I just had an awesome day. It felt like Christmas for me at my clinic. It is not unusual at holiday time to have patients drop off holiday baking, a coffee or even just a card. Today was not Christmas, Easter or any other holiday, yet I received two gifts from two separate patients. Two random acts of kindness. It felt really nice, and I appreciated the thought.
While it feels rather good to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness, research is telling us there are some measurable health benefits for those on the giving end of the transaction. Individuals in a study published in the Journal of Social Psychology (2010) were given a task of performing acts of kindness toward others daily for 10 days. Their life satisfaction was measured and compared to those who did not perform these acts for the same 10 days. Increased life satisfaction was reported to be greater in those who acted with kindness.
It is true, it feels good to give. Giving can improve one’s mood, even in those who suffer from depression. Beyond the psycho-social benefits, research shows that giving to others can lower blood pressure and even lessen physical pain.
While it is nice to randomly pay for someone’s coffee or grocery bill, the giving does not have to be financial. Going the extra 50 feet to shovel the neighbour’s walk, dropping off a lasagna to the couple who just moved in next door, or just helping someone load something heavy into their vehicle is all it takes.
We live in different times where there is a trend to distance ourselves from others, especially from those we do not know. I feel like we have gotten away from “love thy neighbour,” and the Golden Rule.
When you can be the reason why someone else feels good or even just smiles for a minute, it is a win-win situation.
P.S. Keep those cinnamon buns coming!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
