The Surprising Benefits of Being Kind




Growing up, I’ll admit I had times where I was definitely not a nice person. Day to day, I was focused on one thing: taking care of my needs, in a selfish way. After living my life this way for a while, I started to realize that it simply was not working out. I was miserable all the time, and felt like I was in a continuous cycle where I never truly was happy.
One day, after scrolling through my social media feeds and seeing several ads promoting kindness, I decided it was time to make a change. Why not start living my life being committed to showing people kindness and being that change? The world is in desperate need of more individuals who are not afraid to express love and kindness unconditionally. 


Today I am challenging you personally to incorporate small acts of kindness into your daily life. Here are a few reasons as to why this would be a beneficial action to take.

1. It can contribute to better social skills.

A study taken by the National Institute of Health indicated that being kind and doing good for others not only improves well-being but also can improve your popularity. Using kindness to grow socially is a great way to attract people who have similar values. You can look up the study and learn additional information here.


2. Your attitude is contagious.
As cliche as it sounds, what you put out into the world will come back to you. If you are a kind person and make the best effort to try and live a compassionate lifestyle, you will reap the benefits. I have included a link here to a blog article that shows just how infectious kind acts can be, and how you can become a "Spark of Kindness" and spread the kindness wildfire.

3. It can get us out of low points.

 Doing something nice for another person allows us to take a step outside of our personal life. By doing this, we can focus on something else and pull ourselves out of sorrows. 

 Emma Seppala, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and research scientist. She is the Science Director at the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. She has a blog related to how to pull ourselves out of the lows, in addition to other great advice.   I have linked an excerpt to her book The Happiness Track here, for anyone who is interested in checking it out.


I know that it is not always easy to be kind to people, especially to those who are not kind to you. Keep in mind that everyone struggles with this sort of thing at one point or another, and don’t be discouraged. I have been there and personal experience has shown me that it is truly beneficial to spread kindness everywhere you go.
What are some creative ways that you can be kind and get out of your comfort zone? Let me know in the comments below.
Until next time,
Anne

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