How can you change your brain chemistry, releasing hormones that will help you de-stress and even help protect your heart health? Perform small acts of kindness. It sounds odd, and possibly too good to be true, but researchers, psychologists, and many other experts all agree.
Being kind to others improves your sense of well-being, flooding your system with the pleasure hormone dopamine and the mood stabilizer serotonin. It also decreases the stress hormone cortisol, which is good for your cardiac health. Any form of kindness to others can be beneficial, but an exhaustive review of 201 studies by the American Psychological Association found that small, random acts of kindness brought the biggest boost of all.
It also makes you a better leader
Interestingly, neuroscience research also suggests being kind to others will make you a better leader. That’s because kindness to others will help increase your empathy, a key trait for every leader and a huge component of emotional intelligence. And when others witness an act of kindness, it releases those same hormones. (This explains why The Dodo, a YouTube channel devoted to wild animal rescue videos, has about 19 million subscribers.)
As a leader, you can use this effect to make both kindness and well-being ripple out through your organization. When people see you being kind to others, it will make them feel happier and less stressed. That makes it likelier that they’ll be kind themselves. And that effect is amplified because the people who work for you see your behavior as a norm and a model for how they should behave themselves at work. That means there’s a very good chance your kind behavior will inspire others to do the same. That will flood their brains with the same positive chemicals and increase their well-being as well.
The ‘Helper’s High’
Think back to the last time you did something nice for someone, especially if it was a spur-of-the-moment act. I’m guessing it brought up what is commonly called a “warm, fuzzy” feeling—the emotional sensation that tells you these good hormones are at work. “Researchers call this phenomenon the Helper’s High, a measurable brain state associated with positive emotions, reduced stress, and even pain relief,” writes Narineh Hartoonian, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Rowan Center for Behavioral Medicine. She adds that fMRI readings show acts of kindness lighting up the same brain areas as receiving money. “Being kind doesn’t just make you feel good. It’s your brain’s way of saying, ‘This is what we’re built for.’”
And in some ways, it really is what we’re built for. We evolved as a highly social species, in groups and clans. Help one member of the clan and you help the whole group, creating better odds of survival for all.
Look for kindness opportunities
So how can you put this knowledge into practice? Opportunities to perform random acts of kindness are all around us. It could be as simple as picking up a piece of litter and putting it in the trash, or saying yes to adding a dollar to your grocery total to help a charity. It could be bringing a cup of coffee to a colleague or taking a few minutes to phone a friend who is having a hard time. Or you could pay for the person behind you in a drive-through line. Back in 2020, an unbroken chain of 900 drivers did that at a Dairy Queen in Minnesota, an event that lasted more than two days. That’s how powerful random acts of kindness can be.
Some experts recommend performing five small random acts of kindness every day. That’s a great goal, but if it sounds like too much, try a smaller number—even just one. That will be enough to change your mindset, putting you on the lookout for chances to be kind. When you take those opportunities, you’ll make yourself healthier and happier. You’ll make the people watching happier too. And, in a small way, you’ll be helping to build a better, happier world.
There’s a growing audience of Inc.com readers who receive a daily text from me with a self-care or motivational microchallenge or tip. Often, they text me back and we wind up in a conversation. (Want to know more? Here’s some information about the texts and a special invitation to a two-month free trial.) Most are entrepreneurs or busy executives. They understand the importance of lowering stress, improving their brain chemistry, and setting the right example for the people they lead. Random acts of kindness are a great way to do all those things.
—Minda Zetlin
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This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com.
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