Why be Kinder ?
Being kind is an enjoyable experience. It makes you feel good, and useful, and alive, and it validates you as a human being. When you are kind it triggers a number of beneficial physical and psychological responses. The most obvious response is the 'feel good' sensation, which has been officially titled the "helper's high".
When you do something good, your body rewards you by releasing endorphins. These morphine-like substances create the feel good experience, and also have the capacity to reduce or even block pain signals to the brain. People suffering from physical or psychological pain experience relief when they carry out an act of kindness.
Depression has received a good deal of attention from the press of late. It has been stated that over twenty percent of the population is affected by it at some time during their life. Depression feeds on introspectiveness: dwelling on our problems will drive us deeper into the morass of depression. When you practice kindness you are placing your attention onto someone else, or as Herbert Benson put it, the act of helping allows us 'to forget one's self.' When you do this you have put your depression 'on hold,' and your acts of kindness may allow you to see your own situation from a different perspective. This could result in being able to find new ways to seek relief from the condition.
The person who receives a kind act experiences the 'feel good' response, too. It's a nice experience when someone smiles at you, or thanks you, or compliments you, or helps you in some way. It creates a bonding, and in that moment there is a greater sense of worth about yourself and people in general. It is a feeling akin to falling in love, and in that moment you have fallen in love - with the whole of humanity.
It has been scientifically proven that regular, small acts of kindness have a positive effect on your physical and mental well being, but also on your longevity. Kindness is not only a feel good experience, it is also beneficial for your health. |
