Options for kindness limitless

Kristen Hamling

"Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it." - Albert Schweitzer

This week we continue to work on positive emotions, through the act of kindness. Did you know that one of the most selfish things you can do is to help another person. Although there is some tongue in cheek in this statement, studies consistently show we feel happier when we perform acts of kindness - for our children, families, friends, and communities. It is likely you know yourself that you tend to feel happier in giving than in receiving and there are good studies consistently showing this to be the case.

Researchers have found that the act of helping another person triggers activity in the pleasure and reward parts of the brain. That is, when we see another person's happiness it activates the same parts of the brain as when we feel happiness ourselves. So it seems that making another person happy can actually have a physiological impact on us.

Kindness and compassion are also contagious. Benevolent acts can set in motion a ripple effect of kind acts, with cascading positive social consequences. Simply witnessing or hearing about kindness leads people to feel elevated and this increases their desire to perform good deeds. In light of this, I welcome stories about the activities of the various volunteers in our community who will potentially be nominated for the 2014 Volunteer (Kaituao) Awards.

A number of studies have shown that helping others makes people happier and healthier; with older volunteers particularly enjoying greater longevity in life, lower rates of depression, less heart disease and functioning better day to day. So it seems that it is good to be good.

This week's goal is to become more purposeful in acts of kindness, no matter how small or big. The options for kindness are unlimited. You only have to open your mind to the possibilities for kindness, if you look with fresh eyes there are chances all around you. The activities can be as small as holding a door open for someone, helping an elderly person with their groceries, buying a coffee for someone who's having a rough day, or smiling at a few strangers in the day. Or the act may be something more significant like taking a few meals around to a family who are struggling, donating blood or giving money to a charity. Your time can also be the most valuable thing to give, such as dropping in on an elderly neighbour for a cup of tea. Other kindness ideas can be found at www.randomactsofkindness.org

Share your kindness stories with your family, friends or co-workers so that we can start the ripple effect. Contact me if you'd like to help set up a website where we can post stories, photos and general information about acts of kindness within Wanganui.

Don't forget to be kind to yourself as well. Loving kindness and self-compassion has been shown to increase levels of well-being, happiness, resilience and success far more than when we push ourselves and are self-critical.

Next week we look at gratitude, an important act of kindness in and of itself.