Health on the Hill

I want you all to think about the last time you did something kind for someone else. Not a favor that someone asked of you, but some kind act that you performed because you wanted to do it. Savor that thought for a moment, remember how good you felt and how much better the community, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the United States and the world would be if everyone was kind on a regular basis. Ah, utopia.

As if you ever need an excuse to be kind, I have one for you. This week, from Feb. 11 to 17, perform as many kind acts as you want because it is Random Acts of Kindness week, sponsored by (who else?) the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

What is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation?

The organization’s goal is to “inspire people to practice kindness and to ‘pass it on’ to others.” Created in 1995, the foundation is a non-profit that is privately funded and does not accept any donations. The foundation serves as the U.S. delegate to the World Kindness Movement, which is comprised of 20 countries, including Japan (the creator nation), France and Nigeria.

To help people perform acts of kindness, the Web site provides visitors with ideas for acts of kindness at school, in the community, at work and for individuals and groups.

Health Benefits of Kindness
Even if you are performing a selfless act of kindness, there are many physical and mental health benefits waiting for you. The following is an abbreviated list compiled by the Niagara Wellness Council from the book, “The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others,” by Allan Luks.

• Helper’s high – Often times, do-gooders experience a rush of euphoria, followed by a period of calm. This sensation releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers.
• Diminishes stress-related health problems – By helping others, you are likely to reverse feelings of depression, hostility and isolation, which means you are less likely to experience stress or ulcers. For some, a reduction in stress helps to decrease lung constriction, which often leads to asthma attacks.
• The benefits return – When you remember the kind act, the health benefits and sense of well-being can return for hours or days.
• Happy thoughts – Helping can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, vigor and optimism.
• Affiliative connection – This term refers to the creation of a positive relationship with someone, and such connections strengthen the immune system

What you can do

There are 964 registered members in North Carolina in four cities – Lexington, Charlotte, Buies Creek and Hampstead. As of 2006, there were 8,856,505 people living in North Carolina. I like to think that more than 963 people are being kind in North Carolina and more often than one week per year. It did make me stop and think about the last time I was kind and wonder if people consistently are kind to one another.

So, I’m curious, readers, when was the last time you were kind? Can you remember giving your bus seat to someone who looked like he needed to sit? Maybe you handed out five dollars to one of the homeless people on Franklin Street yesterday? Perhaps you let someone else have the last available shopping cart at Harris Teeter? No matter how big or small your act of kindness was, post it here as a tribute to Random Acts of Kindness Week.

(F.Y.I: My last random act of kindness was yesterday. I just got home from class, and I had an hour before a group project meeting. The gym was calling my name, wanting me to de-stress. My roommate called, and she was stuck on-campus in the rain without an umbrella. No problem. I jumped in the car, picked her up and had a shorter, but happier, time unwinding at the gym after knowing I made someone’s day easier. Cue cheesy music.)