Mental Wellbeing Gift That Keeps On Giving

Pet the cat. Or even think about petting the cat. When you do here’s what happens inside your brain. Neurobiological processes contribute to positive emotions and bonding, creating a sense of well-being and attachment.

But here’s the key point: It’s not about the cat.

It’s about caring for something else beside yourself, and expressing that care in some way — petting a sweet kitty is just one amazing way to get this soup of happy brain chemicals engaged.

Here the truly magical reaction that goes on inside your brain when you give care and love outside of yourself:

1. Oxytocin Release: Often referred to as the “love hormone”, it’s released in your brain when you engage in positive social interactions, including showing affection to others. Oxytocin is associated with feelings of trust, empathy, and attachment.
2. Dopamine Release: Showing kindness to others creates these positive emotions in your brain, associated with pleasure and reward.
3. Lower Stress Hormones: Any altruistic behavior of caring can lead to a decrease in stress hormones, such as cortisol, which helps alleviate feelings of anxiety and tension.
4. Activation of the Nucleus Accumbens: The nucleus accumbens is a part of the brain’s reward system and is involved in experiencing pleasure and motivation. Positive interactions with others activate this region, contributing to feelings of happiness and contentment.
   
5. Bonding and Social Connection: Positive social interactions can activate brain regions associated with social bonding, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula. These areas reinforce feelings of empathy, emotional processing, and forming social connections.
6. Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate: Petting animals (and caring for others more generally) can have a calming effect on the nervous system, leading to reduced blood pressure and heart rate.

Make the Magic Happen

Do your brain a favor and feed it a steady diet of positive neurochemicals that can enhance your emotional state, strengthen social bonds, and even improve your physical health.

You don’t need your version of our cat (named Sid, btw) to make all this beautiful biochemistry work for you. Just express altruistic behavior, caring, and love outward to something or somebody else. Of course, having a lovely pet to love (who totally loves you back) … well that sure wouldn’t hurt either. 🙂

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