February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day. It is a day to celebrate exactly what the name suggests, doing random acts of kindness for others. But did you know kindness is more than something that makes others feel good? Research suggests that having compassion and showing kindness to others can greatly benefit your own health outcomes.
Co-Director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Tyler VanderWeele, says, "There's compelling evidence that kindness is linked with a number of aspects of health and well-being. Some studies have indicated it can improve happiness and a sense of engagement with life, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and increase a sense of social connectedness."
The American Psychological Association defines kindness as a “benevolent and helpful action intentionally directed toward another person. Kindness is often considered to be motivated by the desire to help another, not to gain explicit reward or to avoid explicit punishment.” Basically, kindness is the act of doing something good for others without expecting anything in return.
Both kindness towards others and kindness towards yourself have great benefits to your health and well-being. Here are some of the ways being kind could impact your health.
Reduce Stress
Acts of kindness can help lower stress levels. This happens because when we help others, our body releases oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. This can counteract the effect of stress hormones, like cortisol. An American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine article from 2021 found that kindness promotes generosity, connection with others, and inclusion. All of these can improve your resilience to stress. Kindness will not remove all stressors in life, but regularly practicing kindness can improve our ability to cope with stress.
Improve Relationships
Kindness fosters better relationships, builds trust, and strengthens our bonds with others. This leads to more meaningful and deeper connections. Many researchers agree that social connections can help people live longer, healthier lives, and in turn, loneliness can lead to many negative health outcomes. Being disconnected from others socially is associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Strong connections with others, however, have the opposite effect. A 2015 study from the National Library of Medicine showed that social connection can help people manage blood sugar, improve cancer survival, decrease depression symptoms, and improve overall mental health.
Improve Mental Health
Beyond improving your mental health by building relationships and reducing stress, kindness towards others and yourself can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. When directing our kindness towards ourself we create positive mental attitudes which allow us to better cope with our mental health. Regular acts of kindness that focus attention on others' needs helps us from falling into thought spirals of our own worries. Additionally, kindness can provide a mental break and give us a sense of purpose. The warm feeling you get in your stomach when you do something good for someone else is more than a fleeting emotion. It is a sign of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters in charge of carrying messages between nerve cells and the brain that regulates bodily functions like emotional well-being.
Improve Physical Health
As previously discussed, kindness can have positive effects on physical health as well. One 2016 study from Social Science & Medicine tracked more than 7,000 adults and found that those who volunteer are more likely to get preventative health care, like yearly check-ups, immunizations, and screenings. The study also found that those who frequently volunteer spend less time in the hospital. Another study from The National Library of Medicine suggests that since kindness can decrease cortisol levels, it can also decrease the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and help maintain blood sugar in diabetics.
Tips for Being Kind
Kindness is a learned skill, although some people may be more naturally inclined to it. For those of us who may not have that natural drive, it is possible to change our mindset. Performing acts of kindness, even if it doesn’t come easily, can slowly become more natural for you. If you need help, here are some tips:
Start small. Do something small every day that could make someone’s day a bit brighter. Smile at a stranger, hold open the door, offer a compliment.
Be mindful of those around you. This allows you to recognize opportunities to help others.
Practice gratitude for yourself and others.
Volunteer for a cause you care about. JABA has many volunteer opportunities for individuals of all skills.
Try random acts of kindness, like paying for the order of the person behind you, leaving a bigger tip for a service worker, or leaving a note with a positive affirmation in a public restroom.
Kindness doesn’t have to be grand gestures to be impactful. Finding a way to include kindness in your daily life can benefit you and those around you in large ways. Random Acts of Kindness Day is a wonderful reminder to celebrate these gestures, but kindness doesn’t need a holiday. Every day brings opportunities to reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and support physical and mental well-being. By making kindness a regular practice, we nurture healthier communities and healthier selves. Look for simple ways to brighten someone’s world. You may be surprised by just how much it brightens yours, too.