It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day!!! The “pay it forward” movement stems from this day of kindness helping to incorporate it into our schools, workplaces, homes, and communities. A random act is not premeditated and an action to offer kindness to the outside world. Choosing to perform acts of has many benefits to our health – emotional, mental, and physical. Let’s take a closer look at how choosing kindness benefits our health.
Emotional Benefits:
- Makes people feel helpful and optimistic
- Boosts self-esteem
- Increases oxytocin, a hormone making us feel connected to each other
- Creates a sense of belonging therefore reduces feelings of isolation
- Releases positivity – we feel better and those that we are kind to feel better leading them to pay it forward
Mental Benefits:
- Reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol
- Decreases overall anxiety
- Helps improve feelings of depression
- Reduces negative emotions such as anger
Physical Benefits:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Boosts immune system
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Provides a positive outlook on life which can help you live longer
- Decreases health problems due to the increase of oxytocin which reduces inflammation
Practicing random acts of kindness is not just about how we treat others, but also how we practice these behaviors on ourselves. We are sometimes so quick to be negative and hard on ourselves. If we change our mindset to being more positive, we can be kinder to ourselves. Act and choose kindness today: Don’t overthink it, kindness is a simple act. Check out these options as simple ways to allow someone to feel kindness.
- Put other’s needs before your own
- Leave an inspirational message for a friend or co-worker
- Send a card to someone
- Give someone a compliment
- Hold the door open for someone
- Practice gratitude
- Be kind to yourself
- Send someone flowers
- Volunteer in your local community
- Donate to a charity
- Run an errand for somebody
- Be kind to a stranger
- Help an elderly person
- Make someone laugh
- Leave an extra tip
- Donate food to the food pantry
Practicing random acts of kindness increases a person’s sense of happiness. Kindness is contagious and something we should all want to spread to others. What act of kindness will you perform today?