How is it that the ancient sages of India lived long and prosperous lives? Why are people who always indulge in some sort of charity and aid relief works almost always living a joyous and blissful life? Why are the richest and most successful human beings, be it Bill Gates, Azim Premji or actor Akshay Kumar helping thousands of people through their aid packages and donations?
Kindness and any selfless contribution for fellow human beings make us happy. This is something all of us, who had helped anyone selflessly, might have experienced. It need not always be something exasperating; it can be something minuscule act like helping an Oldman over an escalator, guiding a traffic-nervous person across the road, sharing your pillion seat with strangers to help them reach their destination as you reach yours. All of these are acts of kindness. If you had done anything similar selflessly you definitely should have experienced that supreme joy which manifests within you just for these simple acts.
Now let us look at the benefits of being kind, selflessly,
Note: It is important to be selfless and hence, if not inbuilt the act of helping without expectations can only be developed gradually.
1) SEROTONIN RELEASE
This is a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for satisfaction and well-being. An act of kindness releases an abundance of Serotonin in the brain making you feel content and improving your health.
2) IMPROVES LIFE SPAN
Being kind and compassionate will leave you happy. Being happy and content will slow down the ageing process and thus will improve your life span.
3) OXYTOCIN SURGE
Also dubbed as the love hormone which brings a great amount of blissfulness, Oxytocin is released when you socially bond with someone with your act of kindness.
4) LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
When you show compassion to someone and go help them out; naturally your body tries to get back to equilibrium. Studies have shown that amongst people with high blood pressure, who are kind and often commit an act of kindness have their B.P lowered than those who don’t.
5) STRESS AND ANXIETY MANAGEMENT
People who suffer from depression and other mental health issues related to anxiety and stress benefit a lot by regularly involving themselves in compassionate and helping acts. People become anxious because they feel they are not doing things right in their lives, they might also feel they are useless. When they volunteer in a flood relief program or some other charity stuff they suddenly realize they have put smiles on the face of many people and this helps reduce their anxiety.
6) REDUCE INFLAMMATION
According to a study conducted amongst people who volunteered for social and helpful activities published in “The Gerontologist” volunteering resulted in lower levels of inflammation. So does that means kindness has an anti-inflammatory property?
7) ENDORPHIN RELEASE
Endorphins are hormones which are released when one performs an exercise or physical workout. They are responsible for the high you feel after a session in the Gym. Endorphins are also released when you perform an act of kindness. This is also called “Helper’s high”.
Conclusion: An act of kindness, the best option for a healthy and blissful life
So a selfless help rendered to someone random is going to help you get over your stress and anxiety, improve your lifespan and help you live a disease-free life! That surely is a lot of incentives to go out and help anybody who would have their smiles back with your little attention and support but there is also a catch, it works the best when you do it just for the sake of doing it and not for the benefits that come with it.
Human beings are wired to naturally help each other. We have always lived social lives since prehistoric times. It is just the modern distractions and certain wrong propaganda which has probably taken it away from some of you. This article talks in detail about the benefits but its main purpose is to tell you it works best when you aren’t looking for the benefits.