Kindness: More Powerful than You May Think
I keep a piece of box art on my desk - a gift to myself. I first saw this little 5 x 4 box-shaped sign sitting alone on clearance shelf, randomly pushed behind other brightly colored framed displays. It was a small piece with an off white back ground, gray borders, and matching gray letters - simple, unassuming, and even somewhat unimpressive; yet, I couldn’t walk away. The message stirred me:
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
There was something about it then. There is something about it now; a value, a conviction, a call inviting me to be intentional about making a difference in the world. It sits here now as my daily reminder of the simple, humble, unassuming, but exponential power of kindness.
Last week, we celebrated World Kindness Day. Now, what does kindness have to do with our health – mental and emotional, physical, and spiritual? Well…more than you may think. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and Positive Psychology have cited studies connecting kindness to increased mental health, energy, and healing, happiness, life satisfaction, and growing spirituality.
Mental and Emotional Health
Did you know that studies show random acts of kindness can lower stress, reduce feelings of depression, lower anxiety, and enhance feelings of well-being? One study showed that kindness mimics anti-depressant medication by stimulating the production of serotonin in our bodies. Serotonin is a hormone that fosters feelings of happiness, steadies our mood, helps heal wounds, helps digestion, and aids in sleep. Oxytocin, a hormone associated with increased health including self-esteem and optimism, is also released when we participate in acts of kindness. In a study at the University of British Columbia, researchers found at least six acts of kindness a week, carried out for one month, resulted in decreased anxiety and social avoidance, increased positive mood, and increased relationship satisfaction. Christine Carter, from UC Berkely, Greater Good Science Center reported one study where participants felt more confident, calmer, better about themselves, and less depressed after helping someone. So, as you can see, kindness can have a huge impact on our mental and emotional health!
Physical Health
In the same UC Berkely study, Carter reported participants in the study also felt more physically energized and stronger after helping someone else. Mayo Clinic also noted that acts of kindness trigger the brain to release two health-boosting hormones: endorphins and oxytocin. Endorphins are natural painkillers reducing pain and tension in the body and oxytocin lowers our blood pressure and helps our bodies heal from injury. In one study, researchers found that individuals (55 years and older) who demonstrated kindness by volunteering for two or more organizations showed a remarkable 44% lower likelihood of early death. Did you know that kindness had this much of an impact on your physical well-being?
Spiritual Health
Expressing kindness can grow our spirituality. Kindness acknowledges oneself important, but not central. Kindness calls us outside of ourselves to esteem something greater, a greater good. Jesus said, the greatest good we can do is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength and to love (to act kindly toward, to reach out, and to help) your neighbor as yourself. In seeking the greater good outside ourselves, we help one another through acts of kindness and our spirit grows…more than we know. Acts of kindness have the power to increase our sense of connectedness to others, provide a sense of belonging, foster a sense of purpose, and clarify a path for action. So amazing!
So, as you can see, kindness has a huge impact on our health and benefits us just as much as those to whom we express our kindness. With all that is going on in our world, I think we could all agree that we could use some more kindness around us. In a world were you can be anything - especially today - take some time and change the world - Be Kind.
Keep an eye out for part 2 of this blog! Coming soon!
Looking to learn more about kindness? Here are some resources!
Sign up to become an RAKtivist - Be a world-changer – make kindness the norm” https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/become-a-raktivist
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-sharing-kindness-to-help-your-health/
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/the-art-of-kindness
https://positivepsychology.com/science-of-spirituality/
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-sharing-kindness-to-help-your-health/
More about carol
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor at RPC. Apart from journeying with clients, my day begins fueling up at my desk looking out my window, journaling, and connecting with God. I enjoy life with my husband, time with family, friends, traveling, riding bikes, hiking, taking photos, stargazing for meteor showers and our newest adventure - flipping a house (seeing a pattern here...rebuild, restore and renew). On rainy or snowy days, he might be out skiing but you might find me sitting in front of a fire, in the Granny B chair with a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a good book in the other.