Kindness isn’t just a feel-good message we teach to our children or a cute saying on a bumper sticker or T-shirt. There is actual science behind kindness itself, considering it a health benefit for both giver and receiver. It is well researched and determined a valuable part of public health. When giving thought to a New Year’s resolution, choose more kindness.
Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. An act of kindness is doing something nice, helpful or generous for someone else without expecting reciprocation and driven by altruistic feelings of caring compassion and empathy.
Scientific research regarding kindness and positivity increased in the 1990’s when more focus in mental health was directed towards these behaviors. Studies show that not only does the giver feel good, it improves psychological and physical health. It increases happiness, sense of engagement with life, reduces anxiety and loneliness, increases compassion, empathy and self-esteem and increases social connectedness.
Physiologically, it decreases blood pressure and cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone directly related to stress levels. Seeking acts of kindness to perform focuses your brain and helps you focus less on your anxiety and stress. Kindness also boosts levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. These produce feeling of satisfaction, well being and pleasure causing reward centers to light up. Endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever, is also released.
Volunteerism is closely related to kindness and has been found to increase life longevity as well as functioning better in aging. People who give of themselves in a balanced way tend to be happy, healthier and live longer.
Humans are social beings by nature, some more so than others. By genetics, temperament and life story, some are more easily disposed to kindness. For those not as inclined, this is the time to leap before you look. Trust me. It’s better to practice acts of kindness and just see what happens rather than wait for a feeling to come upon you to act. If one reflects on kindnesses received and how it made them feel, it can help a person become kinder.
A Harvard researcher recommends picking one day a week for six weeks straight to do five kind things. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you become at it. It becomes instinctual and habit forming allowing intention and creativity to grow.
Some research suggests that if news and social media promoted more kindness than negativity, it would reflect in the general populations positive state of mind.
Kindness is contagious. If you act kindly, the recipient is likely to do the same. I absolutely loved the concept in the movie “Pay it Forward” many years ago where a teacher assigned his students to a project of paying it forward.
Suggestions of small kindnesses one can do: compliment someone, run an errand for someone, walk their dogs, leave a bigger tip, send small gifts, food or flowers, take time to sit and truly listen, help with undesirable chores, donate time or money to worthy causes, allow someone to go in front of you in line, offer your seat, volunteer, refrain from complaining and simply smile at someone. Kindness can be simple and free. Most of all, be kind to yourself, you deserve it.
A study from the National Institute of Health promoting kindness as a public health action states “that the universal practice of kindness is a potentially effective grassroots public health promotion action that could propagate from the individual to the collective. It further states that “kindness is compatible with research, clinical practice and policy making.”
Imagine a New Year if every individual practiced random acts of kindness and the government followed suit. Have a happy, healthy and kind New Year!
Take care of yourself and someone else.
Juanita Carnes is a nurse practitioner with 39 years of experience in a hospital emergency department and urgent care facilities. She served 30 years on the Board of Health in Westfield, Massachusetts.
