“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” Seneca
Stress Overload
Far too many of us are feeling isolated, overly-challenged and highly stressed. There is a lot on our plates, what with childcare, eldercare, pandemics, financial strains, job loss, and for those of us here in Canada, the looming winter season.
World Kindness Day
Gives us a chance to reach to others and show them that they are not alone and the world is not as gloomy as it is often made out to be.
Connections Matter: Health Benefits Of Being Kind
Numerous scientific studies show that acts of kindness result in significant health benefits, both physical and mental. Here are some key points from the actsofkindness.org site:
■ Stress-related health problems improve after performing kind acts. Helping reverses feelings of depression, supplies social contact, and decreases feelings of hostility and isolation that can cause stress, overeating, ulcers, etc. A drop in stress may, for some people, decrease the constriction within the lungs that leads to asthma attacks.
■ Helping can enhance our feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation.
■ A decrease in both the intensity and the awareness of physical pain.
■ The health benefits and sense of well-being return for hours or even days whenever the helping act is remembered.
■ An increased sense of self-worth, greater happiness, and optimism, as well as a decrease in feelings of helplessness and depression, is achieved.
■ Adopting an altruistic lifestyle is a critical component of mental health.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating World Kindness Day:
- Think of those that are closest to you and take a moment to connect with them…phone your grandmother, mother, father, uncle…nothing is more personal than a visit or a phone call so that they can hear your voice. Let them know how much they mean to you.
- Make your son or daughter their favourite meal. Food is one of the main ways that we connect with others.
- Leave a love note for your spouse. Let them know that you still hold them in your heart.
- Make a donation to a charity on behalf of a love one. You are letting your love one know that you are thinking of them and you are helping out a worthy cause at the same time.
- Send an appreciation note to a colleague. Many of us receive little or no appreciation at work. Let’s change this and help increase the engagement of each other.
The Reward From Being Kind
Being kind to another doesn’t have to cost us anything other than the energy to think of something, but the rewards can be impactful, both on our physical as well as our mental health. The rewards to the receiver can be immeasurable.
So my challenge to you is to do something to show someone you care!
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
Laura says
I love the quote at the top. So often, the stress, as you mentioned, causes us to turn inwards and feel alone or as if we have to deal with everything by ourselves. The idea of kindness fostering connections makes so much sense and is a great reminded. Thanks for this perspective and great read.