Kissing has been found to lower cortisol levels in both men and women. Cortisol is released during times of stress, so this explains why some relationship coaches end each session with a mandatory lip-lock for the couples they are counseling!
Kissing also releases the hormone oxytocin in men, which leads to feelings of pleasure and connection. The brain is doused in oxytocin – often called “the love hormone” – after orgasm and child birth, so it’s interesting to see the ways it’s being applied and explored to help individuals with social anxiety and also as a military “weapon.” While I’m not a scientist and neuromodulators are not my area of expertise, I still feel confident in prescribing the activity of kissing. It boosts your confidence, puts a spark in your eye, and a spring in your step!