Oxytocin

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Ankesh

Anyone aware of oxytocin and how to increase oxytocin levels in your body?

Shyness drug (oxytocin) could boost confidence:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...onfidence.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin

But none of the above links tells precisely how we can increase oxytocin levels of our bodies...

Hi Ankesh,

I also saw a similar article, and thought it was interesting...!

Anyway, here's how to increase your oxytocin levels according to one article I saw (http://www.lifesciencefoundation.org/cmoxtyocin.html)...

Quoting from the article...

• Touch is very important. Interactive touch with human beings is best, but it doesn’t have to be limited to human beings. Touch happens between people and their pets.
• Getting massage is helpful.
• Walking, swimming in warm water, and all physical exercise is excellent. {Dien's note: I'm skeptical of this one}
• Deep interaction, intimacy, and eye-contact are also important.
• Sex releases oxytocin.

So, if oxytocin helps increase your confidence - one way is to do a lot of cuddling!

Another way is to get a pet - like a dog or cat - and pet your dog or cat on a regular basis. (I would get a pet you can stroke, like a dog, cat, or rabbit - and not one you can't, like a goldfish.)

And another way is to get a good massage... (Touch seems to be an important factor...)

I'm skeptical that exercise helps raise oxytocin levels, since this study seems to contradict that claim... (http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB....asp?Doi=49988)

By the way, I also read that oxytocin increases your trust levels too. So that's good to be aware of as well...

- Dien