My Natural Highs

Hey guys!

So before I discuss my own natural highs I want to tell people what a natural high even is.

Urban dictionary describes them as 'A state of being in an extraordinarily happy mood or being 'high' without drugs or alcohol.' It's the fact that doing things you enjoy releases natural feel-good chemicals in the brain like dopamine, which regulates movement, emotion, motivation and pleasure.

Basically it's feeling good without drugs or alcohol and it's easier than you think.

Reasons that natural highs are better than artificial ones;

-There are no side effects- there are no harmful consequences like there is with artificial highs, making you and your body feel better. In fact natural highs actually give a positive effect on your mental health in the long term too!

- Natural highs last longer- As I said in my previous post, whats the point of a few hours of feeling good using artificial highs, when you spend the next day feeling like you're at deaths door? Natural highs last as long as you want them too and you can also replicate this again as many times as you want. Whereas with alcohol and drugs replication to feel good can lead to severe addiction. So natural highs can be reproduced easily without addiction.

- Chemicals in drugs and alcohol drop functions in the brain and body meaning you're not in control anymore. It also loses mental control which in the long term damages you both emotionally and physically.

So now onto my Natural Highs. I did a lot of thinking about this and realised I have more than I thought.

The first one is very broad and it's simply creativity. I've always been really creative and it's something that I still love doing. Whether it's through drawing and DIY or through my photography and making my YouTube videos, I still get the same feelings. When you are proud of something that you've created you get a warm fuzzy feeling, a euphoric feeling and there's nothing better. It gets even nicer when you get compliments on something that you made, making a natural high.

The second one is music. It's such a simple one yet so important to me. I don't think I go a day without listening to music and I have such a varied taste in music because if I hear a song where I like the music or the lyrics I'll keep on listening to it no matter what the style. It goes from pop music, dance music, punk music, old music, and all in between. When you are down and listen to that one song that lifts your spirits, it's amazing how great it can make you feel. I don't know how it happens but it just makes you feel good. When I went to V-Festival I experienced a natural high myself. I was on top of my friends shoulders, above a crowd of thousands of people, listening to my favourite music being sung. My friends were laughing and singing around me and even though it was freezing, it was one of the best feelings of my life.

Obviously one of the easiest natural highs is hanging around with the people that make you smile, whether that's friends or family. There's no better feeling than when you're laughing with the people you care about and it can cheer you up so easily when you're down. I know being around people when you're in a bad mood doesn't appeal to people but it really does make you feel better. Or the warm feeling of have a deep connection with someone, you just can't beat it.

And lastly is quite a strange one that I haven't really seen before but it's visiting beautiful places. I've stood in front of a view before that's so mind blowing I just stand there with my mouth open. And somehow it makes me feel good inside. Taking in your surroundings and visiting new places is so important when finding your natural high and I guess just looking at a beautiful creation makes me feel this way.

The remarkable part of natural highs is that they come from inside. You are the originator of your own personal exhilaration and you are the sole one who can experience this high.

I hope this gave you a better insight into natural highs, and how they can actually effect you for the better.

As always join us at Natural High or keep up to date with our social media sites by using the tag #TheNaturalHighProject. Also tweet me 0SarahHelene0 for a chance to be featured in my next blog post!

Stay Happy

Sarah