The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation wants to make kindness the norm for people of all ages—and they say there's good science to support the importance of their work:
- Scientific studies show that people who witness acts of kindness, produce more of the hormone oxytocin, which helps lower blood pressure and improve heart health and can also increase a person's feelings of self-esteem and optimism.
- Helping others can help people feel stronger and more energetic, calmer, and less depressed.
- People who volunteer feel fewer aches and pains and reduce their risks for heart disease.
- People who are kind to others feel happier! Perpetually kind people produce less cortisol (a stress hormone), feel less anxious or stressed, and can see reductions in their blood pressure—just by being kind.
Did you also know that kindness is teachable?
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation says that people can build up their compassion "muscles" through their own regular practice of kindness and also by being exposed to other people's kind acts. Witnesses to kindness are more likely to "pay it forward" to others, too, so the benefits of one kind deed will ripple out and create a domino effect of positivity.
If you are looking for kindness resources for your children or students, consider this Random Acts of Kindness toolkit for November!