Acts of Kindness

Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward. Can random acts of kindness change the world? I think it can. Reportedly, one person in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada picked up the tab for the next car in line at a coffee-and-sandwich drive-through. This in turn inspired the next person to do to the same. The chain of picking up the tab for the car behind them continued for an astonishing 226 customers!

Health Benefits of Kindness

There are a wide range of health benefits with acts of kindness. Below are 10 benefits in being a part of an act of kindness:

1. Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, which aids in lowering blood
   pressure and improving our overall heart-health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism.
2. People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains.
3. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease.
4. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early. This is after ruling out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week.
5. A 2010 Harvard Business School survey of happiness (in 136 countries) found that people who are generous financially, such as with charitable donations—were happiest overall.
6. Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced and well-being and good fortune are increased.
7. The University of British Columbia commenced a study on a group of highly anxious individuals who were to perform at least six acts of kindness a week. After one month, there was a significant increase in positive moods, relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals.
8. Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population.
9. Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy.
10. You’ll experience even greater joy if you’re creative with your acts of kindness. Happiness researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon Sheldon found people who did a variety of acts of kindness throughout the week showed greater increases in happiness than those who performed the same activity over and over again.

Random Act of Kindness Story

Below is a story from Reader’s Digest on a random act of kindness.

My neighbor, Jim, had trouble deciding if he wanted to retire from the construction field, until he ran into a younger man he’d worked with previously. The young man had a wife and three children and was finding it difficult to make ends meet, since he hadn’t worked in some time. The next morning, Jim went to the union office and submitted his retirement paperwork. As for his replacement, he gave them the name of the young man. That was six years ago, and that young husband and father has been employed ever since. —Miranda MacLean, Brutus, Michigan

You can also enjoy more stories with random acts of kindness on the Random acts of Kindness.org website.

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels