Kindness Refreshes the Soul
For over a decade I looked forward to visiting my very old friend, Helen*. I would often show up at her door with a fresh bouquet of flowers in a mason jar tied with a checkered ribbon—which always put a big smile on her face, and mine, too. Then we’d spend the next hour or so chatting about our lives while I gave her a “Lisa’s special” manicure, or simply sat with her in the sun holding hands. Once or twice we even tackled a small craft project together.
Each time I left Helen’s home I would experience a deep sense of joy which I just thought of as “warm fuzzies”. While researching for my book, Get Healthy…for Heaven’s Sake, however, I came to discover the scientific reason for my “fuzzy” emotions, and it was far deeper than sentiment; it’s actually chemical!
The feeling of happiness or wellbeing in the brain is primarily governed by two neurotransmitters, serotonin and endorphins. So much so, people suffering from depression have been shown to have insufficient levels of both of these mood-elevating chemicals. The really interesting news, I learned, is that particular social interactions can be positively alter our brain’s chemistry.
This was beautifully demonstrated in a scientific study which found that when one person extends an act of kindness towards another, the bodies of both the helper and the one who is being helped had significant increases in both their serotonin and endorphin levels. Even more surprising was if a third person—an uninvolved bystander—happened to witness this act of kindness, their levels of serotonin and endorphins were measured to have increased as well!
I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised as Proverbs 11:25 states,
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
So, refresh your own soul this week by showing someone you love (or a perfect stranger) a little TLC. The benefits of your good deed will flow back to you—and to anyone else blessed enough to be present!