WORLD KINDNESS DAY: Five reasons kindness can boost your health and wellbeing

“Kindness costs nothing … yet is the most priceless gift one can give.”

A leading campaigner on mental health has urged Brits to be kind as it can help others and boost you own wellbeing. 

And Lynn Crilly, who is also a mental health counsellor, says the “kindness of strangers” can often be the perfect tonic for someone experiencing a life crisis. 

Speaking on World Kindess Day – which is celebrated today (November 13) Lynn  said: “We often talk of the “kindness of strangers’ ‘ – and there’s no doubt that, sometimes, the very best support can arrive from a place you least expect it.

“Three years ago, at the start of lockdown, many people were inspired to reach out to each other with kindness. They were motivated to do the right thing by supporting and uplifting one another in the face of adversity,

“However, as the pandemic continued, it began to grind people down. They became tired, and less tolerant of each other. 

“Then, as the world began to emerge from the pandemic, it soon became clear the devastating effect it had had on people’s mental health. 

Addressing the issues many people currently face in their lives, Lynn continued: “People have been living in a state of uncertainty ever since, with the economy, climate, war and the high interest rates, all compounding many of mental health issues people may have today.

“That’s why I hope lots of people show kindness today and in the future.”

Lynn became a counsellor after one of her daughter’s, Samantha, fell into the trap of Anorexia Nervosa and OCD, at the age of 13. She explored every avenue and source of help, but they were not right.  Lynn felt she had no option but to educate herself and learn as much as she could about eating disorders and mental illness. 

Here Lynn shares five reasons why it can make a difference both to you, and the person sitting by your side:

It encourages us to reset the idea of ‘KINDNESS’.

Kindness is much more than ‘a nice thing to do’ It plays a vital role in our overall well-being. Research has shown that kindness has a positive effect on both our mental and physical health – whether we are showing kindness, receiving kindness, or just watching kindness. How wonderful is that?

It can help us to feel happier:

When we experience kindness, a hormone called dopamine is released in our brain which uplifts our mood. It is often referred to as ‘Helper’s High’.

Kindness improves relationships: 

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.

Kindness is good for the heart:

When we show kindness to one another it makes us feel all warm inside. Acts of kindness are often accompanied by a feeling of emotional warmth, which in turn 

produces the hormone oxytocin in the body. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which expands the blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and protects the heart.

Kindness slows ageing:

Kindness has been proven to slow the ageing process. Research shows that oxytocin can reduce levels of free radicals and inflammation (two main culprits of ageing) in our cardiovascular system. This also slows ageing at the source.

And finally, kindness is contagious:

When a stone is dropped into water it creates waves, acts of kindness of the same ripple effect. When we are kind, it inspires others to be kind, studies show that it creates a ripple effect. 

That spreads outwards, to friends, their friends, and their friends – that is a great three degrees of separation. So, when a person is kind to another it could positively affect up to 125 people. How cool is that?

The busy, complicated technology fuelled world we live in today desperately needs more kindness, which will not only give all the above benefits but also restore faith in human nature and give people hope. 

So, we should also remember we should not need a special day to show one another kindness. We should aim to make it part of our everyday life. Remember kindness costs nothing – yet is the most priceless gift of all.

Healthy Tip: Kindness for Heart Health

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Kindness for Heart Health

The 13th of November is World Kindness Day, an international day formed in 1998 to promote kindness throughout the world.

The idea alone is fantastic, as the more kindness we can get into our lives the better, but did you know that kindness can have a physiological impact on your body and contribute to a healthy heart?

The love hormone

When we witness acts of kindness or do something kind ourselves, we produce a hormone called oxytocin, which is often referred to as the ‘love hormone’.

Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical that dilates our blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, therefore regularly producing oxytocin can have a protective effect on our heart.

Stress

Some studies have shown that those who are consistently kind have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) than those who are not.

Long-term high levels of cortisol can negatively impact our cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Therefore, engaging in regular acts of kindness may help keep our stress hormones at bay and protect our heart.

Contagiousness

Kindness is contagious and both those who do the kind act and those who witness it can benefit. When we witness a kind act, we experience a boost in mood and some people even report higher energy, this makes us much more likely to commit a kind act ourselves.

Furthermore, when you carry out an act of kindness, you indirectly have a positive impact on the heart health of those who are observing, as they too receive a surge of the cardioprotective ‘love hormone’, oxytocin.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Celebrating The National Lottery’s £96m investment into Scottish befriending projects

To mark World Kindness Day today, and as part of the National Lottery’s 25th Birthday celebrations, The National Lottery Community Fund is shining a spotlight on the £96 million it has invested into befriending projects in Scotland over the last 25 years.

During this time, The National Lottery has given money to over 920 befriending projects in Scotland, providing companionship for people of all ages.

Continue reading Celebrating The National Lottery’s £96m investment into Scottish befriending projects

For one day only: WONDER free screening

To celebrate World Kindness Day on November 13th, Lionsgate UK will join in the spirit of the day by welcoming audiences across the country to free preview screenings of Lionsgate’s WONDER more than two weeks ahead of its December 1st UK release. Members of the public will have the opportunity to be amongst the first to see the inspiring, heart-warming film in over 300 cinemas nationwide for one day only. Continue reading For one day only: WONDER free screening