Kindness Delays Aging, a Wellness Must-Have

Several studies have shown that engaging in acts of kindness can boost happiness levels, but new evidence indicates that it also promotes healthier aging. Additionally, new research reveals that adding a touch of kindness to your daily routine can enhance self-esteem, support the immune system, improve the health of your heart, and contribute to healthy aging. These are all compelling reasons to incorporate small acts of kindness into your day. Kindness has a ripple effect that inspires those around you. Let’s consider how we can bring about small changes in our communities with kindness and simultaneously learn to find happiness. It truly is a win-win situation.

Kindness involves demonstrating kind behaviors towards others. It doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming; it simply involves showing a bit of love, gratitude, and compassion to the people around you. Did you know that kindness is actually contagious? Simply observing an act of kindness can increase happiness levels and make the observer more likely to engage in kind deeds. This is precisely why the “pay it forward” method works so effectively.

Random Acts of Kindness

Practicing kindness is akin to working out your kindness muscles. Over time, you need to regularly engage in acts of kindness to strengthen them. The best way to do this is to perform random acts of kindness every day. You’ll notice that it boosts your optimism, self-esteem, and overall happiness, making you even more inclined to engage in kind behaviors. Here are some random acts of kindness you can try:

1. Hold the door open for strangers.
2. Plant a tree in your neighborhood.
3. Pick up litter at the park or beach.
4. Pay for someone’s coffee (or dry cleaning, lunch, groceries, ice cream).
5. Get involved in a fundraising event.
6. Compliment a stranger.
7. Write a letter expressing gratitude.
8. Write a positive review for a local business.
9. Mow your neighbor’s lawn.
10. Mentor a young person.
11. Prepare a meal for a family in need.
12. Recycle even when you’re not at home.
13. Volunteer your time at a nonprofit organization.
14. Bring your nieces and nephews out for a treat.
15. Gift your spouse or loved one with a massage.
16. Walk your neighbor’s dog.
17. Contribute to a community garden.
18. Grow vegetables and share them with neighbors.
19. Donate clothes or home goods.
20. Smile at work.

Health Benefits

There are numerous health benefits associated with kindness, and many of these benefits can be achieved in just a few seconds or minutes each day. Here’s how kindness impacts your health:

• Boosts happiness.
• Increases feelings of self-worth.
• Enhances self-esteem.
• Alleviates anxiety.
• Reduces pain.
• Fights stress.
• Improves depression.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Boosts the immune system.
• Strengthens relationships.
• Contributes to increased longevity.

Kindness Makes the Body Younger?

This is where it gets truly fascinating. A randomized, controlled trial conducted by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that practicing loving-kindness meditation may actually slow the aging process. When 142 middle-aged adults participated in mindfulness meditation, loving-kindness meditation, or a “waitlist” control group during a six-week workshop, scientists recorded their telomere length. The participants in the meditation groups attended six hour-long group meditation classes once a week and practiced meditation at home for 20 minutes per day using an audio recording. Telomeres, the markers used in this study, are known as hallmarks of aging. They are the protective caps at the end of chromosomes that prevent damage. As we age, telomeres begin to deteriorate and shorten. Studies have shown that this is associated with a variety of health issues, including DNA damage and cancer. In fact, telomere length is directly related to longevity. We know that lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and a healthy diet can slow the rate of telomere loss, while factors like chronic stress and a sedentary lifestyle can cause them to wear out prematurely. The meditation study found that the loving-kindness meditation group experienced significantly less telomere length loss compared to the other groups. The mindfulness meditation group showed changes in telomere length that were intermediate between the loving-kindness and control groups. Researchers concluded that loving-kindness meditation may serve as a tool for healthy aging by “buffering telomere attrition.”

Want to give loving-kindness meditation a try? Here’s an exercise from the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good in Action program.

How Kindness Changes Your Brain and Body

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Social Psychology tested whether performing different types of kindness activities impacts happiness. Researchers found that engaging in kindness activities for seven days increased happiness levels. They also observed a positive correlation between the number of kind acts and increases in happiness. A study published in Journal of Happiness Studies indicates that happy people are more likely to recognize and engage in kind behaviors. Female undergraduate students in Japan reported that their subjective happiness increased simply by counting their own acts of kindness in one week. The study results suggest that happy people become even kinder and more grateful when they reflect on their kindness, and a person’s strength of kindness plays an important role in enhancing happiness. Clearly, there is a powerful connection between kindness and happiness. But why does this occur? Kindness affects the brain and body in several ways, including the following:

• Boosts oxytocin: Witnessing or engaging in acts of kindness triggers the release of oxytocin, which is known as the “love hormone.” A boost in oxytocin can lead to a sense of calmness, joy, generosity, and compassion. Oxytocin also releases nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and lowers free radicals that cause disease.
• Stimulates serotonin production: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that transmits messages from one area of the brain to another. It helps to regulate mood and reduces the production of stress hormones.
• Reduces cortisol: People who engage in acts of kindness consistently produce less cortisol, a major stress hormone.
• Triggers the “helper’s high” phenomenon: Being kind stimulates the brain’s pleasure and reward centers, resulting in the “helper’s high” phenomenon. This is due to increased dopamine levels after performing acts of kindness.

Healthy Aging Hacks

Are you enjoying the healthy aging benefits of kindness? Here are some other simple ways to keep your mind and body sharp as you age.

Morning

• Prep your skin with a natural youth serum, such as this Homemade Anti-Aging Serum.
• Use natural, chemical-free makeup products, like this DIY Foundation Makeup.
• Set aside 10 to 30 minutes for mindfulness meditation.
• If you’re short on time, simply add collagen to your morning smoothie or coffee.

Lunch

• Drink a cup of green tea.
• Have a nutrient-rich lunch that includes anti-aging foods like avocado, nuts, bone broth, turmeric, cooked vegetables, coconut-based products, and salmon.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes (if you haven’t already).
• Practice a simple act of kindness towards someone at work or a complete stranger.

Evening

• Enjoy an occasional glass of red wine and a piece of quality dark chocolate. (Both contain resveratrol.)
• Opt for healthy desserts and limit simple carbs.
• Use anti-aging essential oils in the shower or bath, such as frankincense, myrrh, and lavender.
• Take your daily supplements (if you haven’t already), especially probiotics, digestive enzymes, and adaptogenic mushrooms.

Bedtime

• Try oil pulling or a salt water rinse.
• Wash your face with a natural and gentle cleanser.
• Read a positive book, magazine, or article.
• Limit screen time.
• Go to bed early and embrace a good night’s sleep.

Weekends

• Practice simple stress-relieving techniques, such as taking a walk outdoors, grounding, taking a yoga class, or getting a massage.
• Spend time with loved ones.
• Engage in healing prayer or meditation.
• Create a calm environment.
• Move your body.

Final Thoughts

• Not only does practicing kindness have a positive impact on the health of your brain, heart, and immune system, but it also contributes to healthy aging effects.
• Incorporating small acts of kindness into your day, such as giving compliments, holding the door, or preparing a meal for someone in need, will not only improve your own mood and health but also support the health of those around you.