Being Kind Is Good For You

This week we celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Day. We loved hearing all your stories of kindness that you shared with us on our Instagram page. We know that being kind makes us feel good but did you know that it can have long term well-being benefits?

Being kind to others not only makes us and the recipient feel great, but it turns out that even witnessing kindness can give us a warm glow as it releases oxytocin, the love hormone which helps lower blood pressure and stress. It has also been shown to promote positive emotions like trust and happiness.

BOOSTING YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS

 By being kind, we can boost our psychological wellbeing all year round.  Helping others can also help us feel calmer, less depressed and can create a sense of community and bonding.  According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centres light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver. This phenomenon is called the “helper’s high.”

This feeling can also be felt by donating to good causes and regular volunteering, which has been shown to reduce general aches and pains and improve overall health particularly in the over 50’s.

Kindness can also stimulate the production of serotonin, the feel-good chemical that makes us happy, reduces stress and increases our feelings of self-worth.

We have all been starved of social contact during the pandemic, but the stories of human kindness that emerged during that time kept us all going and gave us a much needed boost  – Sir Captain Tom Moore and his family to name one.

IF YOU CAN BE ANYTHING BE KIND

Ways we can be kinder in our day to day lives to boost our wellbeing and others! 

• Tell someone something positive about themselves
• Do something small for someone else – pay for a coffee, help someone across the road
• Volunteer at a local group
• Actively listen to older relatives or your loved ones, give them your full attention
• Be aware of those around you and their needs
• Share the kindness you receive – pay it forward and spread the warm glow!
• Hold the door open for someone
• Smile more often! It will make you and everyone seeing it, feel better
• Simple things like please and thank you make people feel appreciated

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