I want to tell you about one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the stress response, and the idea is this: Stress makes you social.
To understand this side of stress, we need to talk about a hormone, oxytocin, and I know oxytocin has already gotten as much hype as a hormone can get.
It even has its own cute nickname, the cuddle hormone, because it's released when you hug someone.
But this is a very small part of what oxytocin is involved in.
Oxytocin is a neuro-hormone.
It fine-tunes your brain's social instincts.
It primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships.
Oxytocin makes you crave physical contact with your friends and family.
It enhances your empathy.
It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about.