The Importance of Being Kind
This week is Mental Health Awareness week brought to us by Mental Health Foundation. This year’s theme focuses on kindness.
Kindness has been chosen as the theme because it strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity, which in a time like we are going through at the moment, could not be of a greater one to celebrate and think about being kind.
Kindness is a cornerstone of both individual and collective mental health, and can be something very little which can make the difference to both yourself or someone else. Kindness is something that all of us need to have as part of our lives.
Kindness is flowing through so many people during this pandemic, just take a look at Captain Tom Moore and how much he has raised for our NHS! The Mental Health foundation want kindness to spread even further throughout the communities, making it the perfect theme.
Kindness is doing something for someone else which will make a positive difference to them. This could be something as small as just holding a door open for someone. Take a look at our kindness game for some ideas for you. Kindness and mental health are deeply connected, with kindness creating a sense of belonging. Kindness can deepen friendships and relationships, reduce stress and even boost self-esteem.
Being kind can increase not only our emotional wellbeing but also our physical, giving or receiving. Acts of kindness can help the immune system as being kind to someone or seeing kindness can cause your immune system to spike, keeping you well. Kindness can also help your heart! Committing acts of kindness can help produce oxytocin which opens up our blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. This hormone increases self-esteem which can be helpful when we are feeling anxious or shy. Low levels of serotonin in the body is linked to anxiety and depression, and kindness increases serotonin, so we get the opposite emotional and physical effects when we are kind to someone. Oxytocin is also great for reducing the signs of aging!!
So during this week of celebration to kindness, have a think about what you can do to make someone’s life a little better. Show us some of your act of kindness at [email protected] or via social media www.facebook.com/yogabugs
