Surprising Health Benefits of Kindness
Being kind is equal to being healthy. Does that sound like a statement out of a fantasy novel? It’s not wishful thinking, but rather a scientifically proven fact.
In the 1950’s, researchers found a correlation between kindness and health. They studied a group of people who regularly did volunteer work, and discovered that they were healthier than those who didn’t volunteer. Over the next 30 years, they followed this group of people and found that they were less likely to develop major illnesses and were 44% less likely to die prematurely.
The benefits of kindness may be more important than what you think, more so than regular physical activity and following a nutritious diet. August 19th is World Humanitarian Day. Why not take this day to exercise more kindness towards other people and increase your health at the same time?
How Does It Work?
At first, it may be difficult to understand how there could be a link between kindness and health. To grasp that, you first need to appreciate how the body works, and the effects hormones have on your body:
Chronic stress: The cause of many illnesses stems from chronic high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer are all caused or escalated by stress. Elevated levels of cortisol increase inflammation and blood pressure and reduce immunity. If you can manage stress successfully, you can lower your risks of contracting these illnesses. One way to handle stress better is by being kind or receiving kindness from others. When you’re kind to someone, your stress levels drop significantly.
Increased oxytocin: When you are kind to someone, your levels of the hormone, oxytocin, increase in the brain and make you feel happy and loved. Oxytocin helps to reduce blood pressure, lower stress levels, and improve digestion.
The increase of oxytocin and the decrease of cortisol improve your heart health, eliminate ulcers, reduce physical pain, improve the quality and length of life, reduce depression, and lessen the likelihood of emotional overeating. Since kindness has such an effect on these hormones, it stands to reason that the more you are kind to others, the healthier you will be.
25 Simple Acts of Kindness
When you perform acts of kindness, the health benefits increase when the acts are something you enjoy doing that makes you feel good. Being kind should not feel like a chore because that will not have the desired effect. There’s no need to make big commitments or go overboard with your acts of kindness. It’s the small things in life that matter. Here are some simple ideas of what you can do:
Hold the door for someone who has their hands full
Smile at strangers and acquaintances
Say “thank you” more often
Do volunteer work
Donate blood
Carry packages for the elderly
Give compliments to people you meet – don’t just think about how good someone’s hair looks, say it out loud
Visit sick children in the hospital or send them a card
Check in and take food to friends who are ill or having a difficult time
Adopt a puppy
Listen to someone taking a load off – don’t interrupt or try to give advice
Encourage someone to pursue his or her dreams
Donate secondhand clothes, furniture, or toys
Teach a skill to someone, like how to sew or play baseball
Buy a Christmas present for an orphan
Invite someone to dinner
Let a pedestrian cross the street or give the car in front of you a gap
Hold the elevator for someone
Sign up to become an organ donor
Give directions to someone who looks lost
Share your food or snacks with a co-worker
Offer to photograph tourists
Buy a glass at a kid’s lemonade stand
Help out a friend with a new baby by bringing her food or watch the baby so she can take a nap
Welcome your new neighbors and show them around the neighborhood
Ready to Cash in on the Health Benefits of Kindness?
Kindness is like a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. Kindness is also contagious. The more you make a difference in other people’s lives, the easier and more fun it gets, and you will start a wave of kindness in those around you.
AUTHOR
Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.