Some years earlier, I had had an epiphany when studying the science of love. I understood that our need for love stems from the fact that a happy relationship gives us the optimal amount of “happy hormones”, in other words dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins.

This basic state allows us to feel peaceful and safe. It helps us sleep better and protects us against stress and a number of illnesses. Our minds are clear and our fears are more easily kept at bay.

How to reach this balanced state without a relationship? I decided to experiment on how to optimise the stream of love hormones without romance.

The first step was stopping and listening to myself. Who am I and what really matters to me? What were my childhood dreams and what would I do if money wasn’t an obstacle? What would I like to add to my everyday life and where do I see myself five years from now?

I noticed that I need a sense of community and a team spirit to boost my serotonin and oxytocin levels in my day-to-day life. The sources of endorphins I craved the most were up-tempo workouts, dancing and music.

I longed for competition and performing as a way to boost my dopamine levels. Above all else, I wanted to finally take that big step and launch a business.

After some soul-searching and making lists, I gradually started to increase these factors in my everyday life. Small changes had an impact on my well-being and released energy for larger steps.

This positive cycle helped me reach a point where my everyday life finally felt so good and balanced that it actually worried me for a while. Would there even be room for romance now? Luckily, my hypothesis stated that a healthy balance of love hormones would invite more love.

Romance came into my life when I least expected it. When writing this article, I feel deeply grateful for the fact that life takes us exactly where we need to go as long as we listen to ourselves and have faith in our dreams.

When life feels heavy, think about the little things that could boost your happiness and gratitude. It is possible to set a positive cycle in motion through the power of thought. It can take us to places we perhaps never even dared to dream of.