The Halcyonite

By Sasha

Grade 11

The endocrine system. A complex network composed of hormones, organs and glands, it is responsible for producing all your body’s hormones that contribute to controlling and regulating biological processes such as metabolism and growth in the body. It can also have an effect on up to 50 moods that a human experiences. Hormones are incredibly important for human function and the wellbeing of a person; they are chemical messengers that are triggered by the nervous system or human activity which sends signals to different parts of the body. Hormones can be incredibly influential on how your body functions and how you feel. Now technically, you cannot control your hormones, but they can be influenced by many factors which you do have power over. 

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety and stress at some point throughout their life. This can be caused by stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol and adrenaline can lead to hormone imbalances in the body and are triggered when you feel in danger, initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response to prepare your body to cope with a threat. Sometimes, stress hormones can be released during difficult day to day tasks and interactions that trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response where it is not needed. Your body can be left with an excess amount of cortisol or adrenaline which can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. 

Although both sexes are affected by these hormones, people who were AFAB (assigned female at birth) can be more susceptible to hormone induced anxiety than people who were AMAB (assigned male at birth), as there is a more drastic and frequent hormone fluctuation in the body during different stages of people AFAB throughout their life. This can be during menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause and postmenopause. Nevertheless, people who were AMAB also struggle with anxiety caused by hormone imbalance. 

A study done from The Lancet Psychiatry, a medical journal, investigated survey results where researchers found an average person has 3.4 poor mental health days a month. Poor mental health was described as having feelings of stress, depression, or emotional concerns. With that, researchers found that the people in the study who exercised had a decreased number of poor mental health by over 40%. 

Luckily, we do have some sort of power over our hormones which can contribute to increasing feelings of happiness and contentment: exercise, which is shown to change the way the brain works. The Lancet Psychiatry researchers came to the conclusion that there was an optimal length of time to exercise, which was about 45 minutes three to five times per week. These are the recommendations to prevent overexercise, which could trigger a stressful response in the body. 

Aerobic exercise triggers the most effective release of endorphins. Endorphins are released by the hypothalamus and the pituitary glandin the brain. The group of peptide hormones can induce a feeling of wellbeing and relieves pain, almost mimicking the pain relief on the body from the opioid painkiller morphine. There are over 20 different types of endorphins and the ones responsible for alleviating stress and pain are called Beta-endorphins. There are many different types of “feel good” hormones that play a role in reducing feelings of anxiety on top of endorphins however they all function in different ways. 

Dopamine’s role in the body links to how you feel pleasure and creates feelings of reward which can lead to high motivation and a feeling described post exercise as a ‘runner’s high’. This feeling of a runner’s high is expressed as a short lasting euphoric feeling following exercise. Dopamine accompanies endorphins to trigger happy emotions and reduce feelings of anxiety. These two hormones work together to send messages between nerve cells to contribute to feelings of happiness and satisfaction. 

By exercising, regularly, endorphins and dopamine can be released to balance and maintain steady hormone levels that can be beneficial to your emotional regulation and stress levels. This can impact your day to day life and raise your potential whilst working at school. Exercising can boost productivity and happiness as well as promote longevity.

Although an individual does not have full power over their hormones, you can certainly do things to trigger a more positive response and turn feelings of anxiety and stress into happiness and pleasure, which boosts mood and productivity. So, time to lace up your running shoes and brighten your own day.

Bibliography

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