“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” — Princess Diana.
As our students and teachers go back to school, and as we continue to see increased attendance at local public meetings, politics remain divisive and so much more around us feels difficult, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves that kindness is free, but offers great rewards.
It can also be contagious and make the world a much more pleasant and healthy place, with better chances of accomplishing meaningful things.
According to an article by Steve Siegle, licensed professional counselor, on the Mayo Clinic Health System website, kindness is more than an action.
“Kindness is more than behavior,” it states. “The art of kindness involves harboring a spirit of helpfulness, being generous and considerate, and doing so without expecting anything in return.”
It adds, “Rather than viewing it exclusively as an action, think of kindness as a quality of being you can cultivate. Giving kindness often is simple, free and health-enhancing.”
That sounds pretty good to us.
The article also touts that kindness is good for your body, helping to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, as well as improving mood. It can also decrease blood pressure and cortisol, which it explains is a hormone directly correlated with stress levels.
“People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer,” it states.
It also notes that kindness can “increase your sense of connectivity with others, decrease loneliness, combat low mood and improve relationships. It also can be contagious, encouraging others to join in with their own generous deeds.”
Kindness is also, unsurprisingly, good for your mind, and can help “positively change your brain by boosting levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters produce feelings of satisfaction and well-being, and cause the pleasure and reward centers in your brain to light up. Endorphins, your body’s natural painkiller, also may be released when you show kindness.”
Siegle also points out that kindness is more than how you treat other people.
He writes that “it’s also about how you extend those same behaviors and intentions to yourself. I believe you can be kinder in your own self-talk and practice gratitude.”
“People are good at verbally beating themselves up which does not work as a pep talk,” the article states. “Rather, negativity often causes you to unravel and may even create a vicious cycle of regularly getting down on yourself. You wouldn’t talk to your neighbor the way you sometimes speak to yourself. This is what I call the good neighbor policy, which can be helpful. If you wouldn’t say it to your good neighbor, don’t say it about yourself.”
Few things in life are free, but taking advantage of kindness seems like a no-brainer.
“Finally,” Siegle writes, “I’d like to leave you with this quote by the Dalai Lama: ‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.’”
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