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- indness and compassion during recovery
- Almost everybody feels good when someone is kind to them. This is especially true for those who are vulnerable, like people who are recovering from a mental illness like depression, or who are learning to live with dementia, or who have an addiction.
- Acts of kindness and compassion can increase wellbeing and help their recovery. It can also help them overcome loneliness and isolation, build healthy relationships and improve their self-esteem.
- There are many ways to be kind and compassionate to someone who needs help. These can include:
- being sensitive and sympathetic
- creating a positive outlook and instilling hope
- recognising and validating positive changes
- helping them solve problems
- helping to reduce stress
- helping with practical things, like medicines and appointments
- Benefits of kindness and compassion
- Small acts of kindness can have enormous power for both the person being kind and the recipient, whether that’s a stranger or someone in the same family. Many studies have found that kindness, compassion and giving are associated with:
- improved happiness
- good mental health
- a stronger immune system
- reduced anxiety, stress and depression
- improved relationships
- a longer life
- Research also shows that the happiness people get from giving to others creates a ‘positive feedback loop’. The more you give, the more positive you feel. This, in turn, fuels greater happiness.
- People who witness or benefit from someone’s kindness and compassion are also more likely to be kind themselves.
- You can be kind, generous and compassionate to someone you know, or to a stranger.
- Positive psychology is dedicated to researching what makes individuals and communities flourish. Popular positive psychology techniques include random acts of kindness, like:
- paying it forward – treat someone to something, like buying a cup of coffee for the person behind you in the café queue
- sending notes of gratitude – hand-write a thank you note to someone you admire or who has helped you out
- post a sticky note – stick post-it notes with nice messages written on them around your house or somewhere in public
- volunteering – being a volunteer helps others and is good for you too
- donating to a charity store – help people out by giving away what you no longer want or need
- smiling at strangers – smiling is contagious and it makes you feel good if people smile back
- letting people know you love what they do – this could be someone you know or people you admire, like a writer or musician
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