SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton: Science Behind Kindness And How It's Beneficial For Your Health

Press release from SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton:

February 16, 2022

For more than 25 years, the small nonprofit Random Acts of Kindness has been encouraging the world to be kind. Now, research shows that kindness towards others and yourself can actually improve your heart health and may even add years to your life.

Being considerate, helpful and thoughtful are the core qualities of kindness. People who have these qualities improve the lives of those around them and, in general, enjoy better health due to the biological changes that occur while being kind. Studies also indicate that simply witnessing acts of kindness has positive side effects.

“What research has shown is that when we are either thinking about kind acts or witnessing kind acts or engaging in acts of kindness to other people, there are several biochemical changes that happen in our brain,” says Dr. Bhawani Ballamudi, SSM Health child psychiatrist. “One of the most important things that happens is that it releases oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that’s been studied pretty widely. The most important thing is that it promotes a sense of bonding.”

Kindness is not only good for relationships. Dr. Ballamudi notes it’s a weapon against heart disease and other illnesses too.

“There is research showing that kindness can be cardioprotective--the reason being oxytocin, which in turn releases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels and thereby reduces your blood pressure, improving heart health,” says Dr. Ballamudi. “There’s research looking at some of the neurotransmitters, especially in regard to oxytocin, and how it can reduce inflammation. Reducing inflammation also, in some ways, protects you from chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and cancer, and that leads to overall better health and longevity.”

Dr. Ballamudi says it’s important to teach children, while they are young, how to be kind. She encourages volunteering with your kids so they can have the experience of feeling good when doing things for other people. It’s equally important, she says, to learn self-kindness.

“It is very important to be kind to yourself because we are all living in a very competitive society and we’re constantly putting ourselves down. We’re constantly doing a lot of negative self-talk and it leads to negative feelings, negative emotions. Then people start developing anxiety and depression.”

She advocates using the ”good neighbor rule” when it comes to self-kindness.

“Treat yourself as if you would treat your neighbor, with kindness, respect and love. If you wouldn’t say it to your good neighbor, do not say it to yourself.”

If you are looking for Random Acts of Kindness ideas, here is a list to help get you started.

This press release was produced by SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.