Self Care By Practicing Mindful Kindness To Others
Healing benefits of good Self Care By Practicing Mindful Kindness to Those around us.
Self Care by Practicing kindness can physically change your brain positively by boosting levels of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters produce which product feelings of satisfaction and well-being. These are important to your health and wellness on many levels of our existence. These neurotransmitters cause the pleasure and reward centers in your brain to light up like a Christmas tree.
A moment to perform an act of kindness has neural health written all over it. Good for the mind good for you.
Smile at someone random
May be it is hard to imagine that Self Care is gifting a smile to another. Have you done this? Smiled at someone random? Offered to hold the door? Let someone cut in line at the stop sign? The benefits go well beyond the act you’ve given to the other person. And fortunately, it is self care for you, neural research shows any acts of kindness YOU preform for others with NO gain for YOURSELF has lasting benefits for YOU.
Acts of kindness YOU preform for others with NO gain for YOURSELF has lasting benefits for YOU.
Yes, you read that correctly. Leading Neuroplastic Doctors in the field of brain health tell us that fully selfless acts benefit the giver. When you leave a respectful impact of “positive vibes” with everyone you meet you change your own body chemistry for your own wellbeing. This can be done for yourself everywhere you go. So to others offer the following grace
Yes, really, ask where can I spread kindness?
- Share a Smile – Encouraging smiles given to other people can make your day better too. Smile technology is absolutely incredible! Did you know you trigger powerful neural chemicals in your brain when you smile?
- Make something to give away
- Respect in the workplace kindly inquire about someone’s family
- In your community organize a gathering
- Out and about, your best outfit is your smile, inquire kindly of others
- Reach out to Friends and tell them how much you love them
- Family pick a family member a week and call to just ask about them
- Neighbors – call and say hello
- Donate – find an organization you like and donate
- Get involved in a volunteer organization
- Express Gratitude and start at home with your family
- Shop Local
- Be a mentor
- Get rid of BAD Habits and up cycle that time into forming GOOD Habits which will serve you for having THE GOOD Life.
- Turn your mindset knob full onto graciousness.
Do we ever really know what’s going on in someone’s life?
Even in the smallest gesture may be the turning point in their day. We are told that catching someone doing good is better than making them feel awful for doing a bad job. Yes, there are mean people and we do not want to be naïve, but we can be in control of our own selves.
Respectful, natural and unaffected. Understand and connect with the emotions of others and make sure you draw a line. Becoming overwhelmed or taking on their emotions as our own is absorbing too much. Surly speak with and support the other person and let them know you feel their pain, anxiety, sure share it and speak about the tingle, the hair standing on the back or your next, sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill, share the frisson of excitement, share their recovery also. Shake your hands after their story and sharing the wash of feelings that flood over you. Saying something like “Oh wow! Your story, particularly (share part of the story) really gave me strong feelings of (name your feeling) did you feel that too?” Allow them to share. Then shake it off together.
Practicing the process of connecting with another persons pain and them developing that ability to shake it off and not absorb is particularly relevant for people in caring professions, such as psychologists, nurses, careers, child welfare workers, and people who might regularly interact with people in distress.
Don’t you love it when you’re told that you are doing a great job? Of Course!
Allowing another some precedence over you gives you an Oxytocin boost. That’s right! You make yourself feel better by allowing them to go first! Take the time to show another human empathy, concern, acquiescence, kindness and that you care. When you lift others up you are in control of your dignity and respect as a royal.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
Acts of kindness can have many health benefits, including:
- Mood: Empathy without absorbing their full feelings. Picture this you are a mirror the person you’re supporting is a window. Since you are a mirror, you do not absorb their emotions you do not have full experiences of the storyteller. Instead of taking on those emotions as your own, you remain the clear glass of the mirror, able to reflect back what it sees but without etching those feelings onto yourself. Kindness can improve mood, boost serotonin and dopamine, and release endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller.
- Stress – Know when to step away. Sure offering Kindness can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also lower blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone linked to stress. However, when someone needs more help than you can give it is OK to step away.
- Immune system: Silently recognize and dialogue, “I notice I am feeling empathy for this person” or “I am sensing their (name their emotion).”
By consciously acknowledging and labelling the emotions floating in the room as belonging to you or the other person, you create a distinction between their emotions and your own, thereby ensuring a boundary and preventing absorption. Kindness can boost immunity and help the body fight disease. - Life satisfaction: Focus on your breath, notice the sensations in your body. Wiggle your toes. Visualize yourself as a tree, rooted, breathing in water from the ground beneath you. These techniques help you stay anchored in your own emotional space while connecting with the emotions of the person you’re supporting. Kindness can improve sense of life satisfaction, confidence, and control.
- Establish self-care rituals – to replenish your emotional resources and breathe for longevity Make sure you find balance: Kindness can increase lifespan and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment.
Other benefits of kindness include:
- Your own increasing self-esteem, empathy, and compassion.
- Helping people have a more positive attitude.
- Increasing social connection.
- Contributing to a more positive community.
Housing for Mom or Dad is easy with Golden Placements:
Golden Placements is about kindness and helping you find your best self care so you may be your best for mom and dad. Portland Senior Living and their various options from our Golden Girls specialists are NO COST. We help you navigate the details.
Here are more resources to help you learn more about our services:
- You can call us today or continue to read more about Long Term Care Planning with our friends at ACL
- Oregon Defines and Describes ADLs for us legally here: Long Term Care
- Golden Placements RESOURCES to find CARE Services
- Quality locations for you Senior Loved One with the Golden Girls
- Senior Living Near Me – Adult Home Placement
- Explore Residential Care Homes for Elderly “near me”
Diane Delaney, Placement Specialist Extraordinaire
Delaney is the founder of Golden Placement Services. She began this business with a healthy dose of compassion for helping families make educated decisions regarding senior placement. Focused to relieve stress in uncertain senior housing crucial moments. Diane brings about loving change of lifestyle with grace. Additionally, Diane is an accomplished executive manager, Director of Operations in senior housing. Emphatically, she enjoys sharing her experience by writing about the full spectrum of the transition process for seniors and family members. Read more from Senior Placement Specialist Diane: Ultimate Senior Living Resource Guide >>
LaVona Tomberlin, Senior Placement Specialist
Tomberlin brings a high level of education and experience to you as your Senior Placement Specialist at GPS. She loves writing about improving the lives of Elderly working in private care and in-home care for over 36 years. Geriatrics, Memory Care. In addition, she holds Master of Psychology Behavioral Health with the goal of advocating for those who needed a voice. Basically, LaVona believes helping the families to make good decisions and to relieve their stress in uncertain times makes life worthwhile! Learn More: Read articles from Placement Specialist LaVona: End of Life Transition a heart felt Guide >>
