Whenever I go to the tattoo parlor, I feel an immense adrenaline rushing through my body, and with each tattoo, I feel happier than ever…I feel reborn.
But tattoo parlors aren’t the only places that trigger that feeling in me. The sound of underground raves banging in the distance, laying on the sun, and riding my bike through wild forests can also make me feel “high on life.”
Today we are going to talk about happy chemicals & tattoos. You might have heard of serotonin…or you might have not. Well, what if I told you that having a great flow of serotonin in your brain is one of the quickest and simplest ways to positively influence how your brain functions?
This article explains what serotonin is and what it does to our brain when triggered. Plus, we will look at some of the coolest serotonin tattoo designs to get your happy chemicals flowing. I believe that tattooing can boost a person’s serotonin levels, at least I feel that way each time I am getting a tattoo. Now let’s go and meet this happy chemical, shall we?
Serotonin: The So-Called Happy Chemical
Serotonin is to the brain what eating, moving, and hydrating properly is to the body. It is an essential building block of good brain function and maintenance. It’s a mood regulator that gives us a feeling of wellbeing, mental focus, and happiness — hence the reason for the nickname “the happy chemical.” But that’s not all, serotonin impacts sleep, sexual desire, eating, digestion, bone health, and communication in the nervous system.
Serotonin & the Brain
Yup, serotonin really gets around. The reason why serotonin helps us feel happy and in control is because it allows us to access the part of our brain that’s responsible for problem-solving behavior — the so-called intellectual brain. Broadly speaking, this intellectual brain is made up of the prefrontal cortex, along with the vast intellectual resource that stores all of our higher brain functions, along with the skills, strengths, and experiences that we’ve built up over a lifetime.
Serotonin is amazing at finding solutions to whatever comes our way — it’s rational, logical, creative, and really positive too. If you notice that your confidence is higher than usual, and you speak things like “I got this; Let’s get this challenge going; I will be the best on my job interview; Getting this tattoo won’t hurt a bit…etc,” then bravo to your serotonin levels, they are excellent!
In simple words, serotonin smooths out the edges of the negative things and gives us the ability to see the event from a logical standpoint. For example, don’t let people’s opinions stop you from getting a tattoo because even then you can always conceal your tattoo. Serotonin helps us solve problems and gives us the confidence to take action to improve our lives.
Serotonin Trigger
It’s easy to get the serotonin going — we simply have to focus on what’s been good and going well in our lives. Serotonin production can come by while doing the nice things in life. For me, those things are listening to techno music, drawing, dancing, going on a hike, riding my bike around town, watching anime…the list can go on and on.
However, if the things aren’t fulfilling you in any way, and you’re doing them just because, then don’t expect serotonin to knock on your doors. You don’t need to do something huge, but it does have to have significance for you and your well-being. For example, I was feeling super excited when writing about Gaara tattoo because I am currently binge-watching the Naruto series. The article didn’t felt like a job task, but rather something written from the heart.
Sadly serotonin doesn’t hang around in the brain for too long. We have to constantly trigger its appearance. As far as I know, there are two things that can increase the duration of serotonin: medication & exercise — and I choose the second one.
Serotonin Glitch
What interrupts the flow of serotonin? Well, some of the more illicit drugs that make people feel like they’re having the best time ever. They do so because they’re burning that person’s serotonin like a storm and they deplete them for days afterward — commonly known as comedown.
For most of us, the interruption is much more mundane, such as doing nothing. We all had that day when we watched rubbish TV and TikToks under the blanket. Well, we are probably not feeling better because of that day, for the simple reason that no activity equals no chemicals.
The other way to deplete serotonin is with stress or anxiety. That’s because releasing stress chemicals interrupts the uptake of serotonin. We feel like we know something good has happened but we don’t get that feeling that something good has happened.
In extremely stressful cases we have this huge rush of stress hormones that depletes serotonin for days at a time, making it really hard for us to get up on our feet. Because serotonin doesn’t last in the brain, you need to keep doing the good things to produce the serotonin, and you’ll also need to notice them too.
Serotonin Tattoo Designs
Now that we’ve learned all about serotonin, it’s time to look at some tattoo designs. Most of them, however, are minimalistic, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt if placed in some of the most painful places to get a tattoo.
Don’t worry tho because there are many spots on the body where a serotonin tattoo won’t hurt a bit. Let’s check all of them & pick the best spot for your next custom tattoo design.
Serotonin Back Arm Tattoo
Serotonin Rib Tattoo
Serotonin Underboob Tattoo
Serotonin Wrist Tattoo
Serotonin Leg Tattoo
Serotonin Inner Bicep Tattoo
Serotonin Chest Tattoo
Serotonin Ankle Tattoo
Serotonin Inner Forearm Tattoo
Serotonin Face Tattoo
Serotonin Back Tattoo
Serotonin Outer Forearm Tattoo
Serotonin Shoulder Tattoo
Serotonin Hip tattoo
Final Thoughts: Hack Your Brain, Get a Serotonin Tattoo
I hope that this article has triggered happy chemicals in your brain, that was my intention all along. However, I believe that even after reading this post, some people will still feel uneasy. Life is hard, I get it. A tattoo will hide the wound, but it won’t solve the problem. That’s why I want to finish this article by addressing those who can’t get their mood up that easily.
You’re going to be OK. Maybe not this second or this month, but things will come around soon. Remember that nothing stays the same. You simply have to hang in there till the good times come. Meanwhile, prepare a cup of coffee, a beer, or roll a joint and be thankful for the highs, the lows, the blessings, the lessons, the setbacks, the comebacks…be thankful for everything.
