By Leanna Coy, FNP-BC
Dolly Parton once said, “When I wake up, I expect things to be good. If they’re not, then I try to set about trying to make them as good as I can ‘cause I know I’m gonna have to live that day anyway. So why not try to make the most of it if you can?” The country singer’s recent death touched many people who grew up listening to her music and considered her a national treasure.
Beyond music, Parton was known for her altruism including her Imagination Library, which sends free books to millions of children, supported disaster relief, and funded research to advance the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. Her desire to help others stemmed from her humility, and a desire to help others. Click on the image for a song dedicated to Dolly, and ask yourself “What would Dolly Do?”
Parton’s compassion towards others sets an example many people find hard to follow. Whether it’s people feeling like they have nothing of value to offer or choosing not to be kind to strangers due to differing points of view. But as humans, we have more in common with each other than what is often portrayed or acknowledged, and kindness doesn’t have to cost a thing. In fact, there are real health rewards when you share a kindness with others. These health benefits can improve your heart, mind, and overall well-being.
Body changes in response to kindness
Acts of kindness are actions that positively contribute to someone else’s life with no expectation of anything in return such as giving a friend a ride, mowing the lawn for an elderly neighbor, or donating blood. They can also include social interactions with both people and animals. These actions trigger positive physical effects by releasing chemicals known as hormones and neurotransmitters that make you feel good and help improve your health.
Using magnetic imaging (MRI), researchers at Emory University were able to see the changes to the brain that occur with acts of kindness. The imaging showed the brain’s reward and pleasure centers light up. The acts of goodwill trigger a release of oxytocin, dopamine, cortisol, serotonin, and endorphins. When triggered, these chemical messengers tell various parts of the body – such as muscles, organs, and tissue – what to do. The chemical messengers interact with each other, influencing both your physical and your mental health. Physical effects can include improved heart health, metabolism, kidney function, and reduced inflammation. Kindness improves mental health by decreasing anxiety and depression and reducing stress.
The cardiovascular benefits of kindness
When we talk about heart health, we often talk about eating a diet low in saturated fats, staying physically active, and managing your blood pressure. But being kind is one of the easiest and least expensive things you can do for your heart. The oxytocin your body releases is good for the heart.
Oxytocin is both a hormone and a chemical in the nervous system. It causes blood vessels to open up resulting in lower blood pressure. It also helps reduce inflammation in the cardiovascular system. That inflammation can stiffen blood vessels leading to what is commonly called “hardening of the arteries,” and heart disease. For these reasons, oxytocin is said to have cardioprotective benefits, meaning it protects the heart.
Researchers studying the impact kindness has on blood pressure asked study participants with high blood pressure to spend money on other people. The results showed this action reduced blood pressure with benefits similar to increasing exercise and taking blood pressure medications. Some results showed that the more money people spent on others, the lower their blood pressure two years later.
Goodwill towards your mental health
Like oxytocin, dopamine is a hormone and chemical messenger that can trigger blood vessel relaxation and lower blood pressure. But what dopamine is really known for is making you feel good. It influences both the pleasure and the reward areas of the brain. When you do something that makes you feel good, dopamine levels rise and you feel enjoyment or happiness, such as when you eat a food you find tasty, cuddle with someone you love, or engage in an enjoyable activity. Dopamine is also released as a “helper’s high” when you do an act of kindness.
Of all the health benefits of kindness, the effect on mental health is the best studied. Researchers have found that kindness does not need to cost money, time, or extra work to improve your mental health. Small acts – such as holding a door for another person or thanking someone – can have the same positive impact on a person’s mental health as grander acts of kindness. Consider how you feel when someone smiles at you and holds a door. You get an instant mood booster, and you might want to share a similar kindness with the next person. Your mind craves the positive feeling and will seek it out.
Additional health benefits to being kind
Science also found a positive impact of freely giving one’s time through volunteering. In the large Health and Retirement Study, researchers found volunteering helped people age better. Participants who volunteered their time stayed more physically active, had a lower risk of death, and were healthier than those who did not. People reported having more purpose in their lives with fewer feelings of loneliness and depression. Other studies support the longevity findings and also report reductions in participants’ physical pain.
Kindness isn’t dependent on your political affiliation, where you live, or who you love. It is a genuine human behavior that costs nothing. It’s a simple gesture, not a symbolic one. Everyone’s biology responds the same way to the chemical messengers triggered by kindness. Here are some ways you can be kind to others today:
- Compliment someone on their outfit
- Hold the door open for the person behind you
- Write a positive online review for a favorite spot
- Smile at a stranger
- Help a neighbor carry in their groceries
- Call a family member just to chat
- Pick up a piece of litter and throw it in the trash
- Let someone go ahead of you in line or while driving
You don’t have to make a huge lifestyle change to incorporate kindness. Just think like Dolly and try to make things good. Start by doing one act of kindness a day and see how it makes you feel.
