How Can Kindness Help in Boosting Mental Health? Five Ways How It Can Work Its Magic!

Everyone loves a bit of kindness. But kindness is not only about making others happy but also making you happy. When we perform an act of kindness, we boost an area of the brain called the striatum. This brain area helps reward that part of the brain and provides the feeling that we have when we have nice food and addictive drugs.

This feel-good can give you a warm glow. Research in psychology shows a link between a random act of kindness and a feeling of happiness. Even if you think about a past act of kindness, it can improve your mood. So, here are ways that can help make you happy and boost your mental health.

The Science Behind Smiling

When you are kind, you can make someone smile, and when you see that smile, it may turn out to be contagious.  A key theory to understand is neuroscience suggests that when you see someone else show a natural emotion. You can automatically activate the same parts of the brain when we experience the very emotion for ourselves. You may even find yourself laughing just because somebody else is. So, you can set off that chain of good feelings by showering on someone with a nice surprise.

Indulging in Charities Can Provide a Positive Impact

When someone feels negative, it can make us feel down. This is especially true for close friends and family, as they help our brain physically impact our representations of ourselves. When you make someone feel good, particularly when someone is feeling sad, this works great for people we are close to.

It can even apply to humanitarian problems such as things like climate change and poverty. When you are involved with charities that tackle some of these issues, it can cause a positive impact, which can help provide a good mood boost.

Make Connections

When you open up to varied possibilities, it helps start or forge a social connection with someone. Random kind of acts that can turn out to be thoughtful present or can also help strengthen the friendships. It also enables you to improve your mood. Also, charities offer connecting opportunities with someone on the other side of the world through donations to improve their lives. Volunteering also helps people connect with, to those who are volunteers, and to those helping.

Acts of Kindness

Most people think that they are kind people. So, when you perform acts of kindness helps us display a positive identity and feel good about ourselves. Even when you were in school, you recognized the importance of being kind. When you do better as a person, you feel complete and may lead to more happiness.

This effect can help impact different aspects of our personality, generating a more purposeful feeling. For instance, it can be an animal-lover rescuing a dog from getting stoned or an art-lover who could donate to a gallery, or a retired teacher who could volunteer to help with an after-school group. Research suggests that when we identify with the organization, we volunteer for, we are more satisfied and feel more calm and collected.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Work on different acts of the psychology of kindness that shows that one out of several motivations is reciprocity, or what you can call returning the favor. This can happen either directly or indirectly. Someone may remember that you helped them in the past and therefore may also help you in the future.

When you are the kind one in the group person, it can help others in the group be kinder and help everyone lift their spirits. Start baking cakes for people in the office, and this act of kindness can catch on, making other people follow. And you will love the act of getting cakes in return, doing a good deed and getting the same in return is a wonderful feeling.

Being kind has a chain-like effect. Helping people, can make other people perform acts of kindness, and it will go on. Research also shows when you are in a good mood, you are more kind, and when you are more kind, you tend to be in a better mood. This makes for a wonderful two-way relationship to keep things going. The next time you do a favor to someone, know that you are doing a favor to yourself too. Your mental health will certainly thank you for it.