Somewhere along the road, we learned that happiness was a destination. Have you ever found yourself thinking that you'll be happy once you make that move, change jobs, lose 15lbs, or find the perfect relationship? The truth is that happiness is not an outcome, circumstance, or the byproduct of an achievement. Happiness is actually a spiritual habit we need to consistently practice and a chemical reaction in the body.

Rather than waiting for the destination that doesn't come (or when it does, you're not as happy as you thought you would be), here are the essential pieces of happiness that you can bio-hack today, tomorrow, and every minute of the rest of your life. PS, I've included both physical components (chemical reactions) and a more spiritual approach because different things work for different people. However, you may notice the overlap: spiritual practices release happy chemicals, and happy chemicals make us feel emotions like gratitude, connection, and fulfillment; our bodies and souls are inextricably linked. Use these tips, tricks, and practices every day to bio-hack your way to true, pure, and unconditional happiness.

Physically:

Serotonin

Known as the "happy hormone," it's also a neurotransmitter and helps regulate nerves, aids in sleep, and improves memory. It also is one of the mood-related chemicals/hormones that keeps depression and anxiety down. Keep in mind that about 90% of serotonin is made in the gut, not the brain, so start eating for happiness. To boost serotonin, try:

Breathwork
Spend enough time in sunlight
Eat probiotic-rich foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, etc.

Endorphins

Stimulates feelings of pleasure, well-being, and works as the body's built-in painkiller. These chemicals are secreted in response to stress and pain, which is why they're most commonly known from the endorphin-boost we get when lifting weights or doing cardio ("runner's high" is real!). However, our bodies don't have to be in stress or pain in order to release the feel-good chemical. To boost endorphins, try:

Laughing really hard (according to a study in 2006, even knowing that laughter is coming like starting a funny movie you love or before getting together with your funniest friend is enough to boost endorphins)
Exercising
Eating spicy foods (it's weird but true: hot chili peppers are one of the edible endorphin releasers)

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that's activated by reward circuits, AKA why likes on Instagram or chocolate cake can be addicting. It gets released whenever we experience immediate pleasure or feel reward, boosting our mood overall. It can also boost motivation and helps improve emotional responses. People with "addictive personalities" actually are more likely to have lower levels of dopamine, because they're constantly trying to boost dopamine levels. To boost dopamine, try:

Sex
Eating a square of dark chocolate
Listening to music (studies have found that listening to music increases activity in the reward/pleasure centers of the brain which are dopamine receptors)

Oxytocin

Known as the "love hormone," it's actually a hormone and a neuropeptide that is most commonly associated with bonding. We often think of oxytocin as it's related to romantic love (it's what's released in the brain that gives the feeling of falling in love, and can be activated when kissing), but it's also a very maternal hormone. Mothers get a big hit of oxytocin when they breastfeed (which is why the painful experience can actually be pleasurable), and it's even responsible for contractions during birth. Crazy right? To boost oxytocin, try:

Snuggling and hugging (your pet counts!)
Practicing yoga
Getting a massage (besides just the release of tension in the muscles, oxytocin release is actually the reason we enjoy massages so much. PS giving a massage will release oxytocin too!)

Spiritually:

Gratitude

Happiness is not a circumstance; it's a skill. And how do you work that skill? By being grateful for what you currently have, rather than thinking you'll be happy only when you've achieved the perfect job, home, relationship, body, etc. Gratitude will help you feel more positive emotions, enjoy good experiences, build strong relationships, and improve your health. To boost gratitude, try:

Saying "thank you" more often (try at least once everyday, and then increase)
Writing down one new thing that you're grateful for before you go to bed (thinking of a new thing will make you seek what you're grateful for throughout the day)
Whenever you feel worry, stress, annoyance, or inconvenience, replacing the thought with gratitude instead

Empathy

Often the most overlooked factor of happiness, we can't feel true, lasting happiness unless we've mastered the skill of getting outside ourselves and caring about other people. Not only does empathy increase our feelings of connection with others, but we can also use other people's positive feelings to increase our own. To boost empathy, try:

Asking questions about other people's lives more than you talk about yourself
Helping someone else whenever you feel down: donate money to an organization or check in with a friend to see how they are
Seeing every person as someone to learn from, and making a goal to better understand perspectives that are not your own

Self-Love

Now that we've touched on external factors, it's time to work on internal factors. When you have self-love, you protect yourself, seek out what makes you feel good, and treat yourself well–all things that automatically make you happier. Similar to gratitude, self-love doesn't happen when you've achieved the "ideal" job, body, or life. To boost self-love, try:

Keeping promises to yourself. Work out when you say you will, eat what you say you will, and keep up healthy habits in order to proof to yourself that you deserve better
Connecting with your true self, knowing your body is just a physical space to you to live in for a while, and it doesn't deserve any more importance than that
Being someone you would like to be around: stop gossiping, treat other people well, make others laugh, and give compliments generously

Pleasure

Typically the one thing our modern culture misunderstands the most, we are constantly chasing instant gratification and mistaking it for pleasure. The definition of pleasure is actually a feeling of satisfaction and contentment; mindlessly snacking on potato chips or watching another hour of Netflix instead of going on the hike you planned isn't getting you closer to satisfaction and contentment. Instead, make decisions based on what truly feels pleasurable and don't wait to celebrate until significant milestones or the weekend–make every minute of every day more enjoyable. To boost pleasure, try:

Wearing your favorite lip color (even if you're staying at home), or throw on your fanciest dress for a casual dinner
Flirting more: with your significant other, with the grocer, in what you wear to bed, etc.
Turn "have-to's" into enjoyable moments, like lighting candles and playing music while you cook dinner, or DIYing a decadent latte and diffusing essential oils while you work