Sharing kindness is contagious

FOR some time now I have been actively sharing stories of the kindness that exists in the world with my family, friends and colleagues.

These things are happening all the time, but we don’t always hear about them. I want to shout about the things that people are doing to be kind to others.

The ‘doing’ part is important because I believe that kindness is active.

It’s about taking an action, doing something that will make someone else’s day brighter.

You might also take action to make your own day brighter – self-kindness is really important too.

Kind thoughts are possible, and desirable. But you will only really make that difference to your friend, neighbour, family member or stranger when you take a step to action.

It’s contagious

Being contagious isn’t always a good thing, as we all know only too well in 2022. But in the case of doing something nice for others, it’s a great thing that your action and the feeling it causes can be passed on.

Research has shown that doing something kind for another person is good for you as well as them.

Your levels of hormones such as serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin are all raised when you have given a stranger directions, made your brother a cup of tea or helped a colleague finish their report. Studies have shown that as well as feeling better, you will be physically healthier too.

Where to start

If you’re not sure what actions to take, a great place to start is the Random Acts of Kindness website or the Mental Health Foundation.

They both have lists of things you can do to be kind, from asking how shop staff are doing to planting trees and putting out a neighbour’s bins.

You will probably find that you already do some of these things but hadn’t necessarily thought of them as being about kindness.

One easy way to be kind is to tell others about any kindness you see and share the positivity and joy with them. It might feel strange at first if it’s not the sort of thing you normally discuss over the dinner table or the garden fence. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

The great thing about acts of kindness is that they can be:

• big or small;

• carried out in an instant or over a longer period of time;

• proactive or reactive.

They can take place in just about any setting: at work, outdoors, indoors, with family, with friends, with strangers. Whatever you choose to do, you will be making the world a kinder place for everyone.

What kind actions have you taken recently? And what will you do today?

Sarah Browning is a Kindness Cheerleader. Her website is: www. timeforkindness. co.uk