What is kindness?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, kindness is “the quality of being generous, helpful, and caring about other people.”
We are biologically equipped to be kind from a young age, and anyone can develop this trait with regular practice. But, often, this trait can be sort of “forgotten” due to our education as children (because our family didn’t know how to give this kindness), day-to-day demands, the lack of kind people around us, or so many other reasons. Nevertheless, kindness, especially when it comes hand in hand with empathy, can help people better relate to others’ experiences and improve their relationships with everyone, even strangers! Aside from these benefits — if it’s not enough to convince you to be more kind — it can help to improve our health.
Here are the fantastic benefits of being kind:
- You feel happier: That’s right! When someone does a nice thing for another person, this act will release feel-good hormones like, for example, serotonin, which is responsible for leading an individual to experience well-being and satisfaction. Similar to what happens when you exercise, being kind also releases dopamine and endorphins, lifting one’s mood, and there is a name for this situation, usually called the “Helpers High.”
- Can improve your heart’s health: When you help someone…
