Kindness
Written by: Jules Francis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When did you last offer an act of kindness just because you felt like it?
Being kind to another person not only makes the receiver feel great but the giver too.
Research has shown that random acts of kindness are so beneficial for our well-being that they are almost an essential part of leading a happier, healthier life.
It has proven that being kind gives humans positive biochemical responses. Plus, acts of kindness are usually simple, and free, and anyone can offer them at any given time.
The art of kindness is more than just behavior it is a quality of being. It means encouraging a spirit of helpfulness, generosity, and consideration. It’s about doing things without expecting anything in return.
Have you noticed how complimenting people is enough to light them up?
As a health coach, I often encourage my clients to make lifestyle choices that support their bodies and mind.
I once suggested to a client who was feeling disheartened in life to consider an act of kindness. He was amazed at how focusing on someone else had an immediate impact on his state and allowed him to carry on with his day-to-day business feeling uplifted.
So, what are the top five benefits of kindness?
Kindness is Contagious.
Kindness strengthens our social relationships and connectivity
Our brain's pleasure center lights up as a reward for being kind, causing a dopamine rush - a hormone strongly associated with feelings of happiness.
Acts of kindness come hand in hand with emotional warmth, increasing self-esteem and compassion, which is good for the heart
Kindness boosts your immune system
And that’s not all!
It also decreases blood pressure and cortisol so the body can be in a calmer physical state.
So as you can see, the great thing about kindness is that it’s not just good for the body, but the mind as well.
Offering someone else kindness doesn’t need to cost anything or take up much time. How about popping a love note in your kids' or partners' lunchboxes to make them smile when they discover it under their sandwiches?
A close friend of mine is the kindest person I know.
It’s not the regular gifts and cards she sends not only to me but to both my daughters on birthdays, Easter, Christmas, and any other opportunity she can but the time and energy she gives to those gifts and our friendship.
But isn’t that normal, I hear you ask? What’s so special about that?
Yes, it is normal for a healthy person who can get to the shops to buy gifts and stand in the post office queue to post the parcel. Not to mention for a person who earns regular money and can write a card easily with a pen.
But this is not the case with my friend. The effort involved for her to purchase these gifts and write these cards is using up valuable energy resources that she is low on.
My friend is fighting cancer, and these simple tasks that we take for granted can take days for her to be able to do.
Plus, she has had to focus 100% of her day on her hospital appointments, and health, so hasn’t been able to work for years.
Yet she always buys things for other people that make her feel happy and elevates her mood. To take that away from her would be like taking away a part of her soul.
The thing I love most about my friend is that she is also excellent at being kind to herself.
She surrounds herself with things that bring her joy and with people that light her up. She reads books that inspire her and watches programs that warm her heart. She nourishes her mind and body impeccably, and acts of self-kindness come easily to her.
But this isn’t the case with everyone.
Being kind to oneself is quite a challenge for some people. Perhaps they don’t feel they deserve to look after themselves or put their needs first. Perhaps they don’t feel they are worth it or even need it. However, being kind to yourself is the first step to being kind to others.
I believe our self-talk is a great place to start when attempting to be kinder to ourselves.
Many of my clients are experts at verbally beating themselves up and talking to themselves in ways they wouldn’t talk to another person.
If this is you, stop and ask yourself, are the thoughts you have about yourself something you would say out loud to your close friend?
If the answer is no, I invite you today to say at least ten kind things to yourself and treat yourself with the respect you deserve.
Which simple act of kindness can you show yourself today?
Tiny changes will trigger new and positive changes in other areas. For example, someone who starts doing five minutes of yoga a day will begin to feel the difference it’s making and find themselves motivated to do more or to consider another form of exercise.
It’s not hard to see how the positive effects of kindness might ripple out and improve the mental and physical health and overall lives of everyone involved.
That note to your kids or partner that makes them feel loved and safe could then give them the confidence to deal with something challenging in their lives right now.
That text message you sent a friend out of the blue might just nudge them to make peace and forgive someone they are in conflict with.
I have seen this ‘ripple effect’ work with my clients repeatedly.
Who in your life can you send a meaningful text to, expressing how much they mean to you?
I invite you today to take one, small step. What is the act of kindness you are going to focus on?
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." — Dalai Lama
Jules Francis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jules Francis is the go-to expert for career-driven women who are looking to transform their relationship with food.
She has helped hundreds of people from all walks of life to help them understand the underlying causes of why they have unhealthy eating behaviours.
With three decades of experience, Jules has the insight and experience to see what truly underpins low confidence and how people often choose to compensate behaviors for dealing with it.
Jules is a multi-award-winning health coach, co-author of 2 best-selling books, and creator of 2 online courses, The Food Breakthrough Academy and The Reset Button.
