Science Shows That Kindness Heals

Science Shows That Kindness Heals
Posted: 01/16/2015 1:08 pm EST Updated: 01/16/2015 6:59 pm EST

Share 16
Tweet 18
0
Comment 0

Share on Google+

2015-01-14-handholdingflowerKirinFoster.jpg

A new year always calls for appropriate self-examination and introspection. It allows us to discern what additional self-kindness we can embrace to improve our well-being in the coming year. It turns out that a helpful resolution would also be to extend kindness to others because it actually can benefit your health.

A 2011 study by Michael Norton and colleagues at Harvard Business School found that giving money to someone else lifted the giver's happiness more than spending it on themselves. The researchers found that because prosocial spending increased happiness, it also encouraged more spending, which is a beneficial consequence for all.

Kindness feels good, benefiting both giver and receiver.

The health rewards of altruism are not reserved, however, for those with money to give away. Those who survive tragic losses, including suffering from devastating illness, have benefited by extending kindness to others. In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness.

In remembrance of the 26 individuals who died in the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, a former student, Ashley Petersen, organized an annual "26 days of Kindness." On each of the days, one of the victims is remembered. She encourages all participating to perform a charitable act in honor of that person. Paying deep homage to the 26 victims, she says, is a way to extend ongoing healing to the grieving survivors and, in addition, promote peace and kindness to a hurting world. Kindness feels good, benefiting both giver and receiver.

A 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that when people give to charities, the brain is activated in regions associated with pleasure and social connection, creating a "warm glow" effect. Scientists believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing a euphoric feeling known as a "helper's high." (It has been dubbed the G-rated version of a morphine high.)

In another study, Rachel Piferi of Johns Hopkins University and Kathleen Lawler of the University of Tennessee found that people who provided social support to others lowered their blood pressure. These giving participants additionally reported "greater self-esteem, less depression and less stress."

It's lovely when scientific studies back up what we have always known in our heart of hearts. "Kindness IS its own reward." We all have experienced the immediate benefits we receive when we offer kindness to another -- enriching feelings of connection and emotional intimacy. The giving and receiving of kindness promotes trust, encourages cooperation and strengthens our ties to one another. It is central to achieving mental, emotional and social well-being.

It's actually a privilege to care about each other and to proactively extend that caring as often as possible. Every time we do, something in us grows and comes alive. Kindness heals our world, one act of giving at a time. What acts of giving kindness have benefited you?

As a giver and/or receiver, how has an act of giving kindness made you feel?



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ornish-living/science-shows-that-kindne_1_b_6474396.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good%20News

Brasidas wrote:

Science Shows That Kindness Heals
Posted: 01/16/2015 1:08 pm EST Updated: 01/16/2015 6:59 pm EST

   Share 16
   Tweet 18
   0
   Comment 0

   Share on Google+

2015-01-14-handholdingflowerKirinFoster.jpg

A new year always calls for appropriate self-examination and introspection. It allows us to discern what additional self-kindness we can embrace to improve our well-being in the coming year. It turns out that a helpful resolution would also be to extend kindness to others because it actually can benefit your health.

A 2011 study by Michael Norton and colleagues at Harvard Business School found that giving money to someone else lifted the giver's happiness more than spending it on themselves. The researchers found that because prosocial spending increased happiness, it also encouraged more spending, which is a beneficial consequence for all.

Kindness feels good, benefiting both giver and receiver.

The health rewards of altruism are not reserved, however, for those with money to give away. Those who survive tragic losses, including suffering from devastating illness, have benefited by extending kindness to others. In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness.

In remembrance of the 26 individuals who died in the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, a former student, Ashley Petersen, organized an annual "26 days of Kindness." On each of the days, one of the victims is remembered. She encourages all participating to perform a charitable act in honor of that person. Paying deep homage to the 26 victims, she says, is a way to extend ongoing healing to the grieving survivors and, in addition, promote peace and kindness to a hurting world. Kindness feels good, benefiting both giver and receiver.

A 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that when people give to charities, the brain is activated in regions associated with pleasure and social connection, creating a "warm glow" effect. Scientists believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing a euphoric feeling known as a "helper's high." (It has been dubbed the G-rated version of a morphine high.)

In another study, Rachel Piferi of Johns Hopkins University and Kathleen Lawler of the University of Tennessee found that people who provided social support to others lowered their blood pressure. These giving participants additionally reported "greater self-esteem, less depression and less stress."

It's lovely when scientific studies back up what we have always known in our heart of hearts. "Kindness IS its own reward." We all have experienced the immediate benefits we receive when we offer kindness to another -- enriching feelings of connection and emotional intimacy. The giving and receiving of kindness promotes trust, encourages cooperation and strengthens our ties to one another. It is central to achieving mental, emotional and social well-being.

It's actually a privilege to care about each other and to proactively extend that caring as often as possible. Every time we do, something in us grows and comes alive. Kindness heals our world, one act of giving at a time. What acts of giving kindness have benefited you?

As a giver and/or receiver, how has an act of giving kindness made you feel?



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ornish-living/science-shows-that-kindne_1_b_6474396.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good%20News

Only in a capitalist "more money to the top" society could this be considered good....

People do feel good when they shop for themselves and even more for others with gifts. You cannot beat seeing the smile of someone where you present them with a gift and even more so when it is a surprise. That is very much a feel good factor for all involved.
No love does not really cost anything, as you cannot put a price on love, but you can certainly feel good about yourself, when you cough at more, which even though it should not do, people know those receiving will appreciate more. This is just done subconsciously, because today we sadly place value on everything
So with this in mind, you then have the view by some. Where the spending will be based on how much more we spend on a gift for someone. Obviously things like effort and thought is what should matter, but wrongly so does value for some. As again you do not exactly feel great to buy a cheap tacky present for someone and then expect them to smile.
I mean you know when someone has just got a shit present they look like this:

Oh dont get me wrong....

I tend to agree with the overall sentiment

BUT OBLY a capitalist could come out with that statement, which ALSO implies that unless you can give money you are incapable of kindness.....(which is typical tory thinking) and that all other acts of kindness are somehow less valid, when in reality giving a bit of TIME may be what is required.

like the capitalist modle of the family which says that unless you buy your kid all tyhe "latest...you are a bad parent

with NO mention of the fact that the "richest" in terms of happiness are usually those kids who's parents spend TIME with them ...not buy em dozens of games and shove em in a room on their own....which FAR too many do these days...


FGS ...take em out shooting (with a camera if you really HAVE to be a tree hugger) or something...anything....

where do my grand kids want to spend their holidays.....in "grandads shed"

Agreed Victor/ It is as I say, placing value on everything which has brought a poor material wealth mentality. The best gifts are those created with the most thought and care placed into them.


Catch you later

The article does mention lending social support and other non-material acts of kindness.

What's interesting is that evolution has selected for individuals who feel pleasure when they do things that better the species' chance at survival -- that nice full feeling after you've eaten, the euphoria of romance, the cozy feeling of coming in out of the cold -- all rewards for avoiding starvation, for reproducing, for not freezing to death.

The sense of well-being felt when helping others surely has something to do with the survival strategy of the human species, in other words.

Ben_Reilly wrote:The article does mention lending social support and other non-material acts of kindness.

What's interesting is that evolution has selected for individuals who feel pleasure when they do things that better the species' chance at survival -- that nice full feeling after you've eaten, the euphoria of romance, the cozy feeling of coming in out of the cold -- all rewards for avoiding starvation, for reproducing, for not freezing to death.

The sense of well-being felt when helping others surely has something to do with the survival strategy of the human species, in other words.

I dont think it IS a "species" survival tactic

I think folks tend to help those that are more "useful" to them, so its a "personal survival tactic"

lets look at whom I am inclined to help

family....unlimited and unrestricted

close friends almost the same

aquaintances   umm to some etent...depending on how I value them

strangers of my OWN kind but who are "reasonable" to me   yer to a limited extent

strangers NOT of my own kind but who are "reasonable" to me...very limited but inclined to at least ensure their safety


people of my own kind who I deem to be "not reasonable"...I.e the "hoody" or the  feral youth with that look of truculent disrespect ...
and  people "not of my own" with a similar disposition....not at all.....what part of "i wouldnt piss on them if they were on fire " would you like me to explain??
(that also goes for the neigbour round the corner....but he's a special case...having incurred my wrath and ire on a number of occaisions with his nosey interference it things which do not rightly concern him....)

people of ANY country outside my own ...sorry guys I aint really that interested...you are too far away and too remote for me to be interested in your problems...
and besides...you are NOT my tribe.....

Tribes are stupid. But in your helping others, you do help the species persist. Very few people can have the huge world impact that someone like, say, Norman Borlaug. Most just help out people in their own area, like you.

Whilst it's always lovely to make people smile and I can agree with the sentiments of the OP as a whole, I rememeber a Friends episode, (yes they do teach us stuff!), where a character tells another character that there are NO unselfish deeds!

The very act of making someone happy makes you happy, thereby making it a selfish deed...?

Just a little spanner in the works lol

Indeed Eddie it ca be seen as a selfish act, if of course you have done the deed out of gaining attention for yourself or the deed is done for alternative reasons like religious conversions. Still though a good deed is in the main done so not in the view of helping yourself but to help others. The saddest part though on why some deeds are done, is only because it takes something bad to happen for people to act.