A Bite-Sized Read for Your Health and Waistline
We are about a week into November and if you are anything like me Thanksgiving is already taking up space in your brain. With relatives flying in my direction recipes to prep and traditions to honor it is so easy for the heart behind the holiday to slip to the back burner. Many people take this time of year to help at a soup kitchen or local pantry and of course that is wonderful. The truth is we can support others all year long and it turns out that doing so can actually support our health and overall wellbeing.
In a past episode of my podcast titled “Willpower Won’t Power” I talked about how acting with Kindness can create a real shift in our health. When our willpower feels low the primitive part of the brain that wants comfort and safety nudges us to stay small avoid risks and reach for familiar habits. Thinking of others interrupts that loop. When we show Kindness in any form we tell the brain and nervous system that we are safe enough to care about someone else. That message is so powerful.
Kindness also does not need to look like buying something expensive or grand. It might be treating someone to a coffee sharing a warm compliment holding the door open or letting someone merge during rush hour even when you would rather not. These tiny actions count. When we label them as acts of Kindness they become moments that help us build resilience and shift our inner state toward wellbeing.
There is real evidence for this. Acts of Kindness release oxytocin which relaxes blood vessels and supports healthier blood pressure. Doctors at Columbia found that these actions may even support the immune system. So yes these little moments are doing more than making someone’s day.
In another podcast episode where I talked about the idea of longevity I shared that having Purpose is a major factor in health. Kindness often gives us that sense of Purpose. It supports our physical emotional and spiritual wellbeing. A study from UC Berkeley found that older adults who volunteered on a regular basis were 44 percent less likely to die over five years. Forty four percent. That number still blows me away every time I say it.
There is also the happiness side of this. In her book How To Be Happy Dr Lori Santos talks about how happiness grows when we get out of our own heads and into the Community around us. Sometimes this shows up as sitting down with someone and sharing a real conversation. Those deeper conversations help us feel like we are using our time well and people feel happier when they feel like they have more time. When we share our attention our time and our presence we build Connection and that boosts wellbeing.
Some people describe this as the law of attraction. My friend and meditation coach Nandar Matari often talks about the mirror principle which is the idea that the world reflects what is happening inside us. When we show more Kindness we tend to experience more of it in return.
What I love most is how everyday gestures can make life better for both the giver and the receiver. Holding a door listening with intention using your time to support someone else all of it strengthens Community and Connection. And here is the reminder we all need. It is wonderful to be kind and it is risky to be kind only to others. As you think about the holiday season and all the warmth that comes with it save some of that Kindness for yourself too.