endorphins

Cultural  

1. Substances produced by the brain that have painkilling and tranquillizing effects on the body. Endorphins are thought to be similar to morphine and are usually released by the brain during times of extreme body stress. The release of endorphins may explain why trauma victims sometimes cannot feel the pain associated with their injuries.

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Example Sentences

Cardio is not just good for my heart, but is a great emotional release and gets my endorphins going.

From The Wall Street Journal

I tend toward depression and anxiety, so dancing is an easy way to immediately get your endorphins and it doesn’t feel like as much of a demand as going for a jog.

From Los Angeles Times

For Bruckner, rising melodic scales, humongous fanfares with trumpets and horns and Wagner tubas galore and repeated patterns over and over by an unstoppable orchestra serve as injections of musical endorphins.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's something about sweating, being uncomfortable and the endorphins it releases."

From BBC

The neurochemicals involved in this process are different than those mediating habit formation and include a chemical messenger called noradrenaline and internally produced opioids such as endorphins.

From Salon