Studies Reveal Being Kind May Help You Age Gracefully

Studies about kindness have shown that people who are kind to others have a lower risk of having anxiety and depression, remarkable findings. Furthermore, kindness has also been said to decelerate the aging process as well. Thus makes you age with grace. Being kind does give us some good favors. Not only will that others appreciate us a lot but it also good for our health. The most important about this is that it will not cost you a single cent. All you need to do is open up your heart and have that willingness to help others by merely assisting an old lady cross the street or opening the door to a person with your sweet smile.

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That is not all with kindness. It’s not just the person you are kind who benefits from it, and you too will feel good for being kind to others. The world could have been a better place if more people are more thoughtful of each other. Kindness is infectious and can affect others into actions as well, inspiring them to be kinder.

According to Oxford Languages, kindness means the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. It doesn’t matter how big things you should do or give. It is about being friendly, thoughtful and courteous to other people around you even to a stranger who was asking some directions. It is an act that should come from your heart, the genuine willingness to help without expecting something in return. And you are doing it because you want the world to be a happier place, and it is a simple deed if you think about it. If everyone will do an act of kindness every day, then the world would be such a peaceful place.

Some people would say that they are not used to being kind and don’t know where or how to start. You’ll figure it out and once you have started doing it you will get the hang of it. You can begin kindness in yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Stop punishing yourself by saying nasty things. Then little by little you will notice you are already doing it to other people. By just merely assisting an elderly carry their groceries or by just throwing that authentic smile at someone you bumped in from the mall. Over time it will come naturally to you.

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Kindness Has Numerous Health Benefits And Slows Down Aging

Kindness can significantly develop your physical, mental and emotional health; moreover, it can also help you slow down aging. Kindness can boost the good feel hormones, happiness reduces pain and eliminates feelings of anxiety and depression. It can also lower your blood pressure and it will not cost you a dime.

A controlled trial conducted by the University of North Carolina showed that people who engage in loving-kindness meditation age slower. The study included 142 adults grouped into 3: people who did loving-kindness meditation, people who took mindfulness meditation and a control group. They all joined in a six-week workshop and at the end of the trial, the scientists measured their telomeres (the protective caps of the chromosomes which as we age wear down and shorten, thus preventing more damage). Telomeres are vital because according to the study, the shorter the telomeres the higher the risk of common health-related problems. The longer they are the higher the life-span.

The study found that the people who were doing the loving-kindness meditation lost the least telomeres length. The mindfulness meditation group and the control group lost the most telomeres length. They also said that the loving-kindness meditation might turn as a safeguard for telomere wearing away, which can help you delay the aging process.

Lowering anxiety, lowering the stress level, improving your mental health are just some of the benefits that kindness can offer alongside slowing down your aging. It is only a small part of the entire study. The scientists have just started to study the whole scope of the benefits of kindness and its effects on the aging process although the preliminary results seem promising.

You can be great, an achiever, or collect all the world’s fame and fortune, but sometimes you forget how to be kind. Being kind does not cost you a thing; it wouldn’t make you less of a human as well. Therefore try to be more kind and do it more often. It’s better to be remembered as a kind person than otherwise.

By Kris De Vera Estrella, IFY Books