The Effects of Kindness

2024 Slice of Life Day 18

An accident on the way home caused traffic to back up, giving me more time to think about what to write about today.

I received a random text from a friend yesterday, and she told me how much she enjoys my writing and how it makes her smile. It filled me with immediate joy. So, it had me wondering about the effects certain things have on us. I saved the best for last.

The effects of:

Junk Food:

·      Increases stress

·      Lowers energy

·      Disturbs sleep

·      Impairs concentration

·      Tooth decay

Laughter:

·      Creates physical changes in your body. Such as: stimulates many organs (heart, lungs, muscles) and increases endorphins

·      Raises and lowers heart rate and blood pressure, meaning it’s relaxing

·      Stimulates circulation

·      Improves. mood

Coca-Cola:

·      Poor blood sugar

·      Diabetes

·      High blood pressure and cholesterol

·      Increases risk of heart disease

·      Within minutes increases blood pressure and the liver sends more sugar into the bloodstream.

Having a Best Friend:

·      Increases sense of belonging and purpose

·      Boost happiness

·      Reduces stress

·      Improves self-confidence/self-worth

·      Helps to cope through tough times

·      Encourages better choices

Reading a Book:

·      Increases intelligence

·      Boost brainpower

·      Helps to become more empathetic

·      Fights Alzheimer’s

·      Reduces stress

·      Inspires others to read

Setting Goals:

·      Provide direction and focus

·      Gives a sense of personal satisfaction

·      Maintains motivation

·      Gives clarity to decision-making

Daily Walking:

·      Lose and maintain weight

·      Lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers

·      Improves mood, energy levels, cognition and creativity

·      You have an excuse to buy new shoes every few hundred miles

And now the whole reason I did all this…

The Effect of Saying Kind Words:

·      Boosts feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism

·      Encourages others to pay it forward. It’s contagious, people.

·      The more kindness, the more positive the community

·      It makes you feel connected

·      Increases self-worth

·      Motivates you to keep using kind words

·      It makes the world safer

·      A kind word in the morning can change someone’s entire day

·      It helps you realize everybody is going through something and that something demands empathy, understanding, love, grace and mercy. And some freakin’ patience!

·      Inspires to make, work towards and achieve goals

·      Shapes our perception and impacts the way others perceive us

·      Effects people emotionally, intellectually and physically

·      Influences our thoughts, beliefs and actions

Thank you, Pat! Your steady stream of kindness brings me one thing not listed above. Joy.

Dream out Loud. Be Kind – and apologize when you’re not.

rg