Food
Farmers
Sustainable Living
Living Planet
News
Other than the mere fact that being kind is a good thing to be, spreading kindness can change the world. According to Science Daily, spreading kindness doesn’t only bring joy to those around you, but it can bring joy to yourself too. It is often hard to be kind when your life is challenging. Unfortunately, we can let anger and other emotions get the best of us. Whether you’ve had a stressful day at work, or and traumatic event has taken place in your life, it can be difficult to sift through those emotions and choose kindness. So, how about cultivating some kindness? Here are some tips that
- Adjust your automatic response
Stress can trigger us to act unkindly and then we feel bad about how we have reacted, which creates more stress. When you have awareness that you want to be kind, and then you practice it, you’re essentially rewiring the compassionate part of your mind.
- Put your hand on your heart
This technique seems almost too simple to work, and yet it’s unbelievably effective for creating a sense of compassion and empathy. The hand-on-heart exercise works because the human nervous system is responsive to touch; like babies, we respond to being held by relaxing and calming down. That touch also brings us back into connection with our bodies and, in particular, our breath. When you place your hand on your heart. You begin to use a warmer, gentler tone with yourself and with others.
- Shift your focus
Cultivate a sense of satisfaction whenever you get the chance. Even when you feel like life is a chaotic mess and you’re not getting the love, respect, or paycheck you deserve, take a step back to recognize a few good things in your world. Simple things like clean water, warm clothes, food to eat, even the ability to recognize these fundamental gifts helps us not to take anything for granted. When life feels abundant, it’s easier to be generous and kind.
- Respect those you help
Giving to those in need is a beautiful act, but how you think about that gesture is important. Giving is noble, but the notion of “charity” is inherently limiting. It doesn’t recognize how much we have in common with those we want to help, and it places us above them instead. Humility is one of the key ingredients to kindness.
Kindness is a powerful thing to give and receive! Let’s all be a little kinder today.
