Did you know that being kind can have many tangible health benefits? It’s true!
It’s important to be kind to others.
Perhaps you’ve heard people say that if you’re feeling down in the dumps or just want some more energy, being kinder to yourself and those around you is a great way to level-up your mood and escape that ‘grey cloud’ of negativity.
But does it really work?
And if so, how?
It’s not always easy to want to be nice or act kindly toward other people. But as it turns out, there are many benefits to doing so.
And in this post, we’re going to explore several of them.
Let’s jump in.
4 Health Benefits Of Being Kind
1. It’s Good For Your Body
Being kind to others is actually really good for your overall health in-general.
People who show kindness toward others demonstrate increased levels of self-esteem, compassion, empathy, and have an overall improved mood.
In turn, they suffer from lower stress levels, live longer lives, tend to be healthier, and tend to feel better connected to other humans.
2. It Helps To Lower Your Anxiety Levels
Anxiety is literally a modern day killer.
But did you know that kindness can actually help you to lessen the problem?
As it turns out, being kind and nice to others is one of the simplest and easiest ways to stave off higher anxiety levels.
There was even a study that demonstrated that people who engaged in acts of kindness enjoyed a significant increase in ‘positive effect’ (basically the level of ‘positive mood’ a person experiences) that lasted 4 weeks or more.
It’s actually really powerful stuff.
3. It Gives Your Immune System A Boost
When you show kindness to others, your brain produces and releases an important hormone called oxytocin. This is basically the ‘feel good’ hormone, and brings all kinds of positive health benefits to the table.
Oxytocin helps to reduce inflammation, which also makes it super effective for reducing your chances of suffering from diseases like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and migraines.
Kindness doesn’t just feel good. It actually produces a positive effect for your immune system!
4. It Makes You Happier
Not surprisingly, being kind to others also simply makes you a happier person in general.
This also comes with a myriad of benefits.
For example, being kind causes you to release a hormone called serotonin in your brain, which is a neurotransmitter that’s responsible for many of our feelings of well-being and satisfaction.
This also leads to an increase in endorphin levels. This phenomenon even has a nickname. It’s called a ‘helper’s high!’
In Conclusion
Being kind absolutely comes with many benefits.
And all you have to do to start experiencing them is to get out there and spread some kindness.
Offer a few uplifting words, encourage people, be polite, say nice things…
It isn’t that difficult to find ways to help other people (and yourself) feel just a little bit happier.