Your happiness isn’t sustainable.

Here’s why.

Read this article for free with this link. Enjoy.

Are your feelings of happiness fleeting? Do you experience intense bursts of joy that quickly fade? You may just be mistaking the feeling of happiness for the feeling of pleasure. Dopamine, a fast acting reward chemical released by the brain to give feelings of joy and motivation, is likely the cause.

Dopamine hits don’t create sustainable happiness. In fact, most times, they rob you of the ability to feel actual happiness because you end up chasing pleasure instead.

So what do you need to have lasting and sustainable happiness? How do you think your brain is doing on oxytocin production? No, I didn’t misspell oxycodone.

There are several key chemicals needed to have lasting happiness. Those posts are available here and here, but this article specifically targets oxytocin.

So then, what is it?

On the reproductive side of things, oxytocin is the chemical that is produced in abundance during child birth (this is why you bond so strongly with your child, and is also the reason that bond is immediately stronger in women) and also tells the body to begin milk production.

Well, that’s wonderful, but how does that lead to sustainable happiness?

Regarded as the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” (see above), oxytocin isn’t as commonly discussed in the realm of bodily chemistry. Its largest responsibilities include regulating your ability to be trusting, generous, empathetic, and it affects how you form social bonds.

During arousal, the body releases oxytocin in small doses, and then it surges during an orgasm. Science has shown that males produce smaller quantities of oxytocin during both activities mentioned.

++ Concerning sex in particular: Though it causes the release of oxytocin, orgasms release much larger amounts of endorphins and dopamine in men. Scientists believe oxytocin plays a key role in man’s arousal and libido, but is still highly necessary for feelings of closeness and contentment.

Can you see where this is going?

Oxytocin is a major building block of genuine happiness.

The next question is, can you really be happy without sex? More on that at another time.

Intimacy and intercourse seem like the obvious answer, as they are the easiest way to get some oxytocin going, but not everyone is regularly having sex. No judgements, just a statement.

So, what else can you do to increase your oxytocin levels?

Physical touch.

Yes, this can happen without sex. I know it usually leads to things beyond just touching, but kissing and holding hands also contribute to the production of oxytocin in the body. Being more affectionate with your family is a good way to start if you don’t have a significant other.

Hugs are great for this. Just don’t be creepy about it, okay? You go around and start hugging everyone, especially if you didn’t really do so before, then people are going to be concerned.

Don’t like your family? No problem, just substitute your family for your dog or cat. Hugging your pets has the same effect. Studies have even shown that humans can love their pets as much as their own children, sometimes even more so.

No family or pets? Here is a cheat code: if you find yourself with no family or pets, but you have disposable income, your best bet is getting a massage. Yup, that counts. Having a large Swedish woman physically assault you under the guise of relaxation is still physical touch and would qualify to get some oxytocin production started.

You can also try…

Positive social interaction.

Spending time with loved ones, having meaningful conversations, and doing activities with a group are all great ways to up your oxytocin levels. The key here is for those to take place in-person. Research has shown that interacting with other people on social platforms or video games releases dopamine. That’s not the aim.

There might be something here for FaceTime and the like. I couldn’t find anything conclusive. The technology is new, so there needs to be more research. However, based on my reading, eye contact and being able to see the other person’s emotional responses are important in this area of oxytocin production.

So now you know the importance of oxytocin as a building block for sustainable happiness. Did you think that’s where this article was going?