Find happiness…in acts of kindness to others

Find happiness…in acts of kindness to others

Check out this nice article from Joe Wilner of PsychCentral…

Common courtesy and civility can be a rare occurrence in the hustle and bustle of daily life. It can be easy to get caught up in our many responsibilities and feel we just don’t have time to help others or stop to make a kind gesture.

When was the last time you helped someone without expecting anything in return?

I wish I could say I did this more often, and not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because research shows that committing acts of kindness is one intentional activity that can have a major influence on our level of happiness.

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky reveals a plethora of information on how we can live a happier life in her wonderful book The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. According to some of her research one way to boost positive emotions and well-being is to commit random acts of kindness.

Committing acts of kindness offers many benefits such as:

  • Giving us positive self-regard and feeling better about our own good nature

  • Providing more positive social interactions and chances to make friends

  • Relieving distress about other peoples’ misfortunes

  • Leading to a greater likelihood people will help us in return

  • Helping us see the world as a more generous and caring place

There are a few keys to consider in getting the most out of your acts of kindness…

…read more about happiness and acts of kindness HERE