For some reason, I feel better when I lift the heavy burden of an elderly person I bumped into on the street, or when I help someone who is lost. Kindness in everyday life, which is nothing special as such, has a positive effect on your mood as well as your health.
Unrequited kindness towards others returns to health ㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
Kindness to others returns to brain health
According to a study published in 2016 by a research team led by Professor Tristen K. Inagaki from the Department of Neuroscience at San Diego State University, USA, kindness and altruism towards others is directly related to brain health. The researchers recruited 45 adults and asked them to complete a task in exchange for a monetary reward. However, there was a condition on how to receive the prize, and the participant could receive it directly, donate it to charity, or give it to a close acquaintance of the participant instead. The method of admission was decided at random.
The researchers then analyzed and evaluated the participants’ facial expressions and emotions during the task, and took pictures of the participants’ brains after the task was over. As a result, interesting changes were seen in the brains of the participants whose prizes were to be given to charities or close acquaintances. The activity of the amygdala decreased and the activity of the ventral striatum increased. The amygdala is an area of the brain that regulates emotions and is associated with negative emotions such as fear and anxiety. On the other hand, the ventral striatum is the reward area of the brain and is associated with happiness or pleasure. “Altruistic or kind behavior appears to reduce anxiety and stress,” the researchers predicted.
In addition, researchers at the University of Michigan in the United States analyzed the correlation between volunteering and the incidence of depression in 6,928 American adults, and found that those who actively participated in volunteering had higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms than the some who took part in volunteering. show a diminishing phenomenon. This was analyzed because the altruistic behavior stimulated the brain’s reward center and increased the secretion of hormones associated with positive emotions, such as dopamine. Hormones released due to stimulation of the reward center reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and help extend a healthy lifespan.
It can also reduce blood pressure and stress
Kind acts also affect physical health. According to a 2015 study by joint researchers from Harvard University in the United States and the University of British Columbia in Canada, kindness to others without expecting anything in return lowers blood pressure. Acts of kindness stimulate the brain to secrete a hormone called oxytocin, which has the effect of dilating blood vessels and strengthening the immune system. In addition, researchers at Yale University in the United States also published a study in 2014 that acts of kindness helps prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing the amount of cortisol secretion and blood pressure, which are stress hormones and causes of cardiovascular disease.
A person who knows how to love himself can be kind
In a modern society where individualism is becoming stronger, it is rather difficult to be kind to others without expecting anything in return. However, kindness makes human relationships and social life smooth, and is also useful for practical health. Therefore, cultivating a kind attitude is usually helpful in many ways.
To be a kind person, you must have high self-esteem above all else. This is because people who know how to love themselves can be more compassionate towards others. A clear sense of purpose, focus on the present, and regular exercise can play an important role in boosting self-esteem. Haidak Mental Health Medicine Advisor Dr. Jung Geon (Jeong Geon Yonsei Psychiatric Clinic) advised, “In order to increase self-esteem, one needs to have the mindset to do the best in everything.”
Help = Haidaq Counseling Doctor Jeong Geon (Jung Geon Yonsei Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric Specialist)
