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Though… What is love? It’s such a powerful emotion! And it’s not specific to just one thing or person. You feel it for your pets, your friends, your family, significant others, and yourself! Especially yourself.
What is LOVE?
What career you choose, what hobbies you take on, what skills you wish to perfect. LOVE moves us all.. and we need it more than you think. So this coming week, I want you all to forget that Valentine’s Day is about one specific relationship.✓
I want you to think; it’s about every single relationship you have ever had with anyone, including yourself. As humans, we are social beings.
We need to connect with other humans. Social isolation can be extremely harmful.
Have any of you heard of Harlow’s monkeys? Harry Harlow was an American psychologist who used monkeys to study emotional attachment and separation from their mothers.
Monkeys preferred a mom that was cuddly (cloth mom that gave the monkey food), and further, monkeys who had a cuddly mom looked for the mom when presented with stressful situations. Monkeys with metal moms (who also gave nourishment) rocked back and forth and threw themselves on the floor when presented with stressful situations.✓
Harlow found that the maternal bond depended on more than just getting food. It depended on things like love and affection. So yes, love is everywhere and at the core of every relationship.
Let’s not forget that LOVE is exceptionally beneficial for your mental health and wellness.
When you do things you love, you have a positive effect on your brain, including stress reduction. When you love or are in love, similar things happen. There is a calming effect, anti-stress effect on your mind and body when you LOVE.
I hope you realize that when “Love is on the Brain”… its no joke. It’s also hormonal. Oxytocin plays a role in love, protective feelings, and attachment. Not only that, but did you guys know that oxytocin, the hormone released when you love, has healing properties…. In the heart?? So yes… it can heal a broken heart.
It has therapeutic properties in the heart, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties when it comes to atherosclerosis, aka plaque formation in the arteries.. which leads to heart disease.
Not only that, but animals in isolation don’t heal as well as social animals. Mothers of premature babies are motivated to touch and hold their infants.
Create the bond. It reduces the stress response of the infant and improves weight gain and outcomes.
As you can see, there is so much more to love than just one type of relationship. Let’s not forget the love you have for yourself.
Self-esteem and self-respect are at the core of loving yourself. If you don’t see reasons to love yourself, your self-esteem and self-respect fall low. This brings about doubt, self-isolation, depression, and more.
So this Valentine’s Day,
Love yourself! Treat yourself! Love your family, love your friends. Do things you love with the people you love. Give your brain what it needs to stay healthy. I have always said that a healthy mind helps you have a healthy body and vice versa.
So… what’s love got to do with it?
EVERYTHING! Happy Valentine’s Day!
And don’t miss out I’m Bananas For Bananas; Wanna Know Why?
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“From nutrition tips and mental wellness to travel and holistic healing, we deliver science-backed, soul-nourishing content designed to support and inspire your healthy lifestyle.”
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