Science of Kindness: How to reap measurable health benefits and make the world a better place too

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle”: Plato. A lot of us build a wall of cynicism and resignation around ourselves as time passes. Work plateaus, some of our fears are realised, the stress piles up, disappointments mount and the subliminal spaces in our relationships fill with resentment. The elusive “dream life” starts feeling more like a rigged carrot and stick. [caption id=“attachment_7796971” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] It seems strange to even hope that medical science might have a fix for this - for all of these vague feelings of somehow falling short, of having missed out and generally fallen behind. While the field of medicine doesn’t promise a silver bullet against disaffection, more and more studies are pointing to a simple solution that is within our reach today, right now if we choose: science is now embracing the depths of intimacy and kindness, showing how simple acts of kindness make us feel better about ourselves and feel more connected with world. Kindness, it seems, has some measurable health benefits, too: blood pressure goes down, stress takes a hit, your sense of self is reaffirmed, and you may even live longer. Being more thoughtful and kind to your friends, or even acquaintances, witnessing random acts of kindness, being kind to yourself by taking some time off and focusing on the good things you’ve got going for you have all been linked to a higher quality of life and greater satisfaction.

What the Corpus of Kindness says

Two significant findings are that kindness 1) can be taught and 2) acts of generosity are contagious. A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, found that “(kindness is) kind of like weight training, we found that people can actually build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help”. A Stanford study published in 2016 found that the positive effects of a kind act were felt by all witnesses to the event. Their moods improved and they were more likely to pay it forward by performing an act of kindness themselves. It was reported that in Winnipeg, Canada, a person picked up the tab for the next car at a drive-through. Such was the appreciation of the gesture that the next 226 customers picked up the tab for their neighbours as well.

Start from within  

Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) involves focussing on deep, tender, loving thoughts, possibly about your partner. A study showed that those who practised LMK for one hour a week felt more purposeful and positive in their interactions with other people. They also reported feeling a stronger connection with their partners. The literature on LKM links it to lower rates of depression, reduced pain from migraines, and possibly even to longer lifespans. A study found longer telomeres (end-caps on the DNA) in women who practised LKM. Longer telomeres have been associated with a slower pace of ageing. Encouragingly, studies have found that short, 10-minute sessions of LKM can help people feel the benefits of it, too.

Be kind to friends. Be kind to strangers, too

A study published in  The Journal of Social Psychology  in 2017 looked into the effects of kindness on 683 adults. The researchers split the participants into four groups. Two groups were asked to perform at least one act of kindness every day for a week. The first group had to be kind to people they knew while the second group focussed on acquaintances or strangers. The third group practised acts of self-kindness such as meditating or dancing to their favourite songs. While the fourth group witnessed random acts of kindness in their daily lives. These groups were compared to a control group that went on with life as usual. The researchers found that those in the study group were happier than the control group. What was surprising, however, was that the survey suggested that all four groups were equally happy. The researchers anticipated that those who performed acts of kindness for close friends would be the happiest, but this wasn’t the case.

What explains these findings?

A shift from focussing on the negative and mundane to the positive in the world has an ameliorative effect on people, according to Lee Rowland, director of research at Kindness.org.   Helping others also elevates the part of the brain that deals with pleasure. Higher levels of oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, increase when witnessing or performing an act of kindness. This also boosts self-esteem and confidence and even lowers blood pressure. Kindness also stimulates the production of serotonin, which is added to many antidepressant drugs. A release of serotonin is associated with feelings of happiness and a sense of calm.   It appears that several neuro-biological pathways reward and respond to kindness. It is easy to forget this slow lane to contentment in these fast times, but it is still reassuring to know that going back to the basics is therapeutic. For more information, please read our article on   Anxiety_._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.