Kindness feels good. When we are kind with our words or actions, we elevate others as well as ourselves.
Poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Kind acts can lift people up, but equally important are our kind words. What we say can discourage, humiliate, and hurt or encourage, heal, and inspire. Whether with actions or words, kindness boosts our physical and mental health.
Benefits of Kindness
Studies have shown that kindness makes us happier. We’d rather spend money on others than on ourselves. Kindness also has the power to create stronger bonds between us. When we show generosity to the people we love or even to strangers, we acknowledge their lives matter. Emotional distance dissolves because of the mutually good feelings that kindness creates. New relationships can develop from our kind acts, expanding our world in unexpected ways.
Kindness has a lasting impact on our health and can help us live longer. When we are kind, we slow the speed of the aging process by reducing our body’s free radicals and inflammation through the release of oxytocin in the body. Oxytocin also promotes heart health by lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart.
With the life-changing benefits of kindness, it makes sense to practice this virtue whenever possible. Just simple words like “I love you” or “I believe in you” or gestures like writing an encouraging note, smiling at a stranger, or bringing home a gift for a loved one can brighten someone’s day.
We have summarized the benefits of kindness in a convenient infographic. We’ve also included a few ways to practice kindness. We hope you enjoy it!
This post is extraordinarily beneficial…. I love it ….It’s a life lesson that never ends. Thank-you for sharing.
So glad to hear you found the post beneficial Miriam! Thank you for letting us know!