This year has undoubtedly caused many of us to re-evaluate our routines and schedules and has placed an entire new emphasis on our health. Among the advice we are hearing on how to cope, self-care and taking care of ourselves seems to top the list.
One of the easiest things we can practice that will affect our health is extending kindness to others AND to ourselves. In a world where it is sometimes hard to understand the actions of others, we need to remember that we do have control over our own actions.
Simple acts of Kindness have the power to change the lives of others as well as your own. Our bodies and minds reward us when we go out of the way for other people, and the more we do it…the easier it becomes to not only help others, but to recognize our own value and worth.
Here are just a few of the benefits of practicing kindness:
Kindness produces oxytocin which aids in lowering blood pressure, improves our heart health, increases self esteem and optimism.
Kindness, stimulates serotonin, a feel good chemical that heals your wounds, calms you and makes you happy!
Kindness decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases endorphins, (the brain’s natural painkiller).
Now stop and think for a minute about the people you love in your life and the people you are kind to.
Hopefully you would never catch yourself telling someone you care about that they are not important enough to cook a healthy meal for. Or that they have too much work to do and there is no way they can relax for 30 minutes an evening with a walk or to workout. Would you tell your loved one that they are fat, ugly, etc…. Of course you wouldn’t.
Only talk to yourself the way you would talk to your friends and loved ones.
Be mindful about negative self-talk and do not compare yourself to others.
Forgive yourself for things for any regrets that you have and move forward.
Behavior, mindset coaching, and confidence is a big piece of the puzzle when it come to Healthy habits. As a Health Coach, together I work with clients build confidence and discover what is holding them back from reaching their goals. Contact me for one on one coaching.
