47: Increasing Oxytocin Flow
Did you know that getting together with your girlfriends is good for your health? It increases oxytocin flow which helps to counteract stress hormones. In this week’s podcast I’m sharing ways to stimulate MORE oxytocin in your body - including spending time with friends. 👯Don’t let too much time pass without a dose of your people. It’s good medicine!
EPISODE 47: Increasing Oxytocin Flow
SHOW NOTES
(0:00) Intro
(0:44) Today we’re gonna take a chill pill! This week’s episode is all about sharing some ways you can decrease stress by increasing oxytocin flow:
Oxytocin Overview:
Our love and joy hormone—it’s like Jesus running through our veins.
The hormone that makes us feel calm, relaxed, easygoing, secure and connected with others. It’s what gives us the warm and fuzzies.
Oxytocin system is also knows as the calm and connection system.
It’s found in our limbic brain:
The limbic part of our brain is involved in motivation, memory, emotion and learning.
Concerned with instinct and mood.
Controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and also controls our basic drives (hunger, sex, care of offspring).
Oxytocin is both a hormone and neurotransmitter so it is profoundly influential on the body.
(3:06) Roles of Oxytocin:
Oxytocin is best known for its role during childbirth and lactation
Brings on a strong sense of love and connection between mom and baby.
Oxytocin is a powerful antidote to our fight-or-flight system.
In a stressful situation:
Your body releases cortisol and adrenaline which trigger the heart to beat faster, breath to speed up, blood pressure to increase, and increase of circulating blood sugar.
It prioritizes survival function so that you can fight or flee the situation. Because it does that, it puts functions that are “less important” on the back burner - functions like digestion, hormonal regulation and immune function.
It’s why stress can be so detrimental to health.
Oxytocin helps counteract that stress response:
It lowers blood pressure and heart rate, increases circulation in skin and mucous membranes, helps with better digestion, nutrient assimilation and storage of nutrients.
It just makes us feel good all over.
We want to actively build in positive habits and practices that support resiliency to stress and increase the flow of oxytocin.
(7:27) So let’s talk about how we can stimulate this awesome chill pill hormone:
#1. Meditation:
Considered the gold standard in stress reduction
Meditation means to engage in contemplation or reflection—simple as that.
As Christians we are called to meditate on God’s Word.
Joshua 1:8 - Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
When I think of meditating on scripture I like to think of marinating in it.
When we marinate something we do it so that it will become a certain flavor.
The more we marinate in God’s Word, the more it’s the flavor we become.
I follow a fellow health podcaster who uses a 5-5-5 system.
5 minutes of study, 5 minutes of meditation, 5 minutes of prayer.
He reads scripture for 5 minutes, then he sits quietly for 5 minutes to give space for the Holy Spirit to impart wisdom about what he just read and then he prays for 5 minutes.
You could pick one Bible verse to focus on. That simple daily practice helps engage that system of peace in your brain.
What’s going on in our minds is what stimulates these chemicals to release in your body.
If stress is in your minds, stress chemicals will release in your body.
If peace and love is in your mind, the calm chemicals will release in your body.
Spirit, Mind, Body - in that order.
(11:45) #2. Exercise:
Exercise can stimulate oxytocin as one of our happy brain chemicals.
Special consideration for the state of the adrenal glands.
Exercise is always a stressor to the body in some way. But it can be a good stress, a stress that helps the body become stronger and more resilient. With stress comes some cortisol, right?
Something gentle like walking or yoga can give you that movement without taxing your system with more stress.
Faith and Fitness with Revelation Wellness founder Alisa Keeton
(16:40) #3. Earthing/Grounding:
Grounding is about getting your body in contact with the earth.
Exposes your body to the natural magnetic frequencies of the earth.
Helps the balance of ions in your body.
We have both negative and positive ions but when we get too many positive ones, it can increase inflammation and disrupt cellular metabolism.
Just being in nature helps reduce stress on the body and engage our oxytocin system.
Adding the element of grounding amps up that oxytocin connection.
Being exposed to good bacteria in the dirt is good for your microbial balance and immune system.
Get your butt outside - it’s good for you.
(20:22) #4. Physical Touch:
Physical human touch is so important- this is a HUGE way to engage the oxytocin system.
Hugs, kisses, snuggles and yes, love time with your partner.
It can even be a friendly handshake with someone, getting a massage, petting your puppy, your cat, your horse— there are so many ways there are so many ways to have physical contact.
I’m a hugger! :)
(23:10) #5. Social Connection:
Being around people you love.
My friend Erin would call these your bucket-fillers.
The people who absolutely fill you up, who are good for your soul.
It’s all the love and joy and peace that flows when you’re with people you love.
We are not meant to live in isolation or on Facebook.
Being in fellowship with people who lift you up is so amazing for your health. So don’t let too much time pass without a dose of your people. It’s good medicine.
(25:26) Final Thoughts:
Ok friends, go forth and meditate, exercise, get out in nature with your feet in some dirt or sand, hug the person next to you and plan your next girls trip.
Never forget that we can automatically increase oxytocin flow by reading the good news, the promises, the love and light of Jesus.
Alright you beautiful people, I would love if you’d share this episode, leave me a comment in the Itunes reviews, it all helps me spread the good Word!
(27:15) Outro & Disclaimer
Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!