Being kind has often been linked to our sense of psychological well-being. However, there are also physical health related benefits from acts of kindness. Being physically healthy is important, not just to get what we want done, but also to fulfil the responsibilities we have. If we think about simple examples, where you might not have been able to go to work due to fever or as a student, unable to face a presentation successfully due to an allergic condition which made you sneeze all the way, we realise that we were unable to fulfil our responsibilities due to being physically unhealthy.
There are factors such as nutrition, exercise, sleep and medical check-ups that affect our general physical well-being. However, recent research has shown that even our psychological life affects our physical health and well-being. This is largely due to the close connection between the mind and the body.
Stressful situations
When we suffer psychologically we might experience bodily symptoms. When we are in extremely stressful situations we might experience headaches and or even ulcers might occur suddenly. When scholarship exams are nearing many children end up visiting the pediatric units in hospitals, complaining of bodily aches and pains with no diagnosed physical issues. Sometimes children who experience abuse display various physical ailments. One such instance that I came across as a practitioner is the case of a boy who had a limp with no identifiable physical cause. It was later revealed that he was a witness to his father being physically abusive towards his mother. These are all instances where our body reacts to the psychological turmoil we experience.
Similar to the negative experiences that have unpleasant physical and psychological consequences, positive experiences also result in positive changes in our psyche as well as our body. Research has shown that acts of kindness are positive experiences that result in certain changes in our brain. There are places in the brain called reward centres. These areas are activated when we engage in something that we like and it results in a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. It could be something as simple as reading your favourite book which would make your reward centres activated and give you a sense of satisfaction. A similar result occurs when we engage in acts of kindness. In addition to the reward centres, the feel good hormone, Oxytocin is secreted.
With the increase in Oxytocin there is a drop in the stress hormone, cortisol. This reduces increased blood pressure and has also been linked to the experience of less pain. Giving donations has been shown to decrease blood pressure as much as taking a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Chronic stress
If being kind affects our body in a positive way, would being unkind affect our body? When we are unkind or when we hold on to grudges the risk of falling prey to conditions such as hyper tension, gastrointestinal issues and immune system related problems increase. When we bottle up emotions such as anger and frustration our body enters a chronic stress mode.
Chronic stress has also been found to be a main reason for a shorter lifespan. This is partly because our immune system is compromised in the face of continuous stress. When we experience chronic stress the energy that our body generates is used completely to prepare for any fight or fight responses. Our immune system functions at below capacity level leaving us susceptible to different types of illnesses. Therefore, we need to engage in activities that prevent this vicious cycle from continuing.
When we talk about acts of kindness, the typical picture that might come to mind is of one helping an old woman across the street. Being kind does not necessarily mean being kind to others, it also includes self-compassion. Studies show that an individual who is kind to oneself shows lesser activation of the stress response system and also reduces inflammatory responses after exposure to a stressor.