This week we’ll explore feeling better by doing kind things for others. Research has proven that doing something kind and helpful for others actually increases the hormones that make the doer physically and emotionally feel better. Not only that, but
This week we’ll explore feeling better by doing kind things for others. Research has proven that doing something kind and helpful for others actually increases the hormones that make the doer physically and emotionally feel better. Not only that, but even watching people do kind things for others makes them feel better. But don’t take my word for it. You be the scientist.
When I began to research this topic, it boosted my feelings to see that there were 3.2 million hits on the subject. That means that this concept is spreading. Several years ago, I researched it and only a mere 500,000 hits came up! Now individuals, the military, Oprah, Wikipedia, The Huffington Post and over 3 million more are behind this. It works. That’s why kind actions go viral on YouTube! We want to see them. We want to believe that humans are kind and loving. It reinforces that natural instinct in us. Imagine how you’d feel if you might receive or see a random act of kindness at least once a day.
A random act of kindness can be defined as, “a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing either to assist or to cheer up an individual person or people.” When I first heard about it in the 80s, the word “random” almost meant that we did these things anonymously. You’d see a person’s parking meter on empty and you’d stick in a quarter. Or you’d pay for a person’s fast food bill anonymously. The idea is that you don’t expect anything in return … except that wonderful feeling that you get by doing something nice for another person.
This is not just American. The Jewish concept of a mitzvah is used informally to mean a good dead or an act of kindness. Judaism teaches that “the world is built on kindness.”
Caffè sospeso is a tradition in the working-class cafés of Naples where a person who has experienced good luck financially pays for two coffees, but receives and consumes only one, the second being left until a person enquires later whether a sospeso is available.
The BBC 1 London News ran a news item entitled “Hampers at the ready” following The Kindness Offensive event on Dec. 22, 2008, which saw the group work with 70 volunteers to hand out over 35 tons of presents to the public at random, as well as many other charities and community groups. The Kindness Offensive suggests that their Christmas-timed event was the UK’s largest ever random act of kindness.
The Australians have a TV show called “Random Acts of Kindness” in which the three hosts are filmed giving random gifts to people they think of as heroes.
Social Storehouse is the largest Random Acts of Kindness Network allowing people to post what they need as well as allowing people to post what they have to donate. Social Storehouse believes there is enough to go around for everyone! They do charge $4 to stop spammers.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has its own website at: http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ They offer lesson plans to teachers to help teach kindness, believing that kindness can be learned.
There is evidence that children learn better in environments where they feel safe, respected and cared for. You can look up studies at the site that prove that people can learn compassion and empathy.
There is a movement in the educational world to include more social-emotional learning in the curriculum. There was a tremendous influence in education to teach reading, writing and arithmetic, and then science because it can be measured, and they are skills that most adults need in our society to achieve success.
But with the rise in bullying, and not even understanding that shunning, gossiping, or spreading rumors is bullying, a need was recognized to include more social-emotional learning in the curriculum.
We would hope that our students would get it at home, but that is not always the case.
What is true is that youth run with these kindness ideas. They’ll make posters, videos, write stories and at the middle and high school level even have teams that help their peers find peaceful solutions to their problems. Two weeks ago, I witnessed a video made by the Kapaa High School mediation team on six quick ways to resolve a conflict.
World Kindness Day is Nov. 13.
It’s not too early to begin to create something wonderful in your classrooms, family, club, church, etc., or your own heart, that will be able to be expressed on that day.
It doesn’t have to be huge, just meaningful to those who receive it, that they feel cherished, and that they matter. The website has many suggestions, but I believe we’ll find the most relevant ones to our community in our hearts.
Also, Random Acts of Kindness week is Feb. 9-15. We’re focused on love that week anyway. Perhaps it can extend into the greater community.
The truth is that students in all grades can be trained to help others solve their problems. The Aloha Peace Project teaches kindness and empathy in our elementary schools.
APP owns a video library of 50 videos on peace-keeping characteristics and practices that help develop empathy, critical thinking, conflict resolution and much more. It is available for anyone on the island to borrow for free!
They are 15-25 minutes long and listed by grade level from K-9. Parents, teachers, Sunday School teachers, club and scout leaders, we all know how kids are tuned into media.
Here is a chance to let the video do the talking to teach your kids about some good character development. Check it out for yourself at the APP website www.alohapeaceproject.com to see what they are teaching our children about kindness.
Go to the bottom of the homepage and click on video lending library, or contact Laura Taylor at 808-826-6567.
You make a difference. Let it be for kindness in our world, and boost yourself too!
Questions?
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Hale Opio Kauai convened a support group of adults in our Kauai community to “step into the corner” for our teens, to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. Please email your questions or concerns facing our youth and families today to Annaleah Atkinson at aatkinson@haleopio.org
