Kindness

Sometimes it's easy to feel like the world's getting harder, but if we look closer: on the news, on the web, on the street, we're anything but unkind. Every day we hear new stories of people trying to make the world a better place. And together we can make the world a little bit kinder for all of us. It all starts with just one person: you. The thing about kindness is that it's just about the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it. And it's a fact backed by science. Studies have shown that if you perform just one random act of kindness a day they'll not only reduce your stress, anxiety, and depression, but your body is flooded with the same hormones that make you and the person you've helped calmer, healthier, and happier. Serotonin heals your wounds, helps you relax and makes you feel good. Endorphins reduce pain and Oxytocin which reduces blood pressure and makes you feel more loving and loved. You'll both be more energized, feel fewer aches and pains, be more confident and could even live longer. And if other people see you helping someone else, they'll be filled with those same feel-good hormones, meaning they're significantly more likely to pay it forward. Like taking that extra moment to hold the elevator for someone. Spotting a coffee for a stranger who's just a few cents short. Give your neighbour a hand with their groceries. Even just smiling and meaning it. It doesn't take much but it can make a huge difference for everyone. Those people you've helped will help other people and those other people will help even more people. And those random acts of kindness can start a chain reaction that can spread across an entire community, city, a country! And with enough of us, the world! Now isn't that the world we all want? And it all starts with one.

Kindness

Kindness, sometimes simply said by another person as “a nice thing to do” or “something nice to feel good about” is a feeling of having an attitude of being “kind”.

Kindness and kindness can have many meanings but generally kindness in the sense of giving something or a feeling of kindness is being kind to someone.

Kindness and kindness are not only expressed through acts of compassion towards others. It is also shown through taking care of life and possessions which bring happiness, love and gratitude towards ourselves and also other people and even the world around us.

Sometimes kindness can be seen from within when we give each other a gift such as flowers, money, words of thanks, or gifts that mean a lot to us and when others give us something meaningful too such as sharing stories about themselves and their experiences too.

Kindness can also mean giving up something for the sake of another through acts like volunteering or donating time on social media. It does not always mean we act positively, it sometimes makes us uncomfortable. For example, if someone gives me the phone call because I am depressed, anxious or worried about my own wellbeing when I could have done so much differently and maybe would now be suffering depression.

Kindness refers to both positive and negative feelings of warmth, love and appreciation toward others with acts of kindness in return and has several types. While kindness is more a state of mind and sometimes it requires a conscious effort on our part such as doing chores and caring for our loved ones, there are various benefits that accompany kindness as well.

Kindness and wellness brain and others

Kindness has been found to improve mood and anxiety, increase physical activity and overall quality of life.

Studies indicate that kindness improves sleep as it reduces stress levels of the body. Researchers report a decrease in stress hormones like cortisol, all-trans-cortisol, prolactin and adrenaline due to kindness.

A study in Nature Medicine, published in Nature in June 2017 that looked at data from over 10,000 participants concluded that being kind increased forgiveness, mindfulness and self-awareness while decreasing mental distress.

Kindness also leads to improved immune systems and lower blood pressure and anxiety.

Kindness also improves the quality of life and helps manage stress and anxiety. Studies show that kindness improves sleep and reduced the stress hormone cortisol. The results also showed that kindness significantly decreased anxiety and depression and decreased stress in adults.

Kindness also led to improved emotional strength and better sleep. And research shows that kindness increases physical activity and improves mood, sleep and anxiety.

Kindness has been used to treat depression or anxiety, as has helped women with post-menopausal disorder, according to Psychology Today.

Kindness has been found to reduce depression and anxiety and in turn, increase your peace of mind and sleep. Research from Stanford University has shown that kindness is associated with decreased inflammation and anxiety in premenopausal and postmenopausal volunteers; especially if you feel grateful for what you have.

However, there are some downsides to kindness which include hurting relationships with loved ones or friendships with those who do not appreciate them. This may lead to the feeling that no one understands who is giving and why; thus leading to feelings of sadness and anger.

Kindness can cause a negative effect on mental health and the brain. There have also been studies finding a link between kindness and a reduction in empathy for others. As kindness gets older, it becomes difficult to connect with others without feeling they understand. In addition, when our sense of empathy and understanding gets lessened in these situations, one may end up making decisions and actions that hurt others.

Kindness should never be taken lightly at any level and needs to be emphasized more in order to create healthier relationships. By teaching kindness and letting love into your lives daily and creating a supportive environment, people are able to live happy, healthier, happier and peaceful lives.