Episode description

There’s a cocktail of chemicals swimming around in your brain in your brain when we have quality social relationships.

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[01:24] Release those endorphins with social drinking

[05:16] Endogenous opioids from social laughter

[08:36] Be your spouse’s friend!

[10:30] But have other friends, because your cortisol responds to it.

[14:45] Outtro 

References:

• Dunbar, R. I. M., Launay, J., Wlodarski, R., Robertson, C., Pearce, E., Carney, J., & Maccarron, P. (2017). Functional Benefits of ( Modest ) Alcohol Consumption, Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 3, 118–133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-016-0058-4
• Manninen, S., Tuominen, L., Dunbar, R. I., Karjalainen, T., Hirvonen, J., Arponen, E., … Ja, I. P. (2017). Social Laughter Triggers Endogenous Opioid Release in Humans, 37(25), 6125–6131. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0688-16.2017
• Grover, S., & Helliwell, J. F. (2019). How ’ s Life at Home ? New Evidence on Marriage and the Set Point for Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(2), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9941-3
• Keneski, E., Neff, L. A., & Loving, T. J. (2018). The Importance of a Few Good Friends : Perceived Network Support Moderates the Association Between Daily Marital Conflict and Diurnal Cortisol, 9(8), 962–971. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617731499