The Golden Rule is well known: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” We are taught from a young age that kindness is essential to living. Making people feel good and improving the world both happen when we are kind to one another. However, did you know that practicing kindness can benefit your own mental health as well? Being kind makes us feel good in the same way that doing good deeds makes others feel happy. It is useful to be aware of this reality, even though we should approach showing kindness as a way to be good to others as well as ourselves. Being kind may be the key to overcoming depression or any other mental health issue while you are struggling with it. Being compassionate causes the reward system in your brain to activate, generating feel-good neurotransmitters. These substances can boost positive emotions and turn around negative ones. They may even be able to relieve your physical discomfort in addition to improving your mood. These responses increase your propensity to carry out similar deeds of kindness, enhancing your sense of value and supporting your general mental health. Additionally, showing compassion to others improves relationships between people. Being kind to someone makes them more likely to return the favor, further solidifying your bond and creating a more robust support system for both of you. Beyond the relationship, your deed of kindness might motivate them to do deeds of kindness for others, so extending the love and good vibes.
