30 Day Kindness Challenge - Day Twelve

Kindness The Helpers High & Meaningfulness

Welcome to Day 12 of our 30-Day Kindness Challenge. Today, we're talking about Kindness, The Helpers High & Meaningfulness. If you're just joining us or listening for the first time, let me tell you what we've been doing. Every day in November, I'm doing a short podcast about kindness. I will talk about some kindness facts and give you a kindness challenge. 

November 13th is World Kindness Day, so this mini-series is in honor of World Kindness Day 2023

The Science of Kindness

When you do something kind, you probably feel a sense of warmth and wellbeing wash over you. But did you know that this feeling isn't just in your head? It's caused by chemicals in your brain. Kind acts can release hormones that contribute to your mood and overall well being. The practice is so effective that it's being formally incorporated into some types of psychotherapy.

Can Helping Others Help You Find Meaning in Life?

Helping others can create a sense of meaning, emphasizing the importance of human connection for fulfillment.Kindness can make people feel good and give them a sense of purpose. It can also help to build strong relationships, which are important for a happy and fulfilling life. Here are some tips for increasing your sense of meaning through kindness:

• Start small. Even small acts of kindness, like holding the door open for someone or letting someone go ahead of you in line, can make a difference.

• Make your help count. Choose activities that you're passionate about and that you know will make a difference.

• Express gratitude towards others. Thanking people for their kindness is a great way to show them that you appreciate their efforts.

Helping others can be a great way to find meaning in life. It can also help to impnext time yorove your relationships and your overall well-being. So u're feeling lost or alone, reach out and help someone else. It might just make all the difference.

Kindness Can Produce Helpers High!

Various research papers explore the connection between helping, the brain's response, and personal well-being. "Helper's high" is associated with greater health and longevity.

• "Helper's high" is a feeling of well-being after acts of kindness, charity, or volunteering. 

• It's part of human evolution and contributes to species survival.

• Volunteering releases endorphins similar to those during exercise or sex.

• These endorphins help the body cope with stressors.

• The brain's pleasure centers activate when thinking about charity or helping.

• Endorphins affect the brain like morphine, providing pleasure.

• Helping triggers pleasure centers and releases natural morphine.

• Volunteering also releases oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, boosting mood and reducing stress.

According to Cedars-Sinai, being kind can increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. It can also boost oxytocin and dopamine, causing a "helper's high". 

Dr. IsHak says studies have also linked random acts of kindness to releasing dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that can give us a feeling of euphoria. This feel-good brain chemical is credited with causing what's known as a "helper's high."

Being kind not only boosts oxytocin and dopamine levels, but can also increase serotonin. So this means that being kind can actually be a natural treatment for pain, depression, and anxiety! What we know about the science behind acts of kindness is influencing how we treat certain health conditions, Dr. IsHak says. "We're building better selves and better communities at the same time."

Love Hormone

Oxytocin, often referred to as the "love hormone," is released when we're physically intimate with someone. It's tied to making us more trusting, more generous, and friendlier, while also lowering our blood pressure. In addition to physical intimacy, acts of kindness can also give our oxytocin levels a boost, research suggests. 

Social Bonds

Oxytocin plays a role in forming social bonds and trusting other people. It's the hormone mothers produce when they breastfeed, cementing their bond with their babies. So if you want to feel good, do something nice for someone else! 

But the key is to be consistent with your acts of kindness. A single act of kindness will only give you a brief oxytocin boost. In order to keep feeling good, you need to keep being kind!

Other Conditions

Studies are investigating if oxytocin can be beneficial in treating other conditions. The hormone is a protein and cannot simply be taken as a pill - it's being studied in injection and nasal spray forms. Helping others is also believed to increase levels of an endorphin-like chemical in the body called substance P, which can relieve pain. 

The good news is that a single act of kindness can have positive benefits for both our physical and mental wellbeing.

But the effect of a single act of kindness isn't going to last forever.

Make It a Habit

If you want to reap the benefits of kindness, you need to make it a habit. According to Dr. IsHak, this is why practicing kindness is so beneficial. Something we work into our daily routines, whether through volunteer work, dropping coins into an expired parking meter, bringing a snack to share with coworkers, or holding the elevator. 

"The rewards of acts of kindness are many," says Dr. IsHak. 

"They help us feel better, and they help those who receive them." 

According to the Kindness matters guide, published by mentalhealth.org.uk the benefits of kindness include:

• Performing acts of kindness is associated with improved well-being.
• Bolsters social bonds.
• Creates a sense of belonging and reduces isolation Provides a positive outlook on life
• Improves self-esteem. The benefits of improving self-esteem are long-lasting.
• Makes the world a happier place

The Science of Helping

Helping others has scientifically proven benefits for our brain and body. Being kind and compassionate releases feel-good chemicals in our brains, strengthening social connections. This "helper's high" comes from our natural urge to help others, which has helped humans survive. Volunteering and small acts of kindness can greatly improve our mental and physical health. Consider volunteering to experience this uplifting feeling.

Helping Others Is Wired Into Our Brains

Helping others is a good thing that makes us feel good. It is wired into our brains to feel pleasure when we give to others. Scientific research has shown that generosity benefits both the giver and the receiver. It can lead to happiness, and it can also make us feel more connected to others. Helping others is a natural impulse, and it can have a powerful uplifting effect.

The Benefits of Kindness

Being nice is good for your health, according to a study from SWPS University in Warsaw, Poland. 

Being Kind is good for your health, both for the person being Kind and the person receiving the Kindness. Simple acts of kindness, like compliments, smiles, and friendly chats, can have a positive impact on both people's moods and well-being. 

Studies have shown that being nice can release hormones like oxytocin and dopamine, which can lead to a feeling of happiness. Kindness is important in both the virtual and real world, and it can help to combat social polarization. 

Even small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact, and women tend to perceive and perform acts of kindness more than men. However, it's important to remember that kindness should not be forced, and it should not suppress genuine emotions or opinions. 

Personality traits like being outgoing and open can influence how kind someone is, and kindness is a skill that can be learned and practiced. Encouraging kindness and smiles can lead to a happier and kinder society.

Todays Kindness Challenge

1. Print Out / Hand Out “You Matter” Cards
2. Give Genuine Thanks for What You Have
3. Tell Someone You Love Them.
4. Hold the door open for a someone
5. Buy a lottery ticket and give it to a stranger.
6. Zoom With Grandma/Grandpa.
7. Read a Book to Someone
8. Ask a loved one how their day went, and if they’re struggling, find ways to help.
9. Place sticky notes with encouraging words in places for strangers or loved ones to find them.
10. Buy flowers to hand out on the street
11. Let someone cut in line in front of you at the grocery store.
12. Be kind to yourself.

Here are a few ideas for self kindness:

1. Hug yourself.
2. Eat something delicious.Spen
3. d time with a friend.
4. Write a letter to yourself.
5. Turn off your phone.
6. Take a break from your work and watch a funny YouTube video.
7. Look into your eyes in the mirror.
8. Spend a day without using your phone.
9. Put on a daring outfit
10. Sing along with a song.
11. Try not to watch news
12. Do something for yourself, even if you do not feel like doing it.

Well, that's all for today, come back tomorrow for the World Kindness Day Challenge!