Ways of kindness8/9/2023 ![]() Giving our time, support, and resources to others may feel much easier or natural when we are being kind to the people we already love. While it can be easy to give in to our annoyance or discomfort with the situation, being patient, smiling at another waiting customer, or being understanding of the cashier when they apologize for the long lines can mean more to them than you think. Of course, this is a frustrating scenario, especially when you’re exhausted from a long week of work. But it seems like the entire population of New York City is in the same store as you and you begin to grow impatient with the long lines. Your grocery list is small, maybe just milk and eggs. You’re ready to get home, change into comfortable clothes, have a bite to eat, and can’t wait to sit in front of the TV for movie night. Picture yourself at the grocery store at 5:30 pm on a Friday. ![]() Simply being polite, using a warm tone, giving a smile, or showing patience or gratitude to a stranger can be enough. Kindness doesn’t always have to include dramatic gestures of care. We never know what others are dealing with and our generosity, support, or small act of kindness may go a long way. While it may seem easier to be kind to the people we know, we also carry the ability to show kindness to someone new. But how do we actually practice it? Let’s uncover a few ways we can be kind. We now know that being kind is good for the people we show kindness to and has emotional and physical health benefits for ourselves. Being kind can create a rush of positive energy and uplift us, which is a phenomenon called “helper’s high” (Dossey, 2021). Produces the “Helper’s High.” We’ve heard the term running high, but have you heard of a helper’s high? Researchers have shown that when we do good deeds for others, our brain’s pleasure and reward centers fire up.Being kind to others can help you feel more self-confident and energetic, which can elevate your mood and help minimize feelings of depression (Carter, 2011). It helps us feel more joy and can also improve heart health by reducing stress (Verona, Murphy, & Breslin, 2018). Oxytocin, commonly referred to as the love hormone, is a hormone that can support positive self-esteem. People that show kindness are more likely to develop genuine connections with others and feel content with their social networks (Otake et al., 2006). The more kind we are, the more we tend to feel positive emotions (Otake et al., 2006). ![]() Kindness has been shown to increase subjective well-being and improve mood. Below is a list of just a few benefits of kindness. Research suggests that showing kindness not only makes the person we are being kind to feel good but helps our own well-being too. Remember when my calculus teacher said that kindness doubles when we share it? Turns out, there is scientific truth to that. ![]()
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