I have written a lot about side effects of kindness, that when you give you also receive. Sometimes receiving can be in the form of acts of kindness done for you, or of seemingly random blessings showing up in your life, but they also come in the form of physiological effects. I had an experience […]
relationships
Happy dog, happy heart
I find myself writing this piece today because it was 5 years ago on this day that my dog, Oscar (main photo), passed away from bone cancer at the age of just over 2. He came into my life two days before I started writing my book about self love / self esteem, ‘I Heart […]
Emotions are currency, the exchange rate is empathy
We live in a world where statistics tell us how things are and the chances of something happening. Many of us take statistics we hear as facts, assuming that they apply to each of us individually. While statistics are immensely useful and they can give us startling insights and make astonishing predictions, we all know […]
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 […]
The 5 Side-Effects of Compassion
As an ex-pharmaceutical scientist, I enjoy reframing the term ‘side-effects’. We typically think of side-effects in the negative, as in the side-effects of drugs. But many of our positive behaviors also have side-effects. Below are 5 side-effects of compassion. 1) Compassion Wires the Brain In some ways we can think of the brain like a […]
Wired for Kindness
I was having a conversation recently with someone in business who told me he heard that humans are naturally selfish. He asked my opinion on the subject. I disagreed and explained why I believe we are, in fact, genetically wired to be kind. Genetic wiring (our genome) is shaped over millions of years as humans […]
7 Ways that Love is Good for Your Health
Love feels good. I think we’d all agree on that. But it also has some surprising health benefits. Here’s a list of 7 of them: 1) Love is good for your heart I think we all expect this. Biologically, love produces the hormone ‘oxytocin’. It’s why it’s often referred to as the ‘Love Hormone’ […]
5 Reasons Why Good Relationships are Healthy
We all know how enjoyable it is to have happy times with friends and family. These times are also good for our health. Here’s 5 reasons why: 1) They’re good for the heart Positive experiences with friends and family produce the hormone oxytocin. Research shows that oxytocin helps to lower blood pressure and also […]
Did you know you’re a chemist?
Yes, you are a chemist! As you think, you shape the chemistry of your brain and blood, you shape the chemistry of your relationships, and you also shape the chemistry of your life. I have a PhD in chemistry and was once a professional chemist. I trained in how to build molecules and found myself […]
The 5 Side-Effects of Kindness
**Repost** When we think of side effects the first thing that springs to mind are the side effects of drugs. But who’d have thought that kindness could have side effects too? Well, it does! And positive ones at that. 1) Kindness Makes us Happier When we do something kind for someone else, we feel good. […]