Optimal - The Blog
February 2, 2023
A rising tide lifts all boats, and kindness benefits us all...
Random acts of kindness are good for others and society as a whole but are also good for the "doer," the purveyor of kindness.
According to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, kindness can improve and promote
- Oxytocin, the "love and affection" hormone
- Happiness
- Pleasure
- Energy
- Lifespan
- Serotonin
And kindness can decrease
- Pain
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Blood Pressure
Research supports the idea that practicing "loving-kindness meditation" over time fosters feelings of warmth and caring for oneself and others; promotes positive feelings, including gratitude, joy, contentment, and hope; and supports mental and physical health (Fredrickson 2008).
The beauty of kindness is that it is contagious. Just one random act of kindness can branch off and blossom into an entire garden... and today is the perfect time to start on that garden!
References
Fredrickson, Barbara L et al. “Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources.” Journal of personality and social psychology vol. 95,5 (2008): 1045-1062. doi:10.1037/a0013262
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
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