It’s no secret that what we feel emotional impacts us physically. When we’re embarrassed, our faces flush. If we feel anxious, we sweat, or our hands shake. When we feel excited, our hearts race. So, it’s not surprising that feeling kindness has a set of physical implications too. The only difference? The physical results of giving or receiving kindness, or even just thinking about kindness, are all positive.
Practicing kindness is good for us
Research indicates that even just thinking about kindness can impact us. Having kind thoughts creates physical changes in the parts of our brain believed to be our positivity, compassion and empathy centers. This leads to the natural production of serotonin. Which in turn helps us feel all those wonderful feelings that kindness brings about. We don’t even have to do anything – we just have to think kind thoughts. Talk about a low effort health strategy! urgent care in Fayetteville, NC area
More Reasons Why Kindness is Good for Us
Kindness also leads to the production of another hormone, oxytocin. Oxytocin initiates contractions during childbirth and stimulates lactation in new mothers. But the rest of us can benefit from the production of oxytocin in a whole array of other ways. Oxytocin helps us feel trust. It also reduces fear and anxiety. The feelings we experience when we love one another are largely due to the presence of oxytocin. And we all know how good loves makes us feel. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that oxytocin is no longer believed to be only produced in the brain. New research indicates that oxytocin is also actually produced by the heart – and that its production there benefits our entire cardiovascular system. Does giving or receiving kindness bring about a warm feeling around your heart? Now you know why. Who knew? So now we have a few more reasons to be kind. It isn’t just the right thing to do. Being kind or thinking about kindness actually has a physical impact on our bodies, naturally producing hormones in our brain and heart that improve not only our mental state and well-being, primary urgent care physicians in Fayetteville, NC area but also our cardiovascular health. So, let’s not waste another moment. Think kind thoughts. Do kind things. And let’s do them to one another – and give ourselves a double dose. Want to read more about kindness? Check out this post that covers this subject much more fully. Thank you for reading. urgent care fayetteville