Acts of Kindness Relieve Stress & Improve Health
That Good Feeling from Doing Something Nice is Physically Healthy
Jul 11, 2009
A random act of kindness is something said or done for another person with nothing expected in return. The act is sometimes performed anonymously, where the receiver has no idea who was behind the good deed. Doing something nice for someone just for the sake of doing it reaps rewards for both the giver and the receiver. The person who does the kindness gets a boost to his physical and mental health.
Stress relief expert Susie Mantell, on the Web page, Stress Tips and Strategies, in the article, "Stress and Altruism: Why Acts of Kindness Reduce Stress" states that acts of kindness can be conscious or can occur randomly. And, "Our sense of self-worth is largely defined in our own eyes. There is often a cumulative, positive transformation that occurs when we help, and a constant, often imperceptible, exchange of energy flows between living things. Even a simple exchange can boost the 'feel-good' factor."
Does Performing a Kind Act Really Improve Health?
Just as laughter and a good sense of humor have been found to protect one against a heart attack, performing random acts of kindness and helping others naturally improve one's sense of self-worth and can relieve stress. But stress relief is only the beginning. Kind actions toward others improve physical symptoms of disease and illness.
The Web site, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, explains there are positive health benefits of doing something nice for someone: "Stress-related health problems improve after performing kind acts. Helping reverses feelings of depression, supplies social contact, and decreases feelings of hostility and isolation that can cause stress, overeating, ulcers, etc. A drop in stress may, for some people, decrease the constriction within the lungs that leads to asthma attacks."
How Does One Go About Doing Kind Things for Others?
The nice thing about helping someone by doing a kind deed is the action is contagious. Just try waving to the neighbors and see what happens after a few days. Chances are good that at least some of the neighbors will spontaneously wave and smile without any prompting. Some of the suggested acts of kindness shown here take only a moment while others require a bit more planning.
- Bake something for a neighbor. This works well for getting to know someone that has just moved on the block or into the apartment next door; but don't forget long-time neighbors, too.
- Pay for someone's meal at a restaurant and tell the waitress or cashier that you wish to remain anonymous. Watch the surprise when the person goes to pay.
- Mow a neighbor's lawn while he's away at work.
- At a toll booth, pay for the person behind you.
- Smile and wave at the neighbors as you drive by.
- Invite an elderly neighbor to dinner at a restaurant.
- Tell a stranger you admire the outfit or hat he or she is wearing.
- Offer to take a neighbor without transportation to the grocery store or to run an errand.
- Take the grandparents out to a movie or to dinner – or both.
- Take the parents out for a night on the town.
- Offer to walk a neighbor's dog.
- Bring a bag or two of groceries to a single mom who's struggling to make ends meet.
- Bring a donation of pet food to the local animal shelter. (Hint: Some shelters house large animals too, like horses. Hay and oats may be just as welcome as dog food and cat food.)
- Present a flowering plant to a neighbor that lives alone or to a retired couple.
- Bring a bag of non-perishable groceries to a food bank.
- Bring school supplies to the home of child who does not seem to have much.
- Join a mentoring program in the community and teach a teenager good work habits.
- Volunteer in a Learn to Read program.
A simple act of kindness toward a living being results in a feeling of elation. But feeling good is only the beginning as specific ailments and symptoms of disease may also improve with good deeds. Kind acts give one's life meaning and a sense of purpose whether or not the act is acknowledged by the recipient; just knowing one has done something beneficial is enough to gain satisfaction.
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