Why is kindness important? Life can get tough for many of us. It will include ups and downs along the way, making us feel incredibly happy or unbelievably sad. For everyone, however, kindness is something that can make the unbearable bearable again.
Being kind comes in layers such as compassion, generosity, and empathy. In a world that can often feel harsh, an ounce of kindness can go a long way. However, it can often take a lot of effort to be kind in certain situations and it can require great emotional strength.
But, giving rather than receiving really can be the best medicine to a happier, more peaceful life. Kindness and compassion can be hugely beneficial for all of us. Kindness can help relieve stress and improve our overall well-being.
Committing to kindness is committing to a healthier life. For those who are struggling and vulnerable, a little kindness can make a significant difference.
Living in a kinder society is something we should all strive for. Today, we are going to look at why kindness is so important.
From business decisions to individual acts of generosity, kind actions can provide an often cruel world with the love and positivity it sometimes needs.
Kindness Improves Our Well-Being
Being kind to others and its effects have been studied for decades. One common finding from various studies is that kindness is often linked to a healthier life and an improved sense of well-being.
In 2020, research looking into 201 studies found that there was a connection between trust and compassion with better physical and mental health.
It was also found that spontaneous acts of kindness tended to have the biggest impact on improved well-being.
Kindness Helps Others Feel Good
It goes without saying, but being kind to someone can help improve their mood.
Acts of kindness can also improve your social networks and, therefore, encourage you to become more active, be that with friends or in your local community.
Being active can also help your self-esteem and those around you.
Be kind to someone without expecting anything in return will make the recipient happy as well as yourself.
Kindness Can Lower Your Stress Levels
In the modern world, many of us are following hectic schedules.
This can lead to increased stress, in particular, the stress hormone, cortisol.
This hormone rises to prepare our bodies for a fight or flight action.
But, when we are constantly stressed or in stressful situations, stress can significantly impact our lives.
The remedy to this, however, can be kindness.
Being kind to others has been shown to reduce stress levels and help our bodies return to a more relaxed state.
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Help to Increase Productivity
When you are kind to others in the workplace, it can help boost productivity all around.
Unfortunately, many people work in toxic environments where kind acts are few and far between.
However, giving others praise for their work can actually help employees work harder and become more productive.
This, of course, is linked to improved well-being. The better you feel in yourself, the more positive you will feel in a working environment.
Kindness Can Help Kids In School
Before entering the world of work, kindness can have a positive effect on a child’s education. When teachers in schools encourage generosity and empathy, it can help to fight bullying.
The more kindness a child encounters in school, the safer they will feel, leading to more confidence. With this time of life being critically important to a person’s development, this can help equip a child to build social connections as they grow older.
Leading on from this, kids are more likely to avoid certain situations in later life. These include the use of drugs and the risk of going to prison.
When children are kind towards one another, there are many benefits, such as a lower risk of antisocial behavior as teens and adults and a reduction in aggression towards others.
Read more about kindness quotes in the classroom.
Boosts Romantic Relationships
Couples that are more empathetic, generous, and compassionate towards one another are more likely to stay together and, more importantly, remain happy.
Being kind equates to emotional stability. The kinder you are in a relationship, the happier you will typically be.
It has been found that random acts of kindness in struggling relationships ignite stronger feelings of affection towards one another, and communication can become stronger, too.
Helps to Improve Self-Esteem
Being kind doesn’t only impact those who receive it. It can bounce back and have a positive influence on your self-esteem, too.
This is known as ‘the helper’s high.’ Think of kindness as a natural drug.
When you’re kind, you become instantly more positive and have happier thoughts and feelings towards yourself.
In turn, this will increase your self-esteem. With improved feelings about yourself, your whole life can also improve.
And, don’t think that kindness to loved ones is the only way to improve your self-esteem.
It has been found that being kind to strangers can sometimes have a bigger impact on how you feel.
So, why not try a random act of kindness for someone today? It will brighten your day significantly.
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Kindness Can Spread
You’d be surprised how kindness can spread from one person to another, and so on.
People who benefit from acts of kindness are more likely to repeat it with their own form of being kind to someone else. This makes being kind like a wave where more and more people are kind to others throughout society.
Think of it as peer pressure, but in the most positive way possible. Again, this comes back to the ‘helper’s high’.
If you feel good about doing something, others will, as well.
In Summary
Kindness is hugely important in life. Whether you’re volunteering for a charity or simply telling someone that they look beautiful.
An act of kindness can cause a ripple effect with more positivity spreading throughout society and, in turn, the world.
Be kind and the world will be kind to you.
