Love Up On Yourself!

This hormone plays many roles in the human body and is one of many chemicals implicated in feeling good and increasing positive feelings. These feelings can be achieved through acts of self-care, which are expressions of loving and taking care of oneself (Zeki, 2007).

         Here are some suggested ways you can try to increase your oxytocin levels and engage in self-care. Love does not always have to be an act from one individual to another.  You can show love to yourself and experience the warm and fuzzy feelings that come with it.

  • Touch has been proven to increase levels of oxytocin. This can mean cuddling with a pet, a loved on, a pillow (Petersson et al., 2017). Another study on touch, showed that receiving a massage increases oxytocin levels in individuals (Morhenn, Beavin, & Zak, n.d.). 

  • Research has shown that giving a loved one or someone you care about a gift can increase oxytocin levels. This act will surely put on a smile on the gift receiver and benefit you as well (Science for Neuroscience, 2010). 

  • A study done on social interactions, showed that connecting and interacting with friends via social media and in person can increase this hormone (Uvnäs-Moberg, 1998b). 

  • Sit in a sauna, having a hot bath- warm temperatures are conducive to oxytocin release (Uvnäs-Moberg, 1998a). 

  • The act of listening to music you like or enjoy can increase oxytocin levels. A study done by the University of California , states that loving and kindness meditations can help increase levels of oxytocin (Nilsson, 2009). 

  • In addition to listening to music, singing can increase bonding and oxytocin (Keeler et al., 2015)(Grape, Sandgren, Hansson, Ericson, & Theorell, 2002).

  • Having sexual intercourse or self pleasuring can increase levels of oxytocin. Achieving an orgasm has been proven to skyrocket levels of oxytocin(Carmichael, Warburton, Dixen, & Davidson, 1994).

  • A study done on movie watching, showed that watching an emotional movie- where  you show empathy towards others can raise oxytocin levels (Barraza & Zak, 2009). 

  • A study done with chimpanzees showed that the act of sharing food can increase oxytocin. If this is valid in the animal kingdom, it can apply to humans as well (Wittig et al., 2014). 

  • The sole act of eating food you love and that nourish your body- can provide pleasure which in itself can trigger oxytocin release(Uvnäs-Moberg, Handlin, & Petersson, 2015). 

  • Here is a list of foods that can be incorporated in your diet that can aid in the production of oxytocin within your body : Vitamin C (Brody, 2002) , Sage, Star Anise and Fenugreek (John & Shantakumari, 2015).

  • A 2013 study showed the various benefits of yoga, one of them being increasing oxytocin production (Gangadhar et al., 2013). 

  • A study done on children with ASD, showed that participating in art activities increase salivary oxytocin level. Suggesting that engaging in art can increase this hormone (Tanaka et al., 2020).

 

This is only a handful of recommended ways to increase oxytocin levels and feelings of positivity and feeling good. They are not promised to make you feel more loved or increase oxytocin levels, yet they are worth the try. Take this month to try a few of these suggestions to honour and love up on yourself.   Acts of love are not only for those in intimate relationships, acts of love can be given to yourself.   Self care and self love are very important factors in your wellbeing.   If you want more self-care, self-love tips or suggesting please reach out- as we want to support you in your wellbeing journey as best as we can.

 

 References

 

Barraza, J. A., & Zak, P. J. (2009). Empathy toward Strangers Triggers Oxytocin Release and Subsequent Generosity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1167(1), 182–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04504.x

Brody, S. (2002). High-dose ascorbic acid increases intercourse frequency and improves mood: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Biological Psychiatry, 52(4), 371–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(02)01329-X

Carmichael, M. S., Warburton, V. L., Dixen, J., & Davidson, J. M. (1994). Relationships among cardiovascular, muscular, and oxytocin responses during human sexual activity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 23(1), 59–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541618

Gangadhar, B., Jayaram, N., Varambally, S., Behere, R., Venkatasubramanian, G., Arasappa, R., & Christopher, R. (2013). Effect of yoga therapy on plasma oxytocin and facial emotion recognition deficits in patients of schizophrenia. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55(7), 409. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.116318

Grape, C., Sandgren, M., Hansson, L.-O., Ericson, M., & Theorell, T. (2002). Does singing promote well-being?: An empirical study of professional and amateur singers during a singing lesson. Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science, 38(1), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02734261

John, L. J., & Shantakumari, N. (2015). Herbal Medicines Use During Pregnancy: A Review from the Middle East. Oman Medical Journal, 30(4), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2015.48

Keeler, J. R., Roth, E. A., Neuser, B. L., Spitsbergen, J. M., Waters, D. J. M., & Vianney, J.-M. (2015). The neurochemistry and social flow of singing: bonding and oxytocin. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00518

Morhenn, V., Beavin, L. E., & Zak, P. J. (n.d.). Massage increases oxytocin and reduces adrenocorticotropin hormone in humans. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 18(6), 11–18.

Nilsson, U. (2009). Soothing music can increase oxytocin levels during bed rest after open-heart surgery: a randomised control trial. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(15), 2153–2161. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02718.x

Petersson, M., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Nilsson, A., Gustafson, L.-L., Hydbring-Sandberg, E., & Handlin, L. (2017). Oxytocin and Cortisol Levels in Dog Owners and Their Dogs Are Associated with Behavioral Patterns: An Exploratory Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01796

Society for Neuroscience. (2010, December 1). Trust hormone associated with happiness: Human study suggests new role for oxytocin. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 2, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115160304.htm

Tanaka, S., Komagome, A., Iguchi-Sherry, A., Nagasaka, A., Yuhi, T., Higashida, H., … Tsuji, C. (2020). Participatory Art Activities Increase Salivary Oxytocin Secretion of ASD Children. Brain Sciences, 10(10), 680. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100680

Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Handlin, L., & Petersson, M. (2015). Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529

Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (1998a). Antistress Pattern Induced by Oxytocin. Physiology, 13(1), 22–25. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiologyonline.1998.13.1.22

Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (1998b). OXYTOCIN MAY MEDIATE THE BENEFITS OF POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION AND EMOTIONS 1 The purpose of this paper is to describe the neuroendocrine mechanisms of positive social interactions.1. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 23(8), 819–835. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00056-0

Wittig, R. M., Crockford, C., Deschner, T., Langergraber, K. E., Ziegler, T. E., & Zuberbühler, K. (2014). Food sharing is linked to urinary oxytocin levels and bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1778), 20133096. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.3096

Zeki, S. (2007). The neurobiology of love. FEBS Letters, 581(14), 2575–2579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2007.03.094


Written by Anjali P.

Urvashi Anjali Prajapati