A wellbeing expert has urged people to get involved in World Kindness Day to boost their own well-being.
Lynn Crilly says kindness is much more than ‘a nice thing to do’ as it can have a positive effect on both our mental and physical health.
Her comments come ahead of World Kindness Day, ( 13 November) and urges individuals and communities to embrace kindness in all their actions.
Lynn said World Kindness Day is a great opportunity to come together.
“When we experience kindness, our brain releases a hormone called dopamine which boosts our mood,” she explains.
“When a stone is dropped into water it creates waves. Acts of kindness have that same ripple effect. Studies have shown that when we are kind, it inspires others to be kind, spreading outwards to friends, their friends and their friends.
“That three degrees of separation means when a person is kind to another it could positively affect up to 125 people.”
The saying is that kindness costs nothing, and with many people concerned about their income, Lynn has provided ways of including kindness into your everyday life which don’t cost a penny:
- Volunteer your time
You might be cash poor but if you have a little extra time in your schedule, you should try to volunteer. Giving up some of your free time to help others can make their day. This can make you feel good in the process. By giving your time to causes you support you can also meet new people who share your interests and perhaps create new friends. Helping out in an animal shelter or visiting elderly people who may be lonely are just two ideas where your time can make a real impact.
- Hugging Helps
One of the best ways of showing kindness and support to friends and loved ones is to give them a hug. “Oxytocin, also called the ‘cuddle hormone’ , is released from human contact,” she says. “It can help lower the heart rate and reduce stress levels and can even help reduce pain from inflammation and promote wound healing.”
- Provide a helping hand
Random acts of kindness can be easier than you think. Whether it’s holding a door open for someone who has their hands full or the person behind you entering a store, it takes about ten seconds of your time and shows that other person that they do matter. Another way to offer a helping hand is to check in on a neighbour to see if they need any help with jobs. You can double up the social interaction by taking them shopping or to an appointment, rather than just doing the task for them.
Offering a random act of kindness can be easier than you may think. One of the easiest ways to share your positive energy is to hold the door open for someone. Whether it’s an elderly person, a person with their hands full, or just the man or woman following you into the store, you don’t need a reason to hold the door. It costs you roughly ten seconds of your time and can make the other person’s day.
- Pay a compliment
We tend to gravitate towards people that show us kindness. This is mainly because kindness reduces the emotional distance between each other and helps us to feel more bonded. One way of showing kindness to someone else is to pay them a compliment. It costs nothing, can help boost self-esteem and it could even help bridge a gap which might exist between two people.
- Donate your unwanted items
We all have things in our houses – and particularly our wardrobes – we don’t use. The items you take off the shelf only to dust aren’t doing you any good, but they could make a real difference to someone else. Those on the lowest incomes rely on charity shops or sites like recycle for everyday items. And the charity shops themselves need good quality donations so they can continue to support their work.
- Offer technological help
For younger people who are more likely to be short of cash, their knowledge of digital technology can be so helpful to the older generation. As more of life moves online, including access to healthcare, taking time to help someone get online or show them how to use an app is a great way of helping others. Plus, it allows you to spend time with someone who might be lonely – but also has a lot of life experience they can share.
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