.

A person who is in an excellent mood will see everything around them to be positive.

For example, even if times are tough, a happy person would still see their future as great.

When a lover gets signs that the person he is courting is showing signs of affection, it gives him a feeling of success which is something positive.

Of course, we can also put the feeling of security here as it is a sign that his efforts are working.

When people are happy, they feel laughing more, more calm, relaxed, and see good things around them.

They are in high hopes that everything is great and everything will be great.

For a brief period of happiness, they forget their problems since they see life in a positive light.

That’s why the people who have too many negative thoughts usually have less life satisfaction.

If you think about it, being satisfied with life is a form of positive thinking since you feel optimistic about your current situation.

What’s next? How about finding the physical signs of happiness? While we now understand happiness on a hormonal and deeper level, it is also a good idea to find out how we project happiness in a physical sense. I believe you will have a good time reading another article I’ve made in the happiness category. Here is the link: The Physical Signs of Happiness.

Frequently asked Questions

What gives you a happy feeling? Hormones, particularly Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and endorphins, provide the feeling of happiness. Serotonin gives the feeling of happiness you get from accomplishments and confidence. Dopamine gives the feeling of happiness when you’re motivated. Oxytocin gives the feeling of happiness when we’re loved, and endorphins help us lower stress.

How does it feel to be genuinely happy? Feeling genuinely happy means you will be able to look at everything around you with a positive outlook. This means you can look at yourself and feel good and satisfied with what you have. You would also see other things in your environment to be positive despite other people perceiving them as negative.

What does joy feel like? Joy is the feeling of extreme delight, euphoria, and gladness when a person is genuinely satisfied with themselves. It is the feeling people get when things are positive and tranquil in their perspective. Joy happens when we feel both safe and contented.

Sources

1. MOHAMMAD-ZADEH, L. F., et al. “Serotonin: A Review.” Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vol. 31, no. 3, 2008, pp. 187–99. Crossref, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2885.2008.00944.x.
2. Berke, Joshua D. “What Does Dopamine Mean?” Nature Neuroscience, vol. 21, no. 6, 2018, pp. 787–93. Crossref, doi:10.1038/s41593-018-0152-y.
3. Lee, Heon-Jin, et al. “Oxytocin: The Great Facilitator of Life.” Progress in Neurobiology, 2009. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.04.001.
4. Amir, Shimon, et al. “The Role of Endorphins in Stress: Evidence and Speculations.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 4, no. 1, 1980, pp. 77–86. Crossref, doi:10.1016/0149-7634(80)90027-5.