To boost your mental well-being, simply recall, right now, an act of kindness

Just a few weeks ago, a group of middle school students in Alabama made the news for posting positive notes on the lockers of fellow students. For Christmas, a few Attleboro, MA, students chipped in to buy their beloved school janitor new boots as a present. And in December, a Michigan waitress received a $2,020 tip for a $23 dinner bill, sparking the “2020 Tip Challenge.” People perform acts of kindness both to do good and to feel good. Research finds that being kind makes us happy, can help to lower our blood pressure, and encourages stronger social connections. Now, a new study suggests that we can access some of these benefits simply by recalling acts of kindness we did in the past—making kindness a gift that keeps on giving. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, conducted a three-day experiment with 532 undergraduate students. The students were randomly assigned to one of four tasks: 1) performing acts of kindness; 2) recalling acts of kindness they did in the past; 3) performing and recalling acts of kindness; and 4) neither performing nor recalling acts of kindness. On day one, students in groups 1 and 3 were asked to perform three acts of kindness for someone else in the next 24 hours. As examples, the researchers suggested things like “cooking dinner for friends or family, doing a chore for a family member, paying for someone’s coffee in line behind you, visiting an elderly relative, or writing a thank you letter.” On da...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness 2020 Tip Challenge gift happiness happy kindness mental well being negative affect positive affect Prosocial behavior well-being Source Type: blogs