Research Section
Whether bringing over a meal to a sick friend, helping your colleague on a project
or volunteering in your community, acts of kindness can foster a greater sense of connection to others and provide us a sense of well-being knowing that we lent a hand to someone in need.
What you may not have known is that over the last two decades, researchers have backed up those feelings we experience with lots of evidence-based science showing kindness makes us happier and healthier.
I’ve included research links below on both kindness or compassion towards others as well as self-compassion.
Greater Good Science Center Magazine
Researchers analyzed the results from 126 research studies looking at almost 200,000 participants from around the world. Results showed that people who performed random, informal acts of kindness, like bringing a meal to a grieving friend, tended to be happier than people who performed more formal acts like volunteering in the community. Being kind can give people a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life more than having a sense of pleasure and comfort. Finally, people who performed acts of kindness tended to have higher self-esteem and a sense of self-efficacy. Click on the link below to find out more about the benefits of kindness.
“How Kindness Fits Into a Happy Life” by Jill Suttie, Psy.D., February 17, 2021
Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Mental Health Foundation
Kindness can have real mental health benefits including increased feelings of happiness, wellbeing, and life satisfaction. Studies also show kindness begets more kindness, having a ripple effect in both the individual and those that are the receivers of kind acts. There are many factors that help cultivate kindness such as gratitude practice or meditation focused on lovingkindness. You can find out more by reading the kindness research briefing link below published by the Mental Health Foundation.
Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
“Many of us believe being self-critical and hard on ourselves is a good thing” writes Dr. Emma Seppala, Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. On the contrary, Dr. Seppala lays out the scientific data showing that self-criticism makes us weaker and it is self-compassion that makes us more resilient in the face of failure. Read the link below to find out more about the benefits of self-compassion.