Why It Pays to Be Kind

Why It Pays to Be Kind

We all like to be kind to those we love, but sometimes we take them for granted.  Life gets busy, routines get established, and we might not even notice that we’re no longer being kind to those we love and hold close to our hearts.

Did you know that it pays to be kind?

Here’s the great news: kindness is something we can learn, and if you want to help your loved ones and feel more warmth from them, start by being kind.

According to science, kindness can benefit your health and well-being for several reasons:

• *Slows down the ageing process
• *Lowers blood pressure
• *Anti-depressant effect – release of the feel-good factor feeling
• *Boost social bonds and reduce feelings of social isolation

Kindness is Contagious

Acts of kindness can be as simple as holding a door open, saying thank you, smiling at a stranger, or accepting help when you’ve fallen over.  (Let’s say you fell in such an undignified way and you’re feeling humiliated) It pays for you to accept someone’s kindness, as kindness is contagious. As soon as you feel the warmth from kindness, you too catch the kindness bug and are far more likely to be kind to others in return (just like the movie ‘Pay It Forward’).

It does feel good to receive kindness, and as you do, you may benefit from increased oxytocin (cuddle hormone) and serotonin (feel-good hormone) yourself- the positive ripple effect continues.

More interestingly, when you give kindness, something truly miraculous happens inside the body. 

The pleasure and reward centre in the brain lights up, releasing a natural chemical called dopamine, which creates a “Helper’s High”.

The levels of emotional warmth that rise as a result of helping release the cuddle hormone oxytocin, which lowers blood pressure (via nitric oxide) and can therefore be called cardio-protective. This oxytocin also helps reduce free radicals and inflammation, thereby slowing down the ageing process.

Like an antidepressant, kindness also stimulates the feel-good chemical serotonin in the body.

Giving and receiving kindness is an easy, free way to boost your health and wellness, create stronger bonds with those you love, your family, friends and it can strengthen our community through the ripple effect – creating a force for positive change in this world that needs some!

Go on- be kind today!

Love Zoe x

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