Practice Random Acts of Kindness
I’m a big fan of acts of kindness because everybody wins. Not only do kind acts they make the recipient feel good, science shows there are also benefits for the do-gooder and even people who simply witness kindness.
Science backs this up!
Here are a few fun facts about kindness:
Simply witnessing a kind deed can make you more optimistic and less anxious. Doing something kind, or even just witnessing a kind act, can release oxytocin. Sometimes called the “love hormone,” oxytocin helps us bond with others. It makes us more trusting, generous and friendly. It also helps lower your blood pressure and improves overall heart health!
Being kind can help you live longer. One study found that “people 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early” even after accounting for other factors like physical health, exercise, gender, smoking and marital status.
Kindness gets you “high”! When you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centers light up. This is called the “helpers high.”
Kindness keeps you young. Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population. Feelings of stress, worry, anger or hostility speed up aging, so it makes sense that feelings of the opposite kind -- the warm connection that we get through kindness -- slow down aging!
Being kind helps with depression. Kindness stimulates the production of serotonin, a feel-good chemical that helps heal wounds, calm you down and make you happy. It’s also a component of many medical antidepressants. Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, it improves life satisfaction and physical health, reducing depression and increasing overall well-being.
Here’s a list of ten pandemic friendly ideas to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day:
Send a positive text message to someone.
Give someone a compliment.
Surprise a neighbor with a plate of cookies or another treat.
Pick up some litter and throw it away!
Email an appreciation letter to a former teacher or mentor.
Leave a fun note in a library book.
Donate old towels or blankets to an animal shelter.
Write a LinkedIn recommendation for a coworker or connection.
Give an extra big tip to your delivery person.
Be kind to YOURSELF -- use a dry erase marker on your mirror to leave yourself a positive message!
On Random Acts of Kindness Day -- or any day -- you can reap rewards by being kind, and also you can also make the world better, because here is one last fun fact:
Kindness is contagious. Because the positive effects of kindness are experienced by everyone who witnesses the act, they become more likely to “pay it forward,” creating a domino effect and improving everyone’s day!
