Dr. Robi Ludwig: Acts of Kindness Are Good For the Soul

1. Acts of Kindness Are Good For the Soul
by Dr. Robi Ludwig
There are certain times of the year, like right now, that helps us to think about the spirit of giving and
sharing. The holiday season is definitely one of those times. Against the back drop of all the difficult and
painful stories unfolding in the news, shifting gears to talk about the charitable topic of giving back, is a
very welcome respite. So, when I was asked to talk about the 27 acts of kindness campaign on national
TV a few years ago, I couldn't say, "Yes" fast enough. In fact, I leaped at the chance to talk about how
important acts of generosity and kindness are to heal the human spirit and soul.
Generosity may be the single most important way to achieve human happiness. When we give to others,
whether it's material or psychological, it creates a powerful emotional bond between people that can
spread genuine feelings of bliss. This generosity of spirit is not only about the selfless giving of material
objects that we give to others, but more about the everyday positive and uplifting things we say to one
another. Even a well meaning and warm smile can spread a spirit of kindness, which produces a positive
contagion affect. Making others feel good not only is character building to both the giver and the
recipients, but it also helps us to experience real joy. This type of giving has two effects: happiness for
others and happiness for ourselves. Now that's a hard combination to beat.
We have established that being charitable, whether it's done through sharing your time, your money
or your effort feels good. But why is this so? According to some of the recent research by Paul Zak,
founder of Claremont Graduate University Center for neuroeconomics, notes that giving, although we
say comes from the heart, actually comes from the brain. There's a part of the brain called the
subgenual cortex which makes people feel good when they are doing something positive. The brain
reacts to certain charitable or philanthropic behaviors by releasing the feel-good chemical called
dopamine into our bodies. This release of dopamine creates a warm glow or something called a
"helper's high" sensation.
The act of giving affects people's emotional well being too. It increases our self-esteem; it can identify
ourselves as a person who does the right thing. We prefer to think of ourselves as kind and giving
people. This not only helps us to feel more connected to others, but it also helps us to develop a sense
of meaning and purpose, both in our relationships and in the activities we pursue.
Feeding others, both literally and figuratively, is a classic way of human bonding. It probably got its roots
from the most basic of human interaction, that of the mother feeding her child. So as human beings we
are biologically programmed and biochemically rewarded to give. This gives us an evolutionary
advantage of strengthening our human bonds, which also helps us to survive as a group. Even the act of
thinking about giving seems to have a positive physiological impact, according to Stony Brook University
Medical Center's post. Elderly individuals who volunteer tend to live longer.

2. Kids whose parents taught them to be grateful and give back, are more resilient and live happier lives
says, Christine Carter, executive director of the University of California's Greater Good Science Center.
Giving has even been found to lower stress levels by helping us to be less self preoccupied.
Giving is contagious and can lead to a cascade of generosity and positive feelings. So use this holiday
season to set your charitable approach to living and giving in motion. Not only will it make the recipient
of your generosity feel good, it will also benefit you as a person emotionally, spiritually and physically.