You've got to be cool to be kind
Sunday is World Kindness Day, but just how good for you is thinking of others? Dr David R Hamilton explains the advantages of being altruistic
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Your support makes all the difference.The benefits of kindness range from your emotional health right down to your cardiovascular and nervous systems. It was in 1979 that psychologists first coined the term "helpers' high" after a survey found that charity volunteers felt happier as a result of their good deeds.
It happens in two ways. When a person performs an act of kindness, the brain produces dopamine, associated with positive thinking. Secondly – and more importantly – the brain has its own natural versions of morphine and heroine: endogenous opioids, such as endorphins. It is believed that when a person does an act of kindness they feel good on a chemical level thanks to the production of these endogenous opioids.
There was an experiment a couple of years ago, which saw volunteers asked to choose a day of the week on which to do five acts of kindness. It lasted for 10 weeks, and at the end of the period their happiness levels were compared with people who didn't engage in kindness. There was a significant difference.
Physically, the benefits come from the relaxation of your nervous system and your cardiovascular system. If you do an act of kindness face-to-face with someone – for instance you help someone carry their shopping – you create an emotional bond. The body produces oxytocin, the bonding hormone. It binds to the lining of our blood vessels and causes the dilation of the arteries. The side effect of all that is a reduction of blood pressure. Oxytocin is a cardio-protective hormone. For me, that realisation is one of the most significant breakthroughs.
At the same time, kindness benefits the nervous system. The longest nerve in the human body is the vagus nerve, which controls inflammation in the body. It plays a role in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy. Studies show that people who practice compassion have a more active vagus nerve – hence its nickname, the "nerve of compassion".
To feel these benefits, you don't have to go out looking to change someone's life. It can be a matter of small things. If you're on the look-out, you automatically start to notice opportunities.
For instance a woman going down a flight of stairs with a pram. There's something I call the 21-day kindness challenge. You do one act of kindness every day: make a cup of tea, pay a compliment. Something you wouldn't usually do, but which will make a difference. Either way, you should feel the benefit.
Interview by Alice-Azania Jarvis. Dr David R Hamilton is the author of Why Kindness Is Good For You
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