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*** Enjoy this sneak peek excerpt from our upcoming book on
Restoring Human Connection in a Digital World ***
The warm feeling of well-being that washes over you when you’ve done something kind isn’t just in your head. It’s in your brain chemicals, too.
Most research on the science behind why kindness makes us feel better has centered around oxytocin. Oxytocin plays a role in forming social bonds. It’s tied to making us more trusting, more generous, and friendlier, while also lowering our blood pressure. Acts of kindness can give our oxytocin levels a boost.
Additionally, Dr. Waguih William IsHak, a professor of psychiatry, says studies have also linked random acts of kindness to releasing dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that can give us a feeling of euphoria. This feel-good brain chemical is credited with causing what’s known as a “helper’s high.”
So, serve yourself and others by lending a helping hand:
- Hold a door open
- Carry a heavy package to someone’s car
- Put luggage in an overhead airplane bin
- Help someone who is not fully able to cross the street
- Offer directions to someone who looks lost.
- Carry a fold-up stroller for a mom with her children trying to make her way through airport security lines.
- Send dinner to a friend who had a tough day/week/month.
- Run an errand for a colleague who is injured.
Your helping hand will refocus your mind to appreciate what you have versus what you want. It will also deepen your connection by helping the other person while giving you a boost of oxytocin and dopamine.