In Her Campus’ series The College Try, our writers test out viral wellness, dating, fashion, productivity, and pop culture trends firsthand. This time, Grace Tran gives building an oxytocin menu the ol’ college try.

If you’re a wellness girlie who loves scrolling on TikTok as much as I do, then you may vaguely remember the dopamine menu trend that was making its rounds at one point. Now, another similar trend is gaining popularity: the “oxytocin menu.”

To be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of wellness trends: most of them always felt too complicated or performative. However, I really liked the concept of an oxytocin menu due to how cute and simple it is. One of the things I really like about this particular wellness trend is that there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it — the whole point of an oxytocin menu is that you come up with a list of little (or big) things to do that bring you joy. When you’re in a slump, it can be hard to figure out how to get out of it, but having a personalized list of activities to help your brain produce oxytocin can help make things a little easier.

But what is oxytocin? Psychiatrist and founder of The Midtown Practice, Julia Samton M.D., tells Her Campus that it’s a hormone and brain signaling molecule, formed in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, to “help support bonding, trust, and social connection.”

Oxytocin is also associated with stress relief and feelings of safety. “Oxytocin shifts the body away from ‘fight-or-flight’ to ‘rest-and-digest.’ It lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, decreases anxiety, and instills feelings of calm and safety,” Samton says. “In women, estrogen can enhance the effects of oxytocin and further promote social connection and emotional regulation.”

When it comes to building an oxytocin menu, Samton says the little things matter more than the big ones. “Keep in mind that small, consistent moments work better than occasional big efforts,” she says. “Some ways to increase the release of oxytocin include engaging in physical touch with your partner, participating in meaningful social interactions, being kind and supportive, spending time with pets, and being affectionate and intimate with your partner or loved ones.”

So, I ended up building my own little oxytocin menu and doing things off it for a week to see if this trend would be one that I actually enjoyed, and spoiler alert: I see the hype.

Day 1

I started off strong by making my menu. Going into this, I knew I didn’t want my menu to just be a bulleted list of items in my notes app. To make it feel more like a menu, I divided my list into three sections. I based each section on how long it would take for me to do those things. My appetizers were things I could do between 5 and 10 minutes, my main courses were things I could do between 10 and 30 minutes, and my desserts were for when I had more than 30 minutes of free time. My menu ended up looking like this:

Appetizers 

• Give someone a quick hug
• Pet my cat
• Send a friend a quick text

Main Courses 

• FaceTime a friend
• Take a nap with my weighted stuffed animal
• Take a bath

Desserts

• Spend quality time with my partner
• Go on a date
• Hang out with my family

So for the next few days, I’d pick something to do off this list and see how it made me feel!

Day 2

I had a day off from work, so my girlfriend and I decided to go to one of our favorite lunch spots for a date: Olive Garden, so we could enjoy their never-ending pasta. Both of us were busy with work that week, so it was really nice to be able to slow down and enjoy each other’s company (and unlimited pasta). Afterwards, we went home and cuddled a bit on my couch. Work has been a bit stressful (dealing with toddlers will do that to you), but I definitely felt a lot less stressed after seeing her.

Day 3

I’ve been in a mental slump for most of the week and found myself feeling really low on Friday. When I woke up, my cat came into my room and jumped in my bed. It’s almost as if she knew I was struggling — she curled up next to me, and we cuddled for most of the morning. I eventually got out of bed to take a warm shower in hopes of it making me feel at least physically better (it did). I got back into bed and curled up with the weighted stuffed animal my aunt gave me. I didn’t feel completely better, but I felt very comforted by my cat and stuffed animal.

Day 4

I was getting ready for my day when I saw a text notification from my long-distance best friend. We often texted, but it had been a while since we actually FaceTimed, so I ended up doing just that. We ended up talking while I cleaned my room, and honestly, talking to her made a huge difference in how I was feeling. Our conversation made me laugh and smile a lot, which is just what I needed.

Day 5

Sunday was a slow day for me. My girlfriend came over after she got off work, and we hung out for the rest of the day together at home. We spent Sunday being cozy in bed, and our day was filled with lots of love, affection, and cuddles. Honestly, it was the perfect way to end my week.

I’d say building an oxytocin menu was totally worth it. The menu helped me get through my week, brought me a lot of comfort when I needed it, and was a great mental health toolbox when I needed it. And honestly? What more do you need?

• HC The College Try
• mental health
• wellness