It’s been said that love or kindness can mend a broken heart. It’s true, and by this we generally mean emotionally. But there’s much more to it. Love and kindness also have a physical impact on the heart. Let me explain. Everyone knows that stress creates stress hormones, like cortisol, adrenalin, and norepinephrine. But, to […]
kindness
As one goes up – the other comes down
Kindness and stress are like two people on a seesaw. As one side goes up, the other comes down. As we practice more kindness in our lives, stress tends to come down. Less kindness, on the other hand, often correlates with more stress. That’s certainly what research is showing. In a study led by Emily […]
Pay It Forward
I love the concept of Pay it Forward. I first heard about it from the film of that name, starring a young Haley Joel Osment. Based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the story follows a young boy whose idea to pay acts of kindness forward set in motion an extraordinary chain of events […]
Born to be kind
“My religion is Kindness” HH The Dalai Lama You’ve probably heard of ‘The Selfish Gene’. Many have mistakenly taken this to mean than humans are naturally selfish. That’s not what the term ‘selfish gene’ refers to. Selfish gene really refers to the process of evolution where genes are copied and passed onto the next generation. […]
The Most Attractive Quality
We usually think of ‘attractive’ in the same sentence as physical appearance. But deep down, what we really find most attractive is kindness. Think about it. A study of over 10,000 people found this. Quizzed about what they most wanted in a potential long-term mate, kindness was the No.1 choice. It came above good looks […]
Molecules of Kindness
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop A molecule is a useful collection of atoms. I used to be an organic chemist so I made molecules every day. Even if you don’t know exactly what a molecule is, I’ll bet you’re familiar with many popular ones. Serotonin is a molecule […]
Helper’s High
The term ‘Helper’s High’ was first coined by Allan Luks, in his book, ‘The Healing Power of Doing Good’. You’re probably familiar with the high. It’s that good feeling we get when we do something kind for someone or an animal. There are loads of ways we can help each other. Giving time to someone […]
6 fascinating facts about the love hormone… and what that means for you
I’ve written quite a lot about oxytocin, which also goes by the name of ‘love hormone’, ‘cuddle chemical’, ‘molecule of kindness’, or any other affectionate term that implies something about bonding and connecting. If you ever wondered about those names, it’s because we produce oxytocin when we’re feeling love or connection (with a human, animal, […]
The 3-Degree Ripple Rule
You probably know that when you do a kind act, the impact goes farther than the person whom you have helped. But I suspect you hadn’t considered that each simple act of kindness you do might actually be affecting around 16 people. So how do I come up with that number? Well, it’s based research […]
Don’t judge a book by its cover
OK, this isn’t a blog about books or their covers, but have you ever made a judgment about someone’s behaviour then later realised you were completely wrong? While I was waiting in line at a coffee shop earlier, a woman drove alongside the queue in a mobility scooter. There was only a narrow space between […]