The Health Benefits of a Random Act of Kindness Source: Sandee LaMotte, CNN.com, February 17, 2022 This year's Random Acts of Kindness Day falls during a pandemic for the second year in a row, but the foundation behind it wants you to consider being kind every day. They want you to be an "activist," or a "Random Acts of Kindness activist." Here's why: Spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves—it can also boost the giver's health and happiness, according to research. It's a win-win for all. Here's why. A 'Helper's High' Putting the well-being of others before our own without expecting anything in return—or what is called being altruistic—stimulates the reward centers of the brain, studies show. Those feel-good chemicals flood our system, producing a sort of "helper's high." Volunteering, for example, has been shown to minimize stress and improve depression. That's not all: The same activity can also reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and even help us live longer. One reason for this, experts say, is because kindness contributes to our sense of community and belonging. And that, studies have found, is a key contributor to a healthy, longer life. Lower Blood Pressure Giving donations to others, or "prosocial spending," has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health. One study asked a group of hypertensive people to spend $40 on themselves, while another group of people with high blood pressure were told to spend the money on others. They found that those who spent money on others had lower blood pressure at the end of the six-week study. The benefits were as large as those of a healthy diet and exercise. Pain Reduction Giving seems to lessen our pain. A recent study found that people who said they would donate money to help orphans were less sensitive to an electric shock than those who declined to give. In addition, the more helpful people thought their donation would be, the less pain they felt. How could this happen? The study found that regions of the brain that react to painful stimulation appears to be instantly deactivated by the experience of giving. Happiness In the UK, researchers found that being kind could boost happiness in as little as three days. The study assigned people to three groups: the first group had to do an act of kindness each day; the second group tried a new activity, and the third group did nothing. The groups who were kind and did novel things saw a significant boost in happiness. You'll experience even greater joy if you're creative with your acts of kindness. Happiness researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon Sheldon found that people who did a variety of acts of kindness throughout the week showed greater increases in happiness than those who performed the same activity over and over again. 1. What are your overall thoughts about the article? 2. What do you believe is the purpose of the article? 3. Did something in the article surprise you?
The Health Benefits of a Random Act of Kindness
Source: Sandee LaMotte, CNN.com, February 17, 2022
This year's Random Acts of Kindness Day falls during a pandemic for the second year in a row,
but the foundation behind it wants you to consider being kind every day.
They want you to be an "activist," or a "Random Acts of Kindness activist."
Here's why: Spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves—it can also
boost the giver's health and happiness, according to research. It's a win-win for all. Here's why.
A 'Helper's High'
Putting the well-being of others before our own without expecting anything in return—or what
is called being altruistic—stimulates the reward centers of the brain, studies show. Those feel-good
chemicals flood our system, producing a sort of "helper's high." Volunteering, for example, has been
shown to minimize stress and improve depression.
That's not all: The same activity can also reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and even
help us live longer.
One reason for this, experts say, is because kindness contributes to our sense of community and
belonging. And that, studies have found, is a key contributor to a healthy, longer life.
Lower Blood Pressure
Giving donations to others, or "prosocial spending," has been shown to reduce blood pressure
and improve heart health. One study asked a group of hypertensive people to spend $40 on themselves,
while another group of people with high blood pressure were told to spend the money on others.
They found that those who spent money on others had lower blood pressure at the end of the
six-week study. The benefits were as large as those of a healthy diet and exercise.
Pain Reduction
Giving seems to lessen our pain. A recent study found that people who said they would donate
money to help orphans were less sensitive to an electric shock than those who declined to give. In
addition, the more helpful people thought their donation would be, the less pain they felt.
How could this happen? The study found that regions of the brain that react to painful
stimulation appears to be instantly deactivated by the experience of giving.
Happiness
In the UK, researchers found that being kind could boost happiness in as little as three days.
The study assigned people to three groups: the first group had to do an act of kindness each day; the
second group tried a new activity, and the third group did nothing. The groups who were kind and did
novel things saw a significant boost in happiness.
You'll experience even greater joy if you're creative with your acts of kindness. Happiness
researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon Sheldon found that people who did a variety of acts of
kindness throughout the week showed greater increases in happiness than those who performed the
same activity over and over again.
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