Kindness is not only a virtue, it’s a health benefit! That’s right, according to Health Direct, being kind can have a range of positive impacts on your physical and mental health!
The direct health benefits of being kind can be seen in your emotional health. Showing kindness, compassion and generosity can lead to the following benefits:
- foster stronger relationships, improving connection.
- lead to feeling less isolated.
- greater sense of contentment or wellbeing
- Improved mental health.
- Stress relief.
All these direct benefits can have additional benefits, like creating a positive psychology mentality. Positive Psychology is the study of determining what leads some people to being generally more positive and vibrant which leads to having a more satisfying life.
Some of the ways you can bring positive psychology to your life is through showing kindness in different ways, like:
- Paying it forward
- Acknowledging someone by saying thank you.
- Leave uplifting notes for people to find.
- Volunteering
- Donating to a charity
- Smiling- Its contagious
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation shows that there truly is a science to increased health through kindness. Simply witnessing an act of kindness can produce oxytocin or ‘the love hormone’. This Hormone can help in lowering blood pressure and improving your heart health. Not only can this have physical benefits, but Oxytocin can also improve your self esteem and optimism. Kindness can also stimulate the production or serotonin, which is the body’s natural pain killer. This chemical can produce a calming effect and can also help your body heal physically!
As if all these benefits weren’t enough, showing kindness has also proven it can increase your lifespan! People who volunteer have reported feeling less aches and pains, and adults 55 and older who volunteer, have shown a 44% less likely chance of dying early.
As we consider the significant benefits of kindness, it becomes evident that these acts can profoundly impact our lives and the lives of others. Committing to kindness not only fosters deeper connections but also strengthens our communities.
If you want more information on how being kind can benefit your life and what you can do to show kindness, Visit The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Welcome.
Sources:
Acts of kindness and compassion | healthdirect
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | The Science of Kindness