Most people think of financial planning as a source of stress. If this is you, I have news for you: you have it ALL wrong. Creating and following a financial plan is a great way to REDUCE your stress. In fact, financial planning activities are guaranteed to release the four key hormones that are all related to feelings of happiness and well being.
What Are Happiness Hormones?
Happiness hormones are chemicals in the brain that play a key role in regulating mood, emotions, and feelings of well-being. The four main happiness hormones are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Each of these chemicals contributes to happiness in different ways: dopamine is linked to pleasure and reward, serotonin stabilizes mood and promotes feelings of calm, oxytocin fosters connection and trust, and endorphins act as natural painkillers, boosting mood during physical activity.
These hormones are released in response to various stimuli, such as achieving goals, social bonding, exercise, and even financial security. Activities that promote the release of these hormones—such as managing stress, setting and achieving goals, building strong relationships, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle—can significantly enhance overall happiness and mental well-being.
You can release these hormones through financial planning. Not so sure? Keep reading to learn exactly how creating and managing a financial plan can immediately boost your happiness and keep you feeling good in the long term.
Dopamine and Your Financial Goals
Dopamine is a chemical messenger that flows through your nervous system. When dopamine is released in your body, it creates feelings of pleasure. These feelings can be very motivating.
This hormone is associated with motivation and reward. So, when you set up an exciting or important goal, you get a boost of dopamine. And, as you get close to achieving that goal, you get an even bigger dose of pleasure.
Setting financial goals and monitoring your progress toward those goals is a key aspect of financial planning and a sure way to release dopamine and happiness.
The Boldin Retirement Planner is a great way to:
- Create a plan (get a boost of dopamine)
- Find ways to improve your finances (release more dopamine)
- Monitor and stay on track toward financial wellness (be awash in a continuous stream of dopamine whenever you log in)
Seratonin and Financial Anxiety
Seratonin is considered a natural mood stabilizer. It reduces depression and regulates anxiety. One thing that can boost seratonin in your body is having a true feeling of confidence.
Feeling bad about your finances can trap you in a cycle of anxiety.
As you take steps to get your arms around your current and future financial situation, you will be able to release seratonin and feel better about your money – increasing your overall well being.
Just having a written financial plan is a proven way to feel confident about where you are financially now and where you want to be in the future.
Oxytocin – Trust and Connection
Oxytocin is often called the love hormone. It is involved in childbirth, breastfeeding, sexual activity, empathy, trust and social connection.
The hormone has been described as “an important component of a complex neurochemical system that allows the body to adapt to highly emotive situations.” For better or worse, money can be emotive in good ways and bad.
You can potentially release oxytocin by increasing trust and social connection:
Trust
Loretta Breuning, the author of Habits of a Happy Brain, says that “Social trust is what triggers oxytocin. If you hug someone you don’t trust, it doesn’t feel good. Trust comes first.”
Trust is difficult when it comes to money. Research has shown that financial services is the least trusted services sector. One of the problems is that most people simply don’t have enough knowledge to be able to trust advice from financial providers. Furthermore, many (but certainly not all) advisors are self serving.
Being able to track and manage your own financial plan with a tool like the Boldin Retirement Planner is one way to build trust. You can assess any advice you are given by plugging it into the system and seeing the implications for yourself. This can help you gain trust in advisors, articles, and yourself.
Social Connection
We hear it all the time, I don’t like to talk about money with friends and family. This tendancy to keep financial stress to yourself can be hurting you in numerous ways. Breuning says that, “You can build social trust by taking small positive steps toward people.”
Maybe you would like to try the Boldin Facebook group where people can post their financial questions to a supportive group of people interested in strengthening their financial plans.
Endorphins
Endorphins are mostly released in response to a physical experience. Endorphins are the happiness hormones most closely associated with exercise and laughter.
So, there might not be a direct connection to creating and maintaining a financial plan and the release of endorphins, but you are sure to feel more delight and be better equipped for laughter and joy with such a plan.
Think of your financial and retirement plans as the roadmap to a blissful future full of such endorphins.
Boost Financial Security and Happiness with Your Plan
Financial planning does more than secure your future—it can also enhance your emotional well-being by boosting happiness hormones like dopamine and serotonin. By reducing stress around money, providing a sense of control, and helping achieve long-term goals, a solid financial plan fosters feelings of accomplishment and security – use the Boldin Retirement Planner now for happiness and financial security.
A plan enables peace of mind so you can focus on enjoying life.
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