By Nordic Walking Watford at
Sunday 13th November is World Kindness Day – designed to highlight good deeds in the community, focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good that binds us. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender, and location.
WHAT IS KINDNESS?
Kindness is choosing to do something that helps others or yourself, motivated by genuine warm feelings.
Kindness, or doing good, often means putting other people’s needs before your own. It could be by giving up our seat on a bus to someone who might need it more or offering to make a cup of tea for someone at work.
We all have so much going on in our lives - competing strains and stresses – not to mention the recent coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns and sometimes kindness gets pushed to one side, in favour of what is urgent now.
By taking the time to be kind to others, we can benefit from emotional upsides. It really does make a difference, especially for people who are vulnerable or struggling.
Those of us who are kind and compassionate experience clear benefits to our well-being and happiness. We may even live longer. Kindness also helps reduce stress and improve our emotional well-being.
Evidence shows that helping others can benefit our own mental health and well-being. For example, it can reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem, and happiness.
Science shows that as children, we’re biologically wired to be kind and we can further develop this trait with practice and repetition. Sometimes, however, due to outside influences and the stress of our day-to-day lives, we can lose this inherent ability.
Kindness and empathy help us relate to other people and have more positive relationships with friends, family, and even perfect strangers we encounter in our daily lives. Besides just improving personal relationships, however, kindness can actually make you healthier.
Kindness releases feel-good hormones
Have you ever noticed that when you do something nice for someone else, it makes you feel better too? This isn’t just something that happens randomly—it has to do with the pleasure centers in your brain.
Doing nice things for others boosts your serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of satisfaction and well-being. Like exercise, altruism also releases endorphins, a phenomenon known as a “helper’s high.”
So, go ahead and volunteer, help someone in need, buy someone coffee or lunch, or try one of these ideas—it may be just the pick-me-up you need.
Kindness eases anxiety
Anxiety, whether it’s mild nervousness or severe panic, is an extremely common human experience. While there are several ways to reduce anxiety, such as meditation, exercise, prescription medications, and natural remedies, it turns out that being nice to others can be one of the easiest, most inexpensive ways to keep anxiety at bay.
As pointed out in a study on happiness from the University of British Columbia (UBC), “social anxiety is associated with low positive affect (PA), a factor that can significantly affect psychological well-being and adaptive functioning.” Positive affect refers to an individual’s experience of positive moods such as joy, interest, and alertness.
UBC researchers found that participants who engaged in kind acts displayed significant increases in PA that were sustained over the four weeks of the study.
So, the next time you’re feeling a little anxious, look for opportunities to help others. This could range from smiling at someone or calling a friend to volunteering or lending your time to an organization. Even a small gesture can make a big difference.
Kindness is good for your heart
Making others feel good can “warm” your heart, sure—but being nice to others can also affect the actual chemical balance of your heart.
Kindness releases the hormone oxytocin. According to Dr. David Hamilton, “oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide in blood vessels, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and therefore oxytocin is known as a ‘cardioprotective’ hormone because it protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.”
Kindness strengthens your heart physically and emotionally. Maybe that’s why they say nice, caring people have big hearts?
It can help you live longer
You may be shaking your head at this one, but we’re not just saying this—there’s science to back it up.
According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you are kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships.
So, go ahead and make some new friends, or expand your kindness and compassion to the ones you already have.
It reduces stress
In our busy, always-on-the-go lives, we’re constantly looking for ways to reduce stress. It may be easier than we think.
Helping others lets you get outside of yourself and take a break from the stressors in your own life, and this behaviour can also make you better equipped to handle stressful situations.
Affiliative behaviour is any behaviour that builds your relationships with others. According to a study on the effects of prosocial behaviour on stress, “affiliative behaviour may be an important component of coping with stress and indicate that engaging in prosocial behaviour (action intended to help others) might be an effective strategy for reducing the impact of stress on emotional functioning.”
Kindness prevents illness
Inflammation in the body is associated with all sorts of health problems such as diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, and migraines. According to a study of adults aged 57-85, “volunteering manifested the strongest association with lower levels of inflammation.” Oxytocin also reduces inflammation, and even little acts of kindness can trigger oxytocin’s release.
By Maile Proctor
Advent Acts of Kindness
Each year I create a different kind of advent calendar for my daughters, one where they are asked to complete Acts of Kindness throughout Advent.
This year we are supporting VIOLET’S GIFT, a charity set up to reduce loneliness during Christmas for people in care with no loved ones. And we really need your own act of kindness to fulfill our wish.
If you are able to donate a gift, however small, it would be so very much appreciated – and we will ensure that it gets to someone to whom it would mean the world.
Here is an idea of gifts that would be appreciated:
All gifts are much appreciated and unisex presents are preferred. Sadly we are unable to accept second-hand presents for hygiene reasons. This doesn’t include re-gifting new items which is encouraged. We also struggle to find homes for alcohol and candles.
We are very happy to collect items or they can be dropped off at our house in Bricket Wood.
TRACY REEVE
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
NORDIC WALKING WATFORD