Serotonin: the chemical of connection & contentment

I used to think a good mood just happened—and if it didn’t, I was stuck.

I’d wake up, scan my internal state, and let that decide my day.

• Good mood? Lace up for a run, make a nice breakfast, text a friend.

• Low mood? Skip the workout, dive straight into email, postpone plans “until I feel like it.”

It took a lot of trial and error to realize I had the sequence backwards. Moving my body, proper food, a catch-up with a friend—those are the levers that create the good mood.

Now, I try make this my default cycle:

• Eat well → feel better → have energy to work

• Move my body → mood rises → relationships feel easier

• See friends → serotonin spikes → motivation returns

Doesn’t mean it’s easy though. I fall back into the old cycle regularly. “I don’t have time to go for lunch today.”

Or “I wasted too much time today so now I need to cancel dinner so I can catch up tonight.”

Yet every single time I go for lunch and see a friend, even if it feels uncomfortable to step away from work, I come back feeling reset and refreshed.

The molecule at the center of that loop is serotonin—our brain’s built-in signal for calm, contentment, and steady confidence. Today’s deep-dive is about how to engineer that loop so good moods become the rule, not the rare exception.

Serotonin: what do we need to know?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (and hormone) crucial for mood regulation, motivation, and many bodily functions. In the brain, serotonin is called a natural “feel-good” chemical because normal levels promote emotional stability, happiness, and calm focus.

Serotonin’s effects often contrast with dopamine:

• Dopamine drives motivation, craving, and reward-seeking, focusing you on external goals.

• Serotonin fosters contentment and being present, focusing on internal well-being.

Dopamine is about pursuing what’s next and pushing through challenges (drive), while serotonin is about appreciating what you have and enjoying the process (satisfaction).

High achievers often run on dopamine and adrenaline – chasing goals, meeting deadlines – but to avoid burnout and anxiety, it’s crucial to incorporate serotonin-driven balance.

You absolutely need both in your system in order to do great work - and do it over long periods of time.

The research is undeniably clear on this.

Real, sustainable, long-term high performance has nothing to do with giving 200% at all times.

If anything, that’s a recipe for burnout.

Productivity and creativity are highest when you learn to oscillate between states of drive and states of satisfaction.

By implementing the tools in this deep-dive, you create a self-sustaining cycle:

Intense focus & effort 🔁 connection & recovery

This cycle is what keeps you effective over the long term without burning out.

So now, let’s look at a series of simple tools and habits to manage your serotonin levels across 3 levels:

• 📈 Baseline: The everyday serotonin stack

• 🧰 Directed: Quick mood shifters

• 👩‍💻 Task-Oriented: Workflow for calm productivity

📈 Baseline: The everyday serotonin stack

Morning sunlight

• There’s a reason neuroscientist Andrew Huberman keeps repeating morning sunlight as one of the fastest levers for mood and energy, as it directly impacts hormones and neuromodulators like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

• Get outside within the first 2 hours of waking.

• Sunlight stimulates serotonin production and stabilizes your circadian rhythm.

• Even 10 minutes makes a difference (will need a bit longer when it’s cloudy!)

Tryptophan-rich food

• Serotonin is made from tryptophan. You need to get it from food like eggs, turkey, fish, oats, seeds, and bananas. Pair that with omega-3s (salmon, chia, walnuts) to boost serotonin signaling.

• Crazy fact: at least 90% of your serotonin is created in the gut, so your gut health can dramatically influence your mood. Research suggests getting more probiotics in your diet may increase tryptophan in your blood, helping more of it to reach your brain. You can take probiotic supplements, or eat probiotic-rich foods, like natural yogurt and fermented foods.

Daily movement

• Exercise boosts serotonin and makes your receptors more responsive to it.

• Aerobic exercises – like brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming – are especially effective in elevating serotonin and endorphins.

• It doesn’t have to be intense. A 30-minute walk will do more for your mood than a scroll or a snack.

Social connection

• Humans are wired for serotonin through contact and community.

• Hugs, shared meals, meaningful conversations—these aren't luxuries or “only when there’s time.” They're absolutely necessary for stable and good moods. Even small moments of warmth count.

🧰 Directed: Quick mood shifters

Step outside

• Nature works fast. Just 10–15 minutes of greenery exposure can lower cortisol and elevate serotonin.

• A tree, a park bench, even looking at a plant photo helps.

Touch and affection

• Hug someone you trust (ideally 6+ seconds - science says!) or cuddle a pet. Even self-touch counts.

• Touch releases oxytocin, which unlocks serotonin’s effects. It’s quick, potent medicine.

• Give a compliment or express gratitude. This isn’t fluffy. Research shows it activates serotonin-rich circuits—especially when it’s genuine and specific.

Music and laughter

• A song you love. A silly video. A quick dance break.

• These are fast routes to elevated mood via serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins.

👩‍💻 Task-Oriented: Workflow for calm productivity

Respect your daily rhythm

If you have the flexibility to structure your day, this is how it works for most people:

• Morning = dopamine & adrenaline dominant → use it for execution and problem-solving

• Afternoon = rising serotonin → perfect for reflection, collaboration, creativity

Serotonin-boosting breaks

• Every 90 minutes, take 5–10 minutes for a serotonin reset.

• Breathe. Stretch. Look at trees. Chat with or hug someone.

• Even if you work solo, weave in moments of connection. A quick message or a voice note, a shared laugh.

• These pauses don’t slow you down, they refuel your brain.

Celebrate small wins

• Each time you finish a task, pause and acknowledge it. Tick the box. Let yourself feel it.

• That’s how you build serotonin alongside dopamine—motivation and satisfaction.

Wind down deliberately

• At day’s end, shift into a serotonin-dominant state.

• Journal, walk, breathe, stretch, hang out with friends and family. Let your body know it’s safe to rest.

• This replenishes you for the next push.

Greater ease, creativity and contentment

These tools like morning sunlight, nature, social connection - they’re not just soft nice-to-haves, or for people with more free time on their hands.

They are direct levers to modulate your neurochemistry for peak performance and contentment.

By actively managing your serotonin, alongside dopamine and adrenaline, you’ll find you can achieve your ambitious goals with greater ease, creativity, and playfulness along the way.

This is definitely a lesson I have to learn over and over and over again.

The reason why this newsletter is a few days late: I’ve been overplaying my dopamine system and haven’t left enough time for rest and recovery, so the last few days, I felt kinda… flat. Unmotivated. (Potentially maybe even cried a bit). So I’ve disconnected for 3 days - lots of outside time, hugs with my girlfriend, seeing friends, listening to music. Feeling much better already!

Next up, the last chemical in this series:

Cortisol – the misunderstood stress chemical (and how to work with it, not against it).

Thanks for being here!

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