The Ripple Effect of Kindness: How Small Acts Make a Big Impact
Kindness is truly a powerful force.
When someone is kind to you, it can turn a gloomy day around and put a smile on your face. When a person participates in simple acts of kindness, such as offering a helping hand or giving a compliment, it also benefits themselves. Dopamine and serotonin are released when a person engages in acts of kindness. These are chemicals in the brain that reduce stress which is a major benefit, but particularly for children, there can be more long-term effects, as well.
Long-term effects for children may include increased feelings of empathy, belonging and connectedness with others. These feelings can enhance relationships with others and aid in overall wellness across the lifespan.
Given the incredible benefits of kindness, here are just a few ways that you can nurture kindness:
Talk about kindness and make it a part of your daily life. Describe kindness and provide examples of how people have been kind to you. Research says that people often undervalue acts of kindness, so please talk about your own acts of kindness. Additionally, you can make it a part of daily conversation. You may typically ask “How was your day at school?” but you might consider asking “Was anyone kind to you?” or “Did you do anything kind for anyone today?”.
Model kindness and give it a voice! You are likely going about your day engaging in random acts of kindness without even noticing. My challenge to you is to be more mindful when you are participating in acts of kindness and to make it apparent. You can make a simple statement such as, “That person might need some help with those heavy boxes, I’m going to be kind and lend them a hand.” or “The person behind us is also getting coffee, I’m going to pay for their coffee too. I hope that brightens their day a bit.”
Provide gentle prompting. On occasion, you can provide gentle prompts to encourage kindness by making suggestions such as, “Michael likes grapes too. It might make him really happy if you offered to share some with him.” If your child does not seem to take you up on your suggestion, it is important not to chastise or criticize them, but please continue to provide these suggestions intermittently. These prompts can still encourage your child to be more mindful and empathetic of others.
At Newbridge Therapy Center, we understand the power of kindness and its impact on mental health and relationships. Our child and family therapy sessions incorporate kindness and compassion to help children and families build stronger, healthier relationships.
Contact us today to learn more about our therapy services.
