Self-Care Corner:
The power of kindness
There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the positive impact of acts of kindness on the giver, the receiver, and even the observer. Think about a time that you witnessed a kind act but didn't engage in it yourself, a time when you did something for someone else without any expecation of something in return, or when you were the recipient of an act of kindness. Simply reflecting back on those moments gives us a momentary break from our every day stress and engaging, receiving and observing them will do the same. Acts of kindness can reduce the cortisol levels in our brain, increase our sense of self-worth, create feelings of success, and overall increase our experience of positive emotions even in the midst of everyday stress as well as chronic and intense periods of stress in our lives.
Acts of kindness can be small gestures like smiling at someone that looks like they could use it, holding the door open, bringing a cup of coffee or tea to a colleague or maybe something more like making a meal for a struggling family, paying for the person behind you in the drive through, or stopping to visit a friend or neighbor you haven't seen in a while. Opportunities to share an act of kindness are endless and can be found in all aspects of our daily lives.
During this month that celebrates Random Acts of Kindness week why not try offering, observing, and even receiving kindness more intentionally and mindfully and see what happens!
