The Benefits of Kindness
Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day. To celebrate this day, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of kindness below:
Practicing kindness can decrease blood pressure and cortisol levels to healthy levels (if they are too high normally) - Cortisol is a hormone that directly impacts the levels of stress you experience. Too much cortisol can be bad for you and lead to rapid weight gain, muscle weakness, skin that bruises easily, and other health problems. Having healthy cortisol levels can mean you are able to better handle stressful situations.
Practicing kindness can increase your sense of connectivity with other people – This can have a major impact on loneliness by making you feel less lonely, which in turn can have an impact on improving your mood and relationships with others
Practicing kindness has been shown to increase measures of self-esteem, empathy, and compassion – We can all use a boost in our self-esteem, empathy and compassion a times. This helps make ourselves and the world a better place too!
Practicing kindness has been shown to improve one’s mood - Kindness can boost our serotonin and dopamine levels. An increase in serotonin helps with stabilizing our mood, feelings of well-being and happiness. An increase in dopamine production is closely connected to our reward and pleasure centres, which can result in more pleasurable feelings. Kindness helps improve the endorphins in our body, which are our brains natural “feel-good” neurotransmitters
Practicing kindness is contagious – When we practice an act of kindness, we are more likely to engage in more acts of kindness. The people on the receiving end of the act of kindness are also more likely to practice kindness, so all around it helps out everyone!
Correlated with living longer – some research suggests that practicing kindness may even be associated with living longer
From the benefits above, it’s obvious that kindness can provide us with a lot of benefits. When practicing kindness, it’s important to always remember that even small changes and small acts can make a huge impact in this world. No matter how big or small – you can make a difference in someone’s life!
Need some ideas for what you can do to practice kindness? Consider the following:
Volunteering – Find a local charity, non-profit, or initiative and see how you can help. Most places are always looking for volunteers so that you can use your skills and knowledge to make a positive difference through acts of kindness!
A small random act of kindness – Whether it’s family, a friend, or even a stranger, most people appreciate random acts of kindness. Consider holding the door open for someone, helping around the house, or anything else that can make a difference.
Donating to a cause – There are several organizations or individuals that could use financial help for a variety of circumstances. Do some research on which causes you would like to be a part of and see if you can make a financial contribution.
How will you practice kindness today?
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/the-art-of-kindness
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/kindness/kindness-matters-guide
