Balance Your Brain: Natural Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

August 25, 2025

By Brandy Lehman, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Hoping for a natural way to improve your mental health? Look no further than those busy little messengers in your brain called neurotransmitters.

We all have them, but what are they and what do they do? Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers our bodies rely on to facilitate communication between the brain and the rest of our nervous system. These chemical mailmen play a critical role in transmitting signals that influence our mood, emotions, and brain functions. When it comes to mental health, four of the most important neurotransmitters are dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine.

When these four chemicals are balanced, life is good! Our mood is balanced, we are more focused and motivated, and we feel calmer. But when these neurotransmitters get unbalanced, well… that’s when we struggle. Depressed mood, energy, motivation, anxiety, and more. As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, I can help people use medications – in combination with counseling – to help get those neurotransmitters regulated. It’s just as important, though, to remember that there are many tools available to you, either on their own or in addition to professional help. These tools can naturally help boost your neurotransmitters through lifestyle changes that provide powerful results to our overall mental health and quality of life.

Let’s take a look at each of the four neurotransmitters, their primary purpose, and discuss a few natural ways to boost their effectiveness in our brains.

Serotonin: “The Mood Stabilizer” – happiness, calm, sleep, and digestion

Sunlight: only 15-30 minutes a day can help boost serotonin production and naturally reset our circadian rhythm, our body’s internal clock system.
Food: eating foods rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that our bodies cannot produce on our own, can help to regulate mood and sleep. These foods include turkey, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Movement: this does not have to be hours of cardio or weights, simply walking, light jogging, or yoga can be effective in boosting our serotonin levels.
Practice: gratitude journals and mindfulness practices have both been shown to raise serotonin levels.

Dopamine: “The Motivator” – focus, motivation, reward, and pleasure

Food: eating protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, beans, and lentils can increase amino acids in the brain boosting dopamine levels.
Exercise: even just 20 minutes a day can help – find an activity you love, and it won’t feel like exercise, just move your body!
Goals + music: set and complete small achievable goals while listening to your favorite music – both of these actions have been shown to successfully increase your dopamine levels.
Sleep: make it a priority, dopamine levels reset overnight and managing dopamine levels can enhance sleep quality. This reduces the risk of sleep disturbance.

GABA: “The Calmer” – relaxation, stress relief, reduction in anxiety

Practice techniques like deep breathing, meditation, gentle yoga to increase GABA in the body.
Drink calming teas including chamomile or green tea to boost L-theanine levels which enhance sleep quality.
Eat foods that support gut health including yogurt or fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi. These foods increase along with magnesium rich foods like spinach and almonds increase GABA production in the body. Dark chocolate counts too!

Norepinephrine: “The Energizer” – alertness, energy, attention, and stress response

Exercise: short bursts like interval training or just a brisk walk stimulates norepinephrine.
Cold water rinse: finish your hot shower with 30 seconds of cold water to stimulate norepinephrine release.
Goals: goal setting and visualizing you completing your goals to boost focus and drive.
The right foods: foods rich in tyrosine like bananas, avocados, and almonds to support norepinephrine production.

If you do not consume enough amino acids in your diet, over-the counter supplements can help:

GABA can reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve sleep quality. It also promotes relaxation, helping the body reduce the stress response.
L-Theanine is calming and can enhance dopamine and serotonin levels, improving memory during stressful times.
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and influence mood.
Probiotics help reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
Vitamin D can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve cognitive functioning, and increase serotonin for mood stability.

The Bottom Line

Small lifestyle shifts can make a big difference in providing powerful, natural support for your mental health. Below are a few more easy-to-make suggestions for change:

Eat to fuel your mood – protein-rich foods first thing in the morning give your brain the building blocks it needs for dopamine and serotonin. Add in Omega-3’s to help your brain receive these neurotransmitters smoothly.
Delay your first cup of morning coffee – until you have had some protein, fiber, and Vitamin C. Caffeine increases cortisol levels, which are already naturally high in the morning. Delaying your first cup of coffee helps your body receive a more natural energy boost.
Drink – water is crucial for mental health to support brain function, mood regulation, neurotransmitter production, and decrease feelings of anxiety and stress.
Move – exercise has been called a natural antidepressant. Consistency is what matters here. Walk, dance, yoga, stretch, or run a marathon…just do something!
Nature – spending time outdoors has been shown to dramatically reduce the levels of hormones that cause stress and anxiety. Even small amounts of time in nature can boost mental clarity, focus, creativity, and emotional well-being.
Sun & Sleep – sunlight boosts serotonin, the mood balancer…and when paired with quality sleep, your brain can get the reset it needs to promote harmony in your body.
Relax – humans are always on the go, go, go…take time to relax and deep breathe. This helps increase GABA, which promotes calmness and can quiet that racing mind.
Connect & Create – spend time with the people or animals you love in your life. Laughing boosts dopamine and endorphins, which are medicine for your brain!

💬 Need Help Managing Your Mental Health?

Whether you’re considering medication or want to explore a more holistic approach to your mental health, our experts are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.