One thing that seems to have become crystal clear during our 2020 pandemic-induced “time out” is how much we value—and miss—our relationships with others.
This should not come as a surprise since we actually often do a lot of unconscious casual stroking and touching when we are around friends. Maybe it’s a warm embrace, a grasp of the hand or a reassuring pat on the back. These actions have been proven to activate our endorphin receptors. The end result is that we experience greater relaxation, higher pain thresholds and more happiness. It just makes us feel good!
But since we are still keeping things at a distance, we are limited in the amount of hugging and touching we can do. But don’t worry, there are other ways to activate your endorphin receptors. In fact, a study presented to the International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences showed that meditation can also improve your mood. And be sure to stay tuned for my next ecard to learn another tip on how to trigger your endorphins.