Photo by Randalyn Hill on Unsplash
As the global health pandemic continues beyond two years, many of us are struggling to maintain our resilience. Being kind to others is an easy way to boost your well-being while helping others who are struggling.
This summer, Bryant P.H. Hui, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, published the results of an extensive review of over 200 studies on kindness. Hui and his colleagues found a modest but significant link between prosocial behavior and the givers’ well-being.
Small gestures of kindness are quite powerful for the giver. Hui and his colleagues found that random acts of kindness, such as helping an older neighbor carry groceries, were more strongly associated with overall wellbeing than formal prosocial behavior, such as scheduled volunteering for a charity. Hui thinks this may be because informal helping is more casual and spontaneous and may more easily lead to forming social connections. Informal giving is also more varied and less likely to become stale or monotonous, he said.
Promoting kindness at work can also have a positive impact. A study published in the journal Emotion examined the effects of performing random acts of kindness in the workplace. The study focused on the behaviors of more than 100 employees who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: "givers," "receivers," and a "control" group. Researchers instructed the "givers" to perform five acts of kindness to specific "receivers" for four weeks. The "receivers" and "control" were led to believe the study was about workplace morale and were tasked with discretely keeping track of the generous behaviors they observed.
Both "givers" and "receivers" felt happier and reported higher levels of well-being (less depressed and more satisfied with their jobs) two months later compared to the control. Researchers also discovered that acts of kindness had a positive ripple effect. "Receivers" weren't only paying back the acts of kindness to the "givers," but they also paid it forward, meaning that others benefited, too. "Receivers" in the experiment paid it forward by doling out more acts of kindness than the control group – 278% more.
Other researchers confirm that kindness is contagious. Researcher Jamil Zaki and colleagues found that people imitate the particulars of positive actions and the spirit underlying them. They concluded that an individual's kindness could trigger people to spread positivity in other ways.
To help you and others thrive during the coronavirus crisis, remind yourself to be kind. If you’re looking for more inspiration on the positive impact of being kind, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a wealth of information on the science of kindness and how to become a kindness advocate.
What acts of kindness have you done lately? What impact did these acts have on your well-being?
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