Why You Should Be Scheduling Eye Contact, According To TikTok

"and the viral " dopamine menu " trend that perks you up enough to be productive. While a zing of the well-known hormone always feels good, it's said that oxytocin is what makes you feel really great. On TikTok, creators are talking about the importance of boosting your oxytocin, especially in the winter when it's common to feel isolated or sad, and they're proving it's so much more than just a "love hormone.""

"According to Dr. Easton Gaines, a New York State clinical psychologist and founder of MindCare Psychology, you can think of oxytocin as the hormone of connection - the one that swells when you get a hug, make eye contact, or pet your dog. "It's the chemistry behind belonging, trust, and that grounded feeling of being held - by another person or by life," she tells Bustle."

Oxytocin functions as a hormone of connection that increases during hugging, eye contact, or petting animals. It produces feelings of belonging, trust, and a grounded sense of being held. Dopamine produces novelty-driven excitement and short-term pleasure, whereas oxytocin provides a slower, sustainable anchor that maintains connection to self and others. Oxytocin levels fall when people experience chronic stress, overload, conflict, or emotional burnout. Low oxytocin can manifest as irritability, numbness, persistent fatigue, loneliness, and social isolation. Boosting oxytocin can counter winter-related isolation and help sustain emotional well-being.

Read at Bustle