(CNN) – This year, the Random Acts of Kindness organization wants you to be an “activist of random acts of kindness.”
Here’s why: spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves, but it can also improve the health and happiness of the person who gives it, according to research. It is a win-win for everyone.
‘Peak for help’
Studies have shown that putting the well-being of others before ours without expecting anything in return, or what is called being altruistic, stimulates the reward centers of the brain. Those chemicals that feel good flood our system, producing a kind of “peak to help.” Volunteering, for example, has been shown to minimize stress and improve depression.
That’s not all: the same activity can also reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and even help us live longer.
One reason for this, experts say, is that kindness contributes to our sense of community and belonging. And that, according to studies, is a key contributor to a longer and healthier life.
Decreased blood pressure
It has been shown that giving donations or having “prosocial expenses” reduces blood pressure and improves heart health. One study asked a group of hypertensive people to spend $ 40 on themselves, while another group of people with high blood pressure were told to spend the money on others.
They discovered that those who spent money on others had lower blood pressure at the end of the six-week study. In fact, the benefits were as great as those of a healthy diet and exercise.
Pain reduction
Giving seems to lessen our pain. A recent study found that people who said they would donate money to help orphans were less sensitive to electric shock than those who refused to give. Also, the more people thought their donation would help, the less pain they felt.
How could this happen? The study found that regions of the brain that react to pain stimulation seem to be instantly deactivated by the experience of giving.
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Happiness
In the United Kingdom, researchers discovered that being kind could increase happiness in just three days. The study assigned people to three groups: the first group had to do an act of kindness every day; the second group tested a new activity; and the third group did nothing. The groups that were friendly and did new things saw a significant boost in happiness.
You will experience even greater joy if you are creative with your acts of kindness. Happiness researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon Sheldon found that people who performed a variety of acts of kindness during the week showed greater increases in happiness than those who did the same activity over and over again.
And this is the good news: it seems that acts of kindness can be anonymous or visible, spontaneous or planned, and can be as simple as giving a compliment or opening someone’s door.
Kindness suggestions
Ok, you are convinced and want to jump directly to being a friendlier and more helpful person.
There are literally hundreds of ideas on the Internet, but here are some to start:
- While driving, leave room for the car you want to enter your lane.
- Let the person behind you at the supermarket go first.
- Give a genuine compliment to someone in the elevator.
- Do the same for your boss: they probably never get compliments!
- Leave the grudge and tell that person you forgive her.
- It is there for a friend who is having a bad time. Do not try to fix it; just listen.
- Leave your mailman a thank you note.
Do you want something more organized? The nonprofit group City of Kindness (City of Goodness) has established a 2020 campaign to “promote unity and respect within the school environment”, organized by the global nonprofit organization “Kids for Peace” for the peace).
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation also has lists of ideas of kindness, organized by work, community, environment, animals, strangers, children, the elderly and more. If you become a “random acts of kindness activist,” you will receive a monthly kindness challenge designed to help a worthy cause or individual.
“You are making the world a better place,” they say. But don’t forget that any kindness you give to others is also a gift for you.
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