Happiness and You (Oxytocin)

Oxytocin is one of the major four chemical substances (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins, - DOSE) in the body that is related to happiness.

One may have thought that Oxytocin is only involved in pregnancy and breastfeeding, but it really has much contribution to happiness. 

Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter that is present in both males and females. It has been dubbed names such as "Love hormone", "Love and Trust hormone", "Cuddle hormone", and " Social bonding hormone". 

It's a social bonding hormone that supports love, trust and attachment between individuals, decreases fear and anxiety, increases pain threshold (makes it harder to feel pain), and promotes growth and healing.

During sexual stimulation and orgasm, one experiences that feeling of relief from stress, anxiety and tension. The credit goes to Oxytocin which is released in the process.

However, there are a lot of ways to get your body to release Oxytocin and get that good feeling and happiness. 

I think I would agree that "life is chemistry". Most times, one just needs to get the right reactants for the chemical reaction in other to obtain the desired product(s), at the same time avoiding adverse reactions and production of undesired, harmful product(s).

To boost your Oxytocin levels, here are some useful points:

1. Make more physical contacts with your partner and your friends. Hugs, kisses, cuddles, and massages, helps increase oxytocin levels. The happy feeling you get when you do these - that's from oxytocin. Hugging can help decrease one's blood pressure and heart rate as well.

2. Non-physical contact like eye contact with one's partner, looking at one's partner's face, saying lovely and positive things to your partner (such as 'I love you', etc.) and making positive statements and compliments to (or about) your friends and other persons, also boost one's oxytocin levels, and encourage that happy feeling. 

Also positive social media compliments, checking up on long distance friends (through calling them or paying them a visit), spending time with family and friends, engaging in a social activity with people such as playing games, watching movies, doing a task collectively are great ways of promoting happiness. They all boost the levels of the "social bonding hormone".

3. Personal creativity also helps boost oxytocin levels. One should do things he or she feels good and happy about doing. Pick a career you love, engage in activities that requires your skills and in which you can contribute. You know that great feeling you get when you're able to contribute to a purpose (just like the feeling I get by writing this). Also applaud and recognize the contributions of people and give positive commendations even when one is trying to contribute to a collective purpose but isn't able to do much or be as much effective as others.

4. Listening to people (which indicates interest in what they are saying), listening to music, smile and laughter also boost dopamine levels.

5. Exercise also helps. It could be a little one like taking a thirty minutes walk daily, especially doing so with a friend or company.

6. Meditation and Prayer also boosts oxytocin levels. Whenever one meditates and prays, even for a few minutes, there's this feeling of calmness and inner happiness - that's oxytocin.

7. Worry less about issues. Avoid negative environments which you could have tried influencing but it ain't working. Keep positive relationships. Value people, friends or not friends, and try to create that positive feeling of importance and self worth first with yourself, and with people.

8. Argue less with people, learn to convert arguments into peaceful discussions. During arguments and anger, oxytocin levels are suppressed, so to be happy, one must have to avoid arguments and conflicts.

Also, be able to forgive ill doings and avoid keeping grudges. Do away and avoid irritants or stimulating factors or persons that arouses grudgy feelings.

9. Crying out when one feels pain is better than crying inside. It's better to let the tears flow. It boosts oxytocin production.

10. Build good relationships with people. Build trust and don't destroy trust. Learn to trust people and be one that can be trusted by people. Even though it could be difficult to trust people, learn to build that trust to some good extent. Let people's breaking their trust with you be destroying their own trust with themselves. Be nice to people but at the same time, be non-vulnerable to hurt from people. Let people hurt themselves rather, when they think they're hurting you.

11. Giving and charity also helps boost oxytocin levels. Be a giver, when you can. Get gifts for people - your partner, family members and friends when you can, and to celebrate their successes, or a special event, or as an act of appreciation. You may not be able to afford a huge gift, but a little one would do. Your appreciative heart matters more. And if you can afford it, do give. It boosts oxytocin levels and encourages the happy feeling.

12.  Eat healthy foods and have a healthy eating culture. Sometimes, much of our happiness can be aided by healthy food and eating culture.

13. Sex between partners boosts oxytocin levels. For males, having sex with someone you love increases your oxytocin levels, but with someone you don't love, it doesn't (unlike in females which would).

There could be more points out there, but I think I'm exhausted. I hope this helped. You can share yours as well.

Hope you'll share this? Let's build a happy society!