California Baptist University students find happiness in different ways, from spending time with others to volunteering, listening to music and practicing their faith. While happiness can come from many experiences, chemicals in the brain, including serotonin, play a role in regulating mood.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in several functions throughout the body, including sleep, appetite, memory and mood. It is often associated with happiness, but its role in the body is more complex than simply causing someone to feel happy.
According to the National Library of Medicine, serotonin plays a significant role in the nervous system and influences mood.
“In the brain, serotonin changes mood, anxiety, and happiness by increasing nerve stimulation and electrical impulses,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Students have their own ways of finding moments of happiness and calm in their daily lives.
Leia Toki, junior music major, finds happiness through activities that help her connect with others and step outside herself.
“What I do is, I also volunteer at a lot of church events, hospitals, or community events,” Toki said.
Toki also spends time reading her Bible and listening to music when she needs an opportunity to step away from distractions.
“I feel like my mind is very loud at times, and it’s hard to separate myself from the world, especially in church. Like it’s hard to forget about certain things and just allow yourself to be in control of your own emotions and your mind. And I think music does that,” Toki said.
For other students, happiness comes from the relationships they have with the people around them.
Nohealani Gutierrez, freshman kinesiology major, enjoys spending time with friends who bring positivity into her life.
“We’re very creative and they’re super outgoing, and they always bring a smile to my face no matter what they say or do. I’m always just so happy to be around them,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also values finding ways to show care for the people in her life.
“I gave my mom flowers because it’s her year of being free from trigeminal neuralgia. So she had surgeries, and it was rough to see her go through that, especially during my senior year,” Gutierrez said.
For students such as Toki and Gutierrez, happiness can be found through relationships, service, music, faith and small acts of kindness. While serotonin plays a role in regulating mood, students experience happiness through the people, activities and moments that bring meaning to their daily lives.
