From Fear to Freedom – Step by Step, Beat by Beat

Harnessing your neurotransmitters: Learning about how you can have happy brain chemicals despite having a cardiac event.

Today we are talking about Cortisol & Adrenaline and Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins & Oxytocin, and the role they play in keeping you safe and happy. You can live your life happy after a heart attack or heart surgery.

Don’t worry, this will not be a heavily scientific article! Just having some knowledge about how these hormones work within our bodies and significantly influence our physical and mental health is enough to help.

After you’ve experienced a cardiac trauma, you can drift in and out of different feelings, worries, and anxieties, all of which, not that you know it at the time, are heavily influenced by these hormones. Knowing how each of the hormones works and what you can do to control the level of these different hormones is key to improving your life, feeling happy, and reducing your risk factors.

There are some hormones that you need to keep in check and some that you can boost within yourself. You may need to read this more than once but bear with it because this knowledge alone can instantly boost your mood!

Cortisol and Adrenaline: The Stress Hormones

When we talk about stress, two key neurotransmitters take centre stage: cortisol and adrenaline. These are often called the stress hormones – and for good reason. They work hand in hand to prepare your body to respond to danger or challenge, also known as the “fight or flight” response.

Cortisol: The Steady Controller

Cortisol is the main hormone that manages your mood, motivation, and sense of alertness. It’s produced by your adrenal glands after receiving signals from your brain, particularly when you experience stress, fear, or uncertainty.

After a cardiac event, it’s completely normal for cortisol levels to rise. Your body is reacting to trauma, trying to protect you by keeping you alert and ready to respond.

Cortisol increases the amount of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream, giving your brain and body quick access to energy. It also helps direct resources to areas that need repair and recovery, an important part of healing after a major health scare.

However, when cortisol stays high for too long, it can keep your body in a constant state of vigilance. Over time, this can affect your mood, sleep, and even your immune and digestive systems.

Adrenaline: The Immediate Responder

At the same time cortisol is released, your body also triggers a surge of adrenaline, the hormone responsible for that sudden burst of energy and alertness. Adrenaline works quickly, preparing you to take action in the face of perceived danger.

You might recognise the signs:

• Increased heart rate – your heart pounds faster to pump oxygen-rich blood to your muscles.
• Heightened senses – you become more alert and aware of your surroundings.
• A burst of energy – your body feels ready to move, act, or defend itself.
• Reduced pain perception – pain signals are temporarily muted so you can stay focused.

Adrenaline also raises your blood pressure and blood sugar levels to fuel your brain and muscles. At the same time, your body temporarily slows digestion and immune functions to save energy for immediate survival.

This reaction is helpful in short bursts — but when stress becomes ongoing, those same responses can take a toll on your heart and overall wellbeing.

Finding Balance After Stress

So, you can safely say that controlling the amount of cortisol you produce is vital to your recovery.

The best way to do that is, of course, to relax — but relaxation isn’t just about lying still or switching off. It’s about helping your body feel safe again. Simple steps like deep breathing, resting, and talking things through with a friend or family member can make a real difference. Taking time to process what’s happened and move towards acceptance is one of the most healing steps you can take after your heart event.

Cortisol is the hormone you don’t want too much of in your system – but that raises a positive question:

✨ What hormones actually improve your health and mood?
✨ What can you do to naturally increase the “happy hormones” your body produces?

Well, let’s find out what they are…

Dopamine: The Reward Hormone

Dopamine plays a vital role in your brain. It is the hormone that is released when you are doing something that you love to do, learning something, or eating something you love to eat.

So, for instance, if you know that you are going away for the weekend with a loved one or have a treat waiting for after lunch, you feel happy knowing that you have a reward waiting for you. It can make you feel more motivated and focused, which is essential in your everyday life.

Dopamine also supports blood flow, which can indirectly affect heart and kidney functions, and it helps boost your mood.

It can be terribly distressing and disappointing if the hotel you’ve chosen, double books and you have to cancel, or you find out the treat you desired was left at home. The brain craves a reward even more, which can leave you feeling quite low.

After a heart attack or surgery, getting back to being yourself and the things you loved to do is your brain’s way of craving that reward and making you focus on getting back to it. The mind body connection is trying to achieve homeostasis.

It’s not about the having, it’s about the thought of having and moving closer to achieving it.

So, how can you get this back?

Well, if the things you love to do are parachuting out of a plane, then you may need to find some other hobby that can give you the same rewarding effect. Finding out what this is can be rewarding in itself.

Setting and achieving goals can also increase dopamine levels. When you are moving toward and accomplishing a goal, it creates a sense of satisfaction and reward, which increases dopamine levels. So maybe it is time to learn a new hobby!

If you’re looking for ideas about new hobbies, 
I have compiled a list of over 200 activities for you to explore.
You can find them here! 

You can also increase the levels of dopamine by eating food with the amino acid tyrosine (which eventually becomes dopamine in your brain). Examples include oily fish, poultry, and some seeds. Exercising can also help increase dopamine levels.

Meditation has also been shown to increase dopamine levels in the brain. It can also reduce stress and anxiety.

Serotonin: The Mood Regulator

A lot like dopamine, serotonin is also a feel-good hormone. It is, however, produced mostly in your gut, and helps aid digestion, regulate your mood, and help with memory and sleep. So you can safely say it’s very much needed in recovery!

Keeping calm and feeling relaxed will help reduce the risk factors, and I don’t need to remind you how important a good night’s sleep is to aid recovery. It can be a stressful and frustrating time dealing with the aftermath of a cardiac event, so boosting serotonin levels will help keep you calm.

How can you boost your serotonin?

• Serotonin is produced from an amino acid called tryptophan. Foods rich in tryptophan include salmon, eggs, pineapple, and tofu.
• Probiotic drinks may help support gut health, which can influence serotonin production.
• Exercise, getting outside, and early morning sunlight are great mood boosters.
• Practising gratitude helps by focusing on the things you’re grateful for, increasing feelings of happiness and contentment.
• Chronic stress can deplete serotonin levels. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.

Oxytocin: The Love Hormone

Remember the fluttery feeling you got when you first met your partner, or the instant bond you had with your child when they were born, or even the warm feeling you get when your pet comes to greet you at the door? Yes, this is the effect of oxytocin.

This hormone is produced in the pituitary gland in the brain. It is another mood booster, as when you feel love, you feel happiness. It can also promote relaxation and social bonding, which may support heart health.

So again, you need this in your life to de-stress, reconnect with your friends, family, partner, and even your own body.

Ways to increase oxytocin:

• Be close to someone you love – cuddle your partner, parent or child.
• Spend time with family and friends – remember to give them a hug.
• Pet your dog, cat, or another animal.
• Physical touch, such as hugging, holding hands, or giving a massage, can increase oxytocin levels. I sometimes massage my own hands or give myself a hug   not the same as from someone else, but it helps.
• Giving or receiving compliments can boost oxytocin.
• When you feel up to it, sex is an instant oxytocin booster.
• Exercise, enjoyable activities, and a diet rich in vitamins (like fish, dairy, spinach, and leeks) help.
• Listening to music or singing has been shown to boost oxytocin levels, especially in social settings.

Endorphins: The Pain Reliever

Endorphins are hormones released in the brain when you feel stressed or in pain. They are your body’s natural way of making you feel better. Even though you must take your medication after a heart diagnosis or cardiac event, boosting your endorphins can improve your healing process.

How do they do this?

Endorphins reduce the perception of pain in your nervous system. For example, if you have a pulled muscle, doing some light stretching can release endorphins, making the pain feel less intense.

Yes, more exercise! Exercise is one of the best ways to release endorphins. You may have heard about the “high” feeling people get after a run, that’s endorphins at work.

Spending time outside in daylight, laughing with friends, listening to music, and even eating dark chocolate can also boost endorphins.

Not only are they natural pain relievers, but they also boost your mood. Anything you can do to improve mental health is a bonus.

You Can Live Your Life Happy After a Heart Attack or Heart Surgery

As I have hopefully explained, the main thing you need to do to boost your happy hormones and decrease stress hormones is to be kind to yourself above all else.

Don’t push yourself if you aren’t ready, and don’t put yourself under too much pressure to get back to how you were before. Learn more about what your body is telling you now and work with it to get back to a form of normality and even learn new things about yourself.

Overall, I would say to speak to your doctor before doing anything significant that may impact your heart health and share your thoughts and feelings with your loved ones. And as always, I am here.

Read the book, Habits of a Happy Brain

Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels Paperback – by Loretta Graziano Breuning

Get ready to boost your happiness in just 45 days! .

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