We already know that kindness should be our first port of call in any given situation don't we? Whether it's towards ourselves or to others....kindness is king. Choose Kind. Be Kind. Kindness Wins.

We know and hear all this often enough yet there is so much unkindness in the world. Here online, at work, in our schools and in our homes. As a parent and someone that runs an online business with social media pages, I get reminded daily that we aren't teaching kindness enough and that there are so many hurt people out there inflicting their hurt onto others and thus we have an unkind domino effect.

Because as I constantly tell my kids, hurt people, hurt people.

So yes, that's another issue to tackle because it's so hard to be kind when we are hurting. It's all too easy to lash out in an online comment or in person when instead we could have thought about it a bit more and chosen the kindness route.

So today, for World Kindness Day, I thought it might be good to look at the benefits of kindness and how it even improves our wellbeing! And if we can model kindness so it's passed onto our kids and onto those around us, we can get a much better domino effect happening!

And before I begin, I understand that it's hard to be kind or focus on being kind to others if we are not kind to ourselves. This may be ingrained from our upbringing or because of a series of events that has turned our self talk towards a more negative slant...and if that's the case, I would love for you to take stock of this and start to address being kind to yourself first. Please read this blog HERE if you know that you'd like to be kinder to YOU.

So let's list the Benefits of Kindness shall we!?

1. Kindness makes you happy!

Just committing an act of kindness or even witnessing an act of kindness, boosts your happy hormone, serotonin! Kindness is the ultimate anti-depressant because boosting our serotonin, reduces depression, regulates anxiety, calms you down, heals wounds, and simply makes you feel happy! 

2. Kindness Has a Domino Effect

"According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Plymouth, when we see someone else helping another person it makes us feel good, which then causes us to go out and do something kind ourselves." So an act of kindness not only makes us feel happy, anyone who is the recipient of that kindness or witnesses the act of kindness, feels that elevated boost of happiness and are likely to be inspired and go out and do something kind for someone else. The ultimate domino effect!

3. Kindness Boosts Our Self Esteem

Research from the UK Mental Health Foundation shows that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem. And a healthier self esteem helps us have a much happier life

4. Kindness Is Good For Your Heart

Kindness releases the hormone oxytocin. According to Dr. David Hamilton, “oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide in blood vessels, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and therefore oxytocin is known as a ‘cardioprotective’ hormone because it protects the heart (by lowering blood pressure).”

5. Kindness Can Help You Live Longer!

According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you’re kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships. Teaching our kids this from an early age will help them live longer and healthier lives just by the connections they make by being kind.

6. Kindness Reduces Anxiety and Stress

Focusing on others in a helpful way gets us out of our own head and away from our own personal stressors. Practicing this type of behaviour more often will enable us to handle stressful situations better (which again reduces our own personal stress load). And being kind to others has shown to ease anxiety, particularly social anxiety. Whether it be smiling at someone, volunteering or seeking out ways to help someone else, you can reduce your anxiety by increasing joy, alertness and interest in those around you.

7. Kindness Keeps You Well

Inflammation in the body is associated with all sorts of health problems such as diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, and migraines. Studies have shown that we release oxytocin in our body when we are being kind to others and receiving an act of kindness. Oxytocin (another feel good hormone) reduces our inflammation.

I hope you are even more inspired by choosing Kindness after reading these motivators and I hope you commit a random act of kindness today and receive one yourself! Kindness definitely makes the world a better place!

Yours in health,

Alisha x

We already know that kindness should be our first port of call in any given situation don't we? Whether it's towards ourselves or to others....kindness is king. Choose Kind. Be Kind. Kindness Wins.

We know and hear all this often enough yet there is so much unkindness in the world. Here online, at work, in our schools and in our homes. As a parent and someone that runs an online business with social media pages, I get reminded daily that we aren't teaching kindness enough and that there are so many hurt people out there inflicting their hurt onto others and thus we have an unkind domino effect.

Because as I constantly tell my kids, hurt people, hurt people.

So yes, that's another issue to tackle because it's so hard to be kind when we are hurting. It's all too easy to lash out in an online comment or in person when instead we could have thought about it a bit more and chosen the kindness route.

So today, for World Kindness Day, I thought it might be good to look at the benefits of kindness and how it even improves our wellbeing! And if we can model kindness so it's passed onto our kids and onto those around us, we can get a much better domino effect happening!

And before I begin, I understand that it's hard to be kind or focus on being kind to others if we are not kind to ourselves. This may be ingrained from our upbringing or because of a series of events that has turned our self talk towards a more negative slant...and if that's the case, I would love for you to take stock of this and start to address being kind to yourself first. Please read this blog HERE if you know that you'd like to be kinder to YOU.

So let's list the Benefits of Kindness shall we!?

1. Kindness makes you happy!

Just committing an act of kindness or even witnessing an act of kindness, boosts your happy hormone, serotonin! Kindness is the ultimate anti-depressant because boosting our serotonin, reduces depression, regulates anxiety, calms you down, heals wounds, and simply makes you feel happy! 

2. Kindness Has a Domino Effect

"According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Plymouth, when we see someone else helping another person it makes us feel good, which then causes us to go out and do something kind ourselves." So an act of kindness not only makes us feel happy, anyone who is the recipient of that kindness or witnesses the act of kindness, feels that elevated boost of happiness and are likely to be inspired and go out and do something kind for someone else. The ultimate domino effect!

3. Kindness Boosts Our Self Esteem

Research from the UK Mental Health Foundation shows that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem. And a healthier self esteem helps us have a much happier life

4. Kindness Is Good For Your Heart

Kindness releases the hormone oxytocin. According to Dr. David Hamilton, “oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide in blood vessels, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and therefore oxytocin is known as a ‘cardioprotective’ hormone because it protects the heart (by lowering blood pressure).”

5. Kindness Can Help You Live Longer!

According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you’re kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships. Teaching our kids this from an early age will help them live longer and healthier lives just by the connections they make by being kind.

6. Kindness Reduces Anxiety and Stress

Focusing on others in a helpful way gets us out of our own head and away from our own personal stressors. Practicing this type of behaviour more often will enable us to handle stressful situations better (which again reduces our own personal stress load). And being kind to others has shown to ease anxiety, particularly social anxiety. Whether it be smiling at someone, volunteering or seeking out ways to help someone else, you can reduce your anxiety by increasing joy, alertness and interest in those around you.

7. Kindness Keeps You Well

Inflammation in the body is associated with all sorts of health problems such as diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, and migraines. Studies have shown that we release oxytocin in our body when we are being kind to others and receiving an act of kindness. Oxytocin (another feel good hormone) reduces our inflammation.

I hope you are even more inspired by choosing Kindness after reading these motivators and I hope you commit a random act of kindness today and receive one yourself! Kindness definitely makes the world a better place!

Yours in health,

Alisha x