Being kind actually has great health benefits.
1. Kindness fuels energy and esteem Kindness produces serotonin which generates that feeling of calmness and even helps heal wounds. In one Berkeley study, almost 50 percent of participants reported feeling stronger and having more energy after helping others, with reports of greater feelings of calmness and enhanced self-esteem also predominant.
2. Kindness makes you happier.
A Harvard Study showed that those who were giving are, overall, the happiest.
3. Kindness is good for your heart.
Doing or witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the 'love hormone' which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart-health.
5. Kindness decreases lots of bad stuff Studies have shown that developing a habit of kindness reduces pain, stress, anxiety, depression, and blood pressure. People who practice kindness as a habit have 23 percent less cortisol (the stress hormone) and more of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels (thus lowering blood pressure).
So here are just a few ideas to get you started... • Allow someone into your lane. They're probably in a rush -- just like you. • Let the person in line behind you at the supermarket go first. • Compliment your boss for something you admire but have never expressed. • Forgive someone. And really mean it. • Strike up a conversation with the person standing alone at a party/work function. • Stopping to talk with an elderly neighbor, even though you are in a rush.
Be kind today!