The health benefits of being nice
Want to live a happier and more fulfilled life? Be nice. That’s the advice that’s being handed out based on a recent research study.
So how can you get more niceties into your everyday life? Try some of our tips below.
Volunteer your time
Give up some time for charity and you will not only be helping a worthwhile cause, you’ll also be benefiting yourself. Whether it’s working at a charity shop, delivering food for Meals on Wheels or spending time working with your local church, there are so many ways to find a charity that needs helpers. Just think about a cause that you are interested in and see what comes up from there.
Be kind to strangers
Doing random acts of kindness can make you happier. Buy a homeless person a sandwich, pop a few coins in a parking metre for someone, or buy the Big Issue. Being kind causes your body to release oxytocin, which can lower your blood pressure.
Treat a friend, not yourself
They say it is better to give than receive, and this is definitely true if you want to be happier. So instead of buying yourself some new shoes (that, let’s face it, you could live without) why not take a neighbour out for lunch, or shout your friend their movie ticket. It’s also been found that the positive feedback loop from this experience makes it more likely that you will repeat it again in the future.
Take a step back at work
So often we’re focused on moving up the ladder, when there’s a lot of research that says we might be much happier to stay just where we are. Those at the top of the pecking order tend to experience a lot more stress than those underneath. So why not just enjoy where you are without constantly trying to earn more, do more, or be more.
Teach kids to be kind
It’s not too early for young people to be displaying acts of kindness to others. Teach them how good it feels to share your cake with a friend, or give them some advice on why they should listen to their mother when she asks them to stop picking on their sibling. If learned from a young age, children will grow up being kinder and nicer, which is always a positive.
Have you been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness? How did it make you feel? We would love to hear your story in the comments below.
Related links:
Overcoming pain using the power of the mind
The 4 tricks guaranteed to make you a morning person
5 extraordinarily simple ways to be happy