Neuroscience News - We Are More Satisfied With Life as We Age, Thanks to Oxytocin
“People whose brains release more of the neurochemical oxytocin are kinder to others and are more satisfied with their lives. This is the finding of new research, published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, that also discovered that oxytocin release increases with age, showing why, on average, people are more caring as they get older.”
“Participants in our study who released the most oxytocin were more generous to charity when given the opportunity and performed many other helping behaviors. The change in oxytocin was also positively related to participants’ empathy, religious participation, and gratitude.”
“The researchers recruited more than 100 people for the study, ranging between the ages of 18 and 99. They were each shown a video about a little boy with cancer, which previous work had confirmed to induce oxytocin release in the brain. Blood was taken before and after the video to measure the change in oxytocin.”
“Participants had the option to donate some of their earnings from the study to a childhood cancer charity, and this was used to measure their immediate prosocial behavior. We also collected data on their emotional states, to provide information on their overall satisfaction with life.”
“People who released the most oxytocin in the experiment were not only more generous to charity, but also performed many other helping behaviors. This is the first time a distinct change in oxytocin has been related to past prosocial behaviors.”
Read the full article here.
#Life #Aging #Oxytocin
My Take:
I had always heard that oxytocin was a brain chemical responsible for some degree of happiness as well as bonding between people. But even at my age now, I was gratified to come across this study and realize that I/we do not have to fear aging. And to be honest, it made sense to me that those who were more inclined to be service-minded, would have more of a sense of happiness. Even just here on 7 Cups, I find the act of reaching outside of ourselves to others to be innately fulfilling, on so many levels.
And as a question for you all:
For whatever age you currently are, what are some things that you are doing in your life (or things you want to do) now that are preparing you for the aging process?
@sereneSunset26 Great article! Right now, I try to exercise and eat more 'healthy'. I also take care of my skin. I feel like doing these would help me age more gracefully.
@comfortableNight4463
That is a great approach; especially as what we put into our bodies directly affects our quality of life on a daily basis. Also, our skin is our largest organ that covers our entire body, so there is definitely something to be said for taking care of it. :)
@sereneSunset26 planning for the future
making an effort to secure stability for myself so i can eventually give back too
@zealousGrace5023
This is so true.
Because I know many friends around my age who haven't even started planning for the future (especially financially). And that can, unfortunately, catch up to you as you age.
@sereneSunset26 oh it really does
you can never start too early
@zealousGrace5023
Yep. And that's a lesson that I had to learn for a myself a little late into the game of life. But...better late than never, I suppose.
@sereneSunset26 absolutely
as long as you start
@sereneSunset26
That's honestly a very comforting read. I always had a little subtle hesitation and fear of aging because everyone always says your peak is in your 20s and 30s. However, reading this gives me hope that getting and growing older is an experience in itself!
I'm currently in my 20s and I've taken a mindset to be kind to my body now so it can be kind to me in the future! I love healthy eating and exercising and I definitely want to utilize this time to do a lot of things I might not be able to do in the future.
@sunnyWriting4806
As someone into their 30s now, you're right, aging is an experience in itself. And I believe a large part of that experience depends on how we treat our bodies.
I have a friend who is just a year younger than me, and he has a great line. "I look at how I treat my body now as an investment into the future when I am 40, 50, and 60 years old--on upwards." He has also told me (based on his past and current life experiences) that most people do not think long-term like this. And all too often, they wait until it is too late to take care of their health.
So yeah, good on you for being proactive at your age now. :)
@sereneSunset26 That's an interesting question! I think one important thing that all of us should try and do is save money and plan for the future. Finances are always high up on the list because they are essential to our survival! It is also important to have finances to fall back on in case of emergencies or when planning for children. I also want to just travel a lot. It's not important for aging, but I want to experience as much as I can before I get old.
@fruityPond7887
For sure, there's definitely a reason they call it financial planning.
Also, just curious (and a totally subjective question on my part haha), but what age(s) for you qualify was being old?
@sereneSunset26 Lol I would say maybe once I'm not able to be as physically active anymore. When it becomes difficult to walk and get around, I don't think we have the ability to travel as much anymore. That's just my point of view! Unfortunately, we never know when our time comes so it's best to enjoy everything every moment!
@fruityPond7887
Ooh, that makes sense. Yeah, I would say the same thing. Being able to be physically active as well as travel are definitely signs of vitality. 😊
@sereneSunset26 I agree! I think people will define it differently, but I think that's a good telltale sign of being active!
@fruityPond7887
For sure!!
And I guess it goes without saying that staying physically (and mentally) active has shown to be key towards maintaining our vitality while helping to ward off the effects of aging (Alzheimer's comes to mind in studies that I have read).
@sereneSunset26 Oh yeah 100%! Staying active through exercise of both the mind and body are essential to keeping ourselves healthy for a long time! Thank you for sharing!
@fruityPond7887
Yup, no worries!!