Being Kind…Random Acts of Kindness
The 17 February 2022 is Random Acts of Kindness Day giving us time to think about being kind and how that can affect our lives and the lives of others.
Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a small charity that invests their resources into making ‘kindness the norm’.
They believe that all people can connect through kindness, that kindness can be taught and they follow a simple framework for everything: Inspire, Empower, Act, Reflect & Share. Find out more about them here: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
Being Kind for our Health & Wellbeing
Research notes that negative emotions can affect our immune system which can in turn contribute to stress-related illnesses 1;2 positive emotions have the opposite effect.
Acting generously
People who act generously – even in small ways – benefit from adopting a positive self identity 3 Positive behaviour and outlook on life improves an individual’s moral, self esteem, happiness and wellbeing 4; 5 and reduces depressive symptoms. 6
10 things I could do today
This Random Acts of Kindness Day why don’t you:
- Make someone smile
- Donate to a food bank
- Say hello to people you meet
- Volunteer your time
- Send a postcard
- Complain less
- Thank someone
- Be spontaneous
- Gift an inspirational book
- Write a Positive Comment on a Website or Blog
Being Kind to your Gut
As our Love Your Gut expert – Dr Maxton Pitcher – says reducing our stress also helps our gut health https://loveyourgut.com/getting-gut-healthy/lifestyle-tips/ so why not take this opportunity to do something to help your wellbeing and reduce your stress by celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day!
References
- Fredrickson BL (2003) The value of positive emotions: The emerging science of positive psychology is coming to understand why it’s good to feel good. American Scientist 91 330–335.
- Lawler KA, Youner JW, Piferi RL, Billington E, Jobe R, Edmundson K & Jones WH (2003) A change of heart: Cardiovascular correlates of forgiveness in response to interpersonal conflict. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 26 373–393.
- Otake K, Shimai S, TanakaMatsumi J, Otsui K & Frederickson BL (2006) Happy people become happier through kindness: A counting kindness intervention. Journal of Happiness Studies 7 (3) 361–375.
- Midlarsky E & Kahana E (1994) Altruism in later life. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Krueger RF, Hicks BM & McGue M (2001) Altruism and antisocial behavior: Independent tendencies, unique personality correlates, distinct etiologies. Psychological Science 12 397– 402.
- Musick MA & Wilson J (2003) Volunteering and depression: The role of psychological and social resources in different age groups. Social Science & Medicine 56 259–269.