The holiday season is here! A lot of different emotions surface, ranging from sadness and stress to joy and happiness. I know this is true for me at this time of year. 

Whenever I am feeling down, the quickest way to lift myself up is by doing something kind for someone else.

Recently I was feeling a bit down while in a deli getting food; I ended up buying the young girl behind me her snack. I immediately felt GREAT! I did something for someone else, and I felt great! 

Why is this?

There is science behind it. Here’s what studies found: 

• When you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centers light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver, according to research from Emory University. This phenomenon has earned the nickname “helper’s high” among psychologists who study generosity, and some researchers theorize that the sensation is also due to a release of endorphins, those feel-good chemicals associated with runner’s high.

• The positive effect of kindness on the immune system and the increased production of serotonin in the brain has been proven in research studies. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that makes us feel more comfortable, peaceful, and even blissful.

• Humans often mimic behavior they see, and that includes generosity, which explains why some of these stories of small acts of kindness become bigger news: Even people who simply hear about a giving chain are often inspired to give, starting a chain of positivity all their own. 

• Somebody who has just received an bit of kindness is elevated, happy, and grateful, making them likely to help someone else, according to a 2007 study from Harvard University.

Because I feel so passionate about this subject, I created the Kindness Journal.

Click Here to download it now — it’s F.ree!  

I invite you to join me in keeping a kindness journal. 

Here’s how it works. Each day, do one act of kindness and write it in your journal. If you miss a day, don’t worry, there is always an opportunity to be kind.

Share it on social media by using #kindjournal

Any act of kindness counts; a smile, helping someone cross the street, contributing to a charity, picking up trash, etc. 

I’m excited to create a ripple effect of kindness with you! 

Download the Kindness Journal now — it’s Fr.ee! Share it with your friends and family.

The gift of giving keeps on giving. Participating in acts of kindness can change your life and others. 

Be Your Best,

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” ― Henry James

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” ― Mark Twain

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ― Lao Tzu